This Halloween, your little ghouls may receive less chocolate in their treat bags because of increasing cocoa costs.
With Halloween approaching, your children may notice a decrease in the amount of chocolate available due to the rising cost of cocoa. As a result, houses that give out full-sized candy bars will be highly sought after this year. If you happen to live on a busy street with many trick-or-treaters, you may find yourself spending more than ever on these larger treats. However, fear not - this is the perfect opportunity to consider offering smaller candy options or non-chocolate alternatives. There are plenty of popular choices such as Starburst, Skittles, Gummy Bears, and Sour Patch candies that will surely delight all trick-or-treaters.
Why does chocolate cost so much this Halloween? CNN recently covered the impact of cost-saving measures on your consumption of this sweet treat. The increase in cocoa prices, which have more than doubled due to extreme weather and droughts in West Africa, is responsible for 70% of the world's cocoa supply. In response, candy companies are reducing bag sizes and raising prices. Furthermore, there is speculation that they may use alternative fillings, such as wafers or nuts, instead of chocolate in some products and include more non-chocolate candies in variety packs to save costs.