Halloween Candy Sales Check: Here's what Amazon is selling

· The Fresno Bee

Trick-or-treating has never seemed as popular in Florida as it was back when I lived in New England. That could be because it’s still hot in October, or perhaps it’s simply because no holiday except the 4th of July feels right when you live in tropical weather.

Despite having no trick-or-treaters most years, we always buy candy just in case. And for 2026, the candy my wife chose (because she expected I would end up eating it), gummy bears, plays into a trend.

With chocolate prices rising, shoppers have been leaning into cheaper options.

“This Halloween, trick-or-treaters may see fewer traditional colors of chocolate brown and more bright red and blue, as shoppers turn to more colorful, less expensive candy assortments to hand out,” Omnisend retail and ecommerce advisor Greg Zakowicz shared with TheStreet.

ALSO READ: Kroger cuts discounts, promises pricing changes

Amazon’s candy sales

Omnisend sent TheStreet an analysis of Amazon sales data that showed the following:

  • Chewy/gummy candy sold the most of any individual candy category at $22.1million and 1.2 million units, with Sour Patch Kids selling the most units in the category. This beat chocolate bars, at $18.2million and 730,000 units.
  • As chocolate prices rise, consumers are opting for more cost-effective options: Chewy candy is the best value candy at $16 per unit (compared to chocolate’s $22 and hard candy’s $29 average per unit price).
  • Bulk packs made up 48% of revenue and 40% of units sold as households opt for large bags of crowd pleasers over single bars.

  • Brands specializing in allergy-friendly, low-sugar, and better-for-you candy options (like Shameless Snacks and YumEarth) outsold M&Ms, selling a total of $3.73 million.

    • Methodology: Aggregate analysis of Amazon sales data scraped on Oct. 12 using Jungle Scout with the keyword “Candy.” Figures represent Jungle Scout’s 30-day rolling sales estimates, totaling $154.7 million in revenue and 7.3 million units sold.

“Chocolate prices have risen roughly 15% in 2026, making the cost of traditional Halloween handouts less affordable for families. This could lead to fewer Snickers and a plethora of Dum Dums and Sweet Tarts filling up pillowcases this Halloween,” Zakowicz said.

The analyst suggested that higher prices might lead to some families making an extreme decision.

“Due to overall price increases on everyday goods, I suspect we will see more families who venture out of the house on Halloween to either reduce the amount of self-serve candy they leave out or skip leaving it out altogether. I expect those who stay in to purchase less to avoid the dreaded candy leftovers and temptations of overindulgence,” he added.

Despite the price difference, Americans simply prefer chocolate candies.

A majority, or about 51% of the population, say chocolate is their preferred Halloween candy of choice. In a distant second place, 9% said they love gummies and jelly candy and another 9% said they reach for sour candies, while 7% said caramel candies are their top choice, according to an Ipsos poll.

In addition, 15% of poll respondents said they don’t like Halloween candy at all.

Related: McDonald’s changes its discount strategy

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This story was originally published October 25, 2026 at 4:17 AM.