Candy and snack producer Mars is celebrating "Halfoween" this week—October’s halfway mark to Halloween—with confectionery trends leading into the big night.

Nearly nine in 10 Halloween celebrators plan to spend the same or more than last year, according to InMarket. Additionally, NRF data shows Halloween spending expectations remain high, with $3.5B expected to be spent on Halloween candy in 2024. These insights mirror trends Mars Wrigley has been seeing with its inaugural “Mars Tricks, Treats, and Trends” report, which found that 85% of those planning to celebrate Halloween this year either plan to go bigger or retain similar plans compared to last year.

“With trends like Summerween and Augtober, we know consumer excitement for the Halloween season started early this year and we loved to see it! While Mars Wrigley was ready to meet early enthusiasm with shipments beginning in July, we’re officially in full swing at the Halfoween mark,” says Tim LeBel, chief Halloween officer and president of sales at Mars Wrigley North America. “With more than 100 products in our Halloween lineup including new seasonal treats like M&M’s Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie and revamped variety bags that include on-trend fruity and chocolate mixes—there’s something for everyone on shelf from now, until the 31st and beyond.”

Building momentum to "Halfoween"
By celebrating Halfway to Halloween in May, Mars was ahead of the “Summerween” trend which was seen across major retailers—and data shows consumers are excited to celebrate Halloween and extend the season right alongside retailers. 

According to Morning Consult:

  • 68% of consumers reported they are more inclined to make a Mars-related purchase because of the company’s earlier Halloween celebrations than previous years. 
  • This number is even higher when specific to M&M’s, in which 72% of consumers reported they are more inclined to making an M&M’s-related purchase because of the brand’s earlier Halloween celebrations than previous years.
  • Snickers is the most often heard of candy among consumers (90%). This year Mars is tapping into Snickers love with Snickers Ghoulish Green Fun Size, Snickers Shapes, and a Snickers Halloween Candy Resealable Bucket, which contains over six pounds of Fun Size Snickers.

While chocolate is generally preferred among all candy purchasers (88%), gummies are a favorite among younger generations (56% Millennials and 60% Gen Z), according to the “Mars Tricks, Treats, and Trends” report. This year, Mars is meeting the growing demand for gummies with variety bags that mix Mars brands like Twix, Snickers, Life Savers Gummies, and Skittles Gummies. And for consumers who like sour and fruity confections, Skittles Shriekers are sure to delight. Hidden inside each pack of Shriekers are super-sour Skittles that appear to look like the rest, yet bring an unpredictable punch of sour flavor to make even the most fearless consumer shriek, says Mars.

 

M&M’s to the Halloween Rescue

A recent ranking from Candystore.com crowned M&M’s as the #1 Halloween candy nationwide. In addition, M&M's is bringing back the M&M's Halloween Rescue Squad in an effort to rescue even more consumers from the scariest scenario possible—running out of candy on Halloween night.

The “Mars Tricks, Treats, and Trends” report found that 78% of consumers say they are most anxious about running out of candy, making it the top cause of Halloween anxiety. Thus, to rescue even more consumers from the haunting sight of an empty candy bowl this Halloween, M&M's is debuting the first-ever M&M's Halloween Rescue BOOths in Philadelphia and New Jersey.

For Halloween treaters not in those markets, M&M's Rescue Squad, in partnership with GoPuff, is on call to restock the candy bowls of consumers across the county who dipped into their candy stash too early or underestimated the number of trick-or-treaters to show up at their door. Consumers can learn more about how to rescue their Halloween night at MMS.com/Halloween-Rescue-Squad.

For more information on what Mars brands are doing to celebrate Treat Season, visit MarsWrigleyHalloween.com, and follow Mars' Chief Halloween Officer on LinkedIn for behind the scenes updates. 

Mars is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.