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In recent years, those who used to go trick-or-treating during Halloween to collect chocolates might find themselves disappointed this year.

Market research firm Circana indicates that U.S. candy companies have reduced the amount of chocolate available on store shelves this Halloween, opting instead to heavily promote cheaper options like gummies and licorice, such as Mondelez's Sour Patch Kids and Hershey's Twizzlers Ghosts.

Circana notes that while non-chocolate candies are still cheaper than chocolates, their prices have also seen double-digit increases.

Chocolate manufacturers are facing shrinking profits and slowing sales, leading them to pivot towards gummies, licorice, and flavored creams. Consumer demand for expensive chocolates has weakened, while the costs for chocolate companies have experienced double pressure: first from supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, and now from cocoa bean shortages.

Dan Sadler, who leads Circana's analysis of the candy market, stated, "The quantity of chocolate candy on store shelves is limited.

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