Global confectionery leader Mars has released its second Mars Tricks, Treats and Trends report to celebrate the mini mid-year holiday that it calls Halfway to Halloween.
Marking a new annual tradition for the chocolate giant, the report captures the latest consumer-buying insights in the US ahead of Halloween and the new product developments it will release to stay on top of the spooky season’s trends.
Halloween a key growth driver for US confectionery sales
In 2024, 94% of Americans celebrated the Halloween season by sharing chocolate and candy with friends and family. “In a sign that the season is about more than just October 31, more than half of Americans started enjoying candy well in advance of Halloween night – a pattern that began during the pandemic but continues to hold strong,” says Carly Schildhaus, Director of Public Affairs & Communications at the National Confectioners Association (NCA).
The confectionery industry, in turn, is working to meet consumers where they want to be met, with products that help them enjoy every aspect of the spooky season. According to NCA’s State of Treating report, Halloween sales topped $7.4bn (€6.6bn) last year, a 2.2% increase over 2024.
Further, the big four candy seasons – Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, and the winter holidays – accounted for 62% of all confectionery sales in 2024, representing a significant share of the $54bn (€48bn) in sweet treat sales last year.
“Importantly, consumers understand that chocolate and candy are treats, not centre-of-the-plate foods,” shares Schildhaus. US consumers enjoy chocolate and candy two-to-three times per week, averaging just 40 calories and about one teaspoon of added sugar daily. “Occasions like Halloween are a reminder of the unique role of chocolate and candy in making these seasonal celebrations even sweeter,” Schildhaus notes.
The stretched season effect
Evolving consumer treating behaviours and stretched holiday seasons are shaping future snacking demands. Halloween and Mars’ Halfway to Halloween marketing campaign, now in its second year, is a notable example of how stretching out the season proves a successful sales and advertising technique.
Teaming up with online survey Ipsos, Mars explores how Americans are planning, celebrating and purchasing confectionery ahead of this year’s Halloween. According to Mars’ report, 78% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween and 94% intend to stock up and share confectionery, revealing the relationship between the spooky season and candy-buying.
Chocolate is the top choice among buyers, with 80% of Halloween sweet treat shoppers opting for this confectionery type. M&M’S will bring out several new chocolate products ahead of this year’s Halloween, including its new M&M’S Halloween Blend in Milk Chocolate, Peanut Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate varieties. It will also see the return of its M&M’S Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie for a second year.
While chocolate remains the leading confectionery choice among shoppers overall, Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to buy gummy, fruity and sour treats than other generations. Half of those Halloween confectionery shoppers asked in the survey will opt for Halloween-themed candy.
Mars is re-envisioning its candy creations with a Halloween-inspired makeover, featuring new shapes and designs associated with the spooky season. Mars will release Snickers Pumpkins, a new six-pack offering, and new Fun Size M&M’S Peanut Butter giveaway bags. It’s also resurrecting Ghoulish Green Twix and Snickers, along with its Skittles Shriekers. To appeal to Gen Z and Millennial consumers’ favourite sweet treats, Mars is launching new fruit-based SKUs from its Starburst, Starburst FaveREDS, Skittles and Skittles Wild Berry brands.
Stretching Halloween out is a savvy strategic decision, too, for confectionery brands. Mars’ report finds that almost one in 10 Gen Z and Millennials are now thinking about their Halloween celebrations. Typically, they start planning nearly two months before Halloween and are captive consumers of microseasons like the Summerween and Augtober trend, which emerged across social media in 2024. These demographics are also most likely to buy seasonal treats as soon as they are available online or on supermarket shelves.
“Treating plays an important role in life’s moments, big and small,” says Tim LeBel, President of Sales at Mars Wrigley North America. “Through new and nostalgic flavours, festive shapes and playful textures, we help drive the category and empower retailers to deliver moments of everyday happiness for consumers,” LeBel adds.
Today, consumers treating themselves to Halloween confectionery is almost as popular as the tradition of trick-or-treating. Of those asked in the survey, 44% of US consumers say they will give out confectionery treats to trick-or-treaters at the door and 40% will treat themselves to Halloween candy.
Halloween goods at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
During this week’s leading confectionery event, Sweets & Snacks Expo, Mars introduced its latest innovations that will coincide with its Halfway to Halloween report. The company focuses on the increasing demand for better-for-you options, Gen Z’s interest in adventurous textures and formats, and chocolate’s ongoing popularity, especially around seasonal offerings.
Mars introduced its new gummies SKU, Starburst Goodies. Plant-based with 4 grammes of sugar per serving, the brand’s latest product boasts “an excellent source of fibre” and is made with real fruit juice. Another one of its candy brands, Skittles, also released its Pop’D Original & Sour. Tapping into the freeze-dried candy trend, it offers a crunchy and crispy way to eat Skittles, in familiar fruity flavours and new sour options.
The confectioner also unveiled new chocolate launches at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo. Its M&M’s Peanut Butter & Jelly launch includes berry-flavoured bite-sized chocolate products with a smooth peanut butter centre and delivers the taste notes of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
It’s new Snickers Pecan SKU blends caramel, nougat and milk chocolate, with the added crunch of pecans. Snickers is also debuting another caramel and chocolate mix. Its Shapes brand contains peanut, caramel, nougat and milk chocolate. They have been formulated in festive seasonal shapes to reflect holiday themes like Halloween, Easter and the winter months.
