Halloween is a frightfully good season for candy retailers and manufacturers. According to the Huffington Post, Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy each year for Halloween.

But as Americans struggle with a tough economy and throttle back discretionary spending, Halloween candy purchases are getting chopped. 

According to The 2023 Halloween Spending Trends report, based on a survey of 18,906 US consumers, many shoppers are tightening the reins on their Halloween spending this year as 73% say their Halloween shopping will be impacted by economic challenges. This includes spending on candy with 34% of consumers planning to buy cheaper candy. Price is the number one factor among 65% of shoppers when deciding on Halloween candy, according to the PowerReviews report. 

The top Halloween candy shopping destination is the grocery/supermarket (66% plan to shop there), while 14% will buy candy from a discount store. However, nearly 90% of consumers said they’re willing to buy candy through a brand or vendor they’ve never tried.

Halloween spending trends are an important pre-Christmas holiday spending barometer. In the past, the National Retail Federation has estimated Americans spend around $10 billion on Halloween. It comes in just ahead of the 4th of July, the Super Bowl, and St. Patrick's Day.  

For more Halloween spending survey insights on spending and top motivations for purchase decisions, charts, and graphics, read the full report here.