Halloween Spending Forecast at Record $13.5 Billion as Candy Prices Climb Faster Than Inflation

Americans are on track to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, including $4.1 billion on candy, the National Retail Federation forecast. The NRF expects spending to be $400 million above 2025 and $1.9 billion above 2024. Candy prices rose 7.7% over the year through September, more than twice the 3.7% overall inflation rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a figure covering candy and gum broadly. NielsenIQ reported Halloween candy sales fell 6.7% in the month ended Oct. 17 from a year earlier, after an 11.7% decline in mid-September. Chris Costagli, a NielsenIQ vice president, said high gas prices, averaging $4.29 a gallon and up nearly 40% from last year, are worsening affordability worries. Only small bags were growing in sales, while large and extra-large bags fell most. A PwC poll found the average person expects to spend about $263, and WalletHub found two-thirds of Americans think Halloween has become too expensive.

Left-leaning CBS News leads with the record spending forecast and the cost pressures behind it. It features NRF, PwC and WalletHub figures and quotes Chicago Costume general manager Cortland Hickey, who said tariff costs are now built into prices while fuel surcharges and diesel costs are rising. It also mentions rush-shipping risks for online shoppers. Right-leaning Fox News and the New York Post stress prices and consumer strain. Fox's headline says candy prices surge beyond inflation, citing the BLS data and the NRF's Allison Zeller, and notes 96% of Halloween shoppers plan to buy sweets. Its piece opens with a segment on The Five about an HOA's candy-bar request. The Post leads with slow candy sales, citing NielsenIQ and Costagli's view that fuel and other costs leave households unable to afford treats. All three cite the $13.5 billion and affordability concerns; CBS emphasizes record spending and logistics, the right-leaning outlets emphasize price increases and, in the Post, falling sales. Alternative / independent outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and right-leaning outlets had, focusing on spending forecasts, prices and affordability.