Gummy Bears are the biggest exception
of ConsumerAffairs
With Halloween coming up, your shopping cart may soon have a few bags of treats, along with the weeks groceries. The good news is candy prices are generally lower than they were last year.
However, they are higher in certain areas of the country, for no particular rhyme or reason. Datasembly, which tracks grocery prices in real-time, reports that the price of candy and gum is up just 1.9% over the last 12 months. However, consumers in certain states are paying more.
Here are the states where candy and gum prices have risen the most since last October:
| Alaska | +4.4% |
| Ohio | +4.3% |
| Kentucky | +4.2% |
| Arizona | +3.9% |
| Michigan | +3.9% |
Where candy prices have dipped
But consumers in some states are paying less this year. According to Datasembly, these are the five states where candy and gum prices have gone down since last year:
| North Carolina | -1.3% |
| Utah | -1.1% |
| Nevada | -0.6% |
| Minnesota | -0.6% |
| Florida | -0.2% |
If we drill a little deeper, we can see where the biggest Halloween bargains are. According to new data from ecommerce accelerator Pattern, these popular candies are priced lower than last year.
| Candy corn | -11% |
| Starburst | -7% |
| Jolly Ranchers | -4% |
| Smarties | -4% |
| Skittles | -1% |
| Reece's | -1% |
The prices of Tootsie Rolls and Sour Patch Kids areup 3%, while Twix are up 4%. However, the price of Gummy Bears is definitely a trick and not a treat, with a 30% price increase, according to Pattern.
How does that translate into dollars and cents? Pattern breaks it down:
What treats will make trick-or-treaters happiest? Pattern has data for that as well. These were the 10 most popular candies on Amazon during the lead-up to Halloween in 2023 and how much online demand they commanded between each other. Generally, fruity candies seem to be favored over chocolate options.
-
Candy Corn 26%
-
Skittles 13%
-
Jolly Ranchers 11%
-
Sour Patch Kids 10%
-
Gummy Bears 10%
-
Tootsie Rolls 9%
-
Reeses 6%
-
Starburst 5%
-
Smarties 5%
-
Twix 5%
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-10-15 20:52:38
