Shoppers are in for a scary sight when stocking up for trick-or-treaters this Halloween: double-digit inflation in the candy aisle for the second year in a row.
According to Datasembly, a retail price tracker, candy and gum prices are up an average of 13% this month compared to last October -- more than double the 6% increase in all grocery prices.
That's on top of last October's 14% increase in candy and gum prices.
Of all the states, Pennsylvania saw the biggest hike to candy prices over the past year at 15.1%, followed by Maryland (14.5%), Delaware (13.1%), New Jersey (13.1%) and Nevada (12.4%).
Colorado and Michigan are tied for the smallest increase to candy prices over the past year at 8.7%, followed by Arizona, Alaska and Oregon tied at 9%.
The higher prices are really spooking some shoppers. A survey by Numerator shows one-third of people celebrating Halloween plan to trade down to value brands when buying candy for trick-or-treaters this year.
That being said, candy still remains the top item purchased to celebrate the holiday, with four out of five people stocking up on sweets for themselves and trick-or-treaters.
When it comes to what people are buying, variety remains king: 70% of Halloween candy buyers say they will purchase variety packs, followed by chocolates (53%) and gummy candies (29%). Only 1 in 5 (22%) of candy buyers plan to purchase full-sized candy bars, according to Numerator.
The data shows Halloween spending will be on par with last year, but people will be getting less boo for their buck thanks to inflation. Numerator says nearly a third of shoppers (30%) expect to spend between $26 and $50 on their holiday items, with less than a fifth (18%) planning to spend more than $100.