With the coronavirus pandemic putting trick-or-treating in jeopardy this Halloween, candy companies are hoping to recoup some of their expected losses by putting Halloween treats in stores a little early this year.
"More stores have started Halloween displays earlier; most have moved up their displays two to four weeks earlier," says Hershey's global chief sales officer, Phil Stanley. He says most grocery and retail stores usually start putting up displays in late August or early September. In addition to extending the Halloween shopping season, Hershey is attempting to cut its losses by limiting seasonal packaging to give its products longer shelf lives, Stanley says.
In the eight weeks leading up to Halloween, Americans typically spend $4.6 billion on candy, according to the National Confectioners Association.