Candy bags and Jack-O-Lanterns are less full this year thanks to yet another side effect of President Joe Biden’s ruinous inflationary policies. Experts note U.S. consumers are dealing with double-digit candy inflation for the second straight Halloween.
This year’s study by retail price tracker Datasembly accumulated data from more than 150,000 stores. What it revealed took some of the fun out of the scary holiday.
From Oct. 2022 through Oct. 7, 2023, candy and gum prices nationally rose 12.8%. Not only did this far outpace general inflation, but it came on top of last year’s 13.1% national increase.
That tally was the highest ever recorded for the “candy and gum” category. The total for the past year also more than doubled the overall high inflation rate of 6%.
This means less was dispensed for little trick-or-treaters in 2023. Illinois small business owner Jessica Weathers told ABC News that candy costs are now “outrageous.”
She said it was senseless to spend $100 to hand out goodies this year. While Weathers normally bought a large load for Halloween visitors, this year she limited her haul to only two bags because of inflation.
Candy inflation hits double digits for second Halloween in a row | Just The News https://t.co/lFFsFiwMpW
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) October 30, 2023
CNBC reported the states hardest hit by soaring prices for sweets are Vermont, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Consumers in Ohio, Michigan, and Alaska were the least affected, though their cost increase still outpaced overall inflation.
Walmart, the nation’s leading retailer, sold an assortment bag with 365 mini-sized M&Ms, Twix, and Snickers for a whopping $52.99. Meanwhile, Target featured an 18-pack of full-sized candy bars for $16.99.
Candy prices have been in an upward surge for some time. CNBC reported that Hershey raised its prices by a minimum of 7% in each of the last seven quarters.
Consumer insights platform Numerator surveyed 4,500 U.S. adults about their Halloween plans. The results were hardly surprising given the tremendous increase in candy prices.
Roughly one-third of American shoppers said they intended to purchase value or store-brand products this year from discount retailers such as Costco or Walmart.
These figures are yet more proof that the nation is on the wrong path and needs new leadership in the White House. Even an innocent holiday for kids such as Halloween is more stressful due to Biden’s mismanagement of the economy.
