Associate Professor Ila Manuj gives NBC 5 insight on Halloween candy supply concerns: What to Expect When Shopping for Candy in Stores This Halloween

Worries of whether supply can meet Halloween demand are eased with experts saying there will be candy available

By Diana Zoga •  • 

It turns out inflation has also come for your candy. The latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed candy and chewing gum prices have gone up 13.1% over the last year.

Read on for what consumers can expect heading into the stores in the final push before Halloween.

HALLOWEEN CANDY SHELVES ARE STOCKED

Stores we visited this week had shelves stocked with Halloween treats.

Ila Manuj, associate professor in the Department of Logistics and Operations Management at the G. Brint Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas, said she doesn’t expect stores will run out of candy this year.

“If there’s a specific type of Halloween candy you are looking for, it may not be in stock very close to Halloween, but there will be candy. If you go to stores, they are stocked up. Companies have been preparing for this," said Manuj.

Manuj said demand for candy soared during the pandemic, so manufacturers have been ramping up production to meet consumer demand and navigate supply chain disruptions.

Generally, Manuj said fulfillment rates, the percentage of an order that’s filled, have increased.

“In the pandemic times, you were looking at candy fulfillment rates of 40% or so. If you asked for 100 bars, maybe you got 40. That has increased all the way up to 80%-plus in these times,” explained Manuj.

“HALLOWEEN IS BACK”

The National Retail Federation said Americans are expected to go big for Halloween with consumers expecting to spend about $10.6 billion on Halloween decorations, costumes, cards and candy this year.

“A lot of that is being driven by young adults who are feeling that Halloween is back. They took a little bit of a break during the pandemic and they are ready to celebrate with parties, bar crawls, haunted houses and hay rides this year,” said National Retail Federation’s Senior Director of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen.

NRF said consumers plan to spend $100, on average, with nearly half saying they’d shop early to spread out the cost.

We reached out to several stores and candy makers.

A spokesperson with Kroger said the chain has no concerns regarding candy inventory. Kroger said it just had a markdown event last weekend and is donating 100,000 pieces of candy for the Klyde Warren Park trick-or-treat in the park event on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Walmart said it will also have enough supply to meet the demand.

Hershey’s said it produced more Halloween candy. Seasonally packaged candy may be more limited on shelves getting into the last week of the season, but the same brands in snack sizes are available.

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https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/what-to-expect-when-shopping-for-candy-in-stores-this-halloween/3103087/