Trick-or-treaters may have lighter bags this year as inflation may lead to less generous candy giving. Data from NIQ (NielsenIQ), a consumer intelligence company, reveals that one way for consumers to make the most of their candy budget this year is to focus on less chocolate and more on marshmallows and candy-coated confections.  

Specifically, NIQ data found: 

• Have no fear—candy is still king. In September, the candy super category (candy, gum, and mints) made up 7% of overall dollar sales from the dry grocery department (center of store) and almost 9% of its unit sales. For the 52-week period ending September 30, it was worth $26B (+10.7% from the previous 52-week period), with 8.8B in unit sales (-2.8%). 
• But October isn’t the biggest month for candy sales. For the 12-month period ending 09/30/23, October was not the most popular month for candy. December 2022 had the highest amount of unit sales from the candy super category, with October 2022 falling in sixth place. Focusing on the month of October over the past few years, dollar sales have been steadily increasing while unit sales have been in flux and decreased from October 2021 to October 2022. 
• Is this the year of the marshmallow? Candy prices have been increasing steadily over the past few years, with the average unit price in the super category up almost 14% (for the 52-week period ending September 30). The chocolate category had a higher average unit price than the confection category ($3.34 vs $2.48), while marshmallows and candy-coated confections had the lowest average unit pricing ($1.52 and $1.70).