Candy is more expensive this Halloween—especially these brands: report

(NEXSTAR) — Add Halloween candy to the list of inflation’s victims — while candy prices are sky high this year, some favorite treats are being hit harder than others.

When it comes to preparing for Halloween night, homeowners are getting a “trick” at checkout, according to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which found that candy and gum are 13.1% more expensive in September 2022 compared to the previous year. That was the biggest jump ever recorded, and only weeks before Halloween.

So what’s behind the horrendous increase in candy prices? Sugar, reports Bloomberg. Drought-hit sugar beet crops have boosted U.S. refined sugar prices, a phenomenon exacerbated by supply chain problems and the war in Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.

Last week, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders seemed to suggest that there might be something more criminal, price gouging.

“While the price of Halloween candy has jumped more than 13.1% since last September, the Mars candy family has become 44% richer during the pandemic, increasing its wealth by $32.6 billion.” Sanders tweeted. “Now the Mars family is worth $106.8 billion. You know what’s scary? Corporate greed.”

A market data company Assembling data knock down the increments by brand and … sorry Skittles and Twix fans.

Here’s a breakdown of the five biggest list price increases, according to Bloomberg, from September 1, 2021, to October 16, 2022:

So if you’re still looking to stock up on Halloween candy, you might want to target some of the brands that saw the least inflation since last Halloween: M&M’s (12%), Sour Patch Kids (10%) , Butterfinger (5%) and Nestle Crunch (4%).