Mastercard releases Halloween consumer spending insights

Almost 36% of all in-store sales at U.S. chocolatiers happen from Oct. to Dec.

Courtesy of Mastercard

Mastercard recently released Halloween data that highlights how people shop for and enjoy candy during the holiday.

While 89% of shoppers are focused on getting the best bang for their buck when they buy Halloween candy, nostalgia commonly dictates what candy consumers buy, with 81% of consumers seeking the candy they loved most as kids. Although trick-or-treaters remain a priority, more than half (56%) of consumers who don’t get any ghosts or witches knocking on their doors still buy candy.

In addition, 45% of consumers enjoy Halloween-themed movies or TV shows, and 83% of them enjoy watching with their favorite confection. Plus, 82% of all consumers intentionally keep a stash of their sweets to enjoy after the holiday.

According to the Mastercard Economics Institute, almost 36% of all in-store sales at chocolate stores across the U.S. happen from October to December as consumers turn to edible gifts for friends, families, coworkers, and more during the holidays.

More data from the study includes:

81% of consumers buy candy they loved the most as a kid.
3 in 4 (76%) get trick or treaters to their house, with the majority getting fewer than 30 visitors. Among those who don’t get trick or treaters, more than half (56%) still buy candy.
82% of consumers intentionally keep a stash of candy to enjoy in the days after Halloween, and 70% keep a stash to enjoy in the months after Halloween.
89% of shoppers buy their candy wherever they get the most bang for their buck. Consumers between 18-44 were the most likely to buy candy at an online retailer, but just 4% of all consumers buy candy through social media.
Ads or social media influence have relatively little effect on how consumers buy candy. While 1 in 2 (55%) consumers enjoy ads/social media posts about Halloween candy, only 1 in 3 (28%) say that they are the reason for buying.
45% of consumers enjoy Halloween-themed movies or TV shows, and 83% of them enjoy watching with candy.
36% of all in-store sales at chocolate stores across the U.S. happen from October-December.

Some states spend more than others at chocolate stores from October to December. The top 10 U.S. states that increase their share to national chocolate sales are: