Get the low down on all the ghoulish goodies looking to claw their way onto shelves this fright night.
August’s sunny evenings might make it feel like summer is here to stay, but with the spectre of Halloween looming, smart retailers will be welcoming spooky season into their stores from early October and expanding this lucrative sales opportunity throughout the month.
Halloween confectionery is now worth an impressive £263m [NielsenIQ Scantrack & Kantar WPO | Total Halloween Confectionery | 6W to WE 01/11/25] and this year it could be even bigger.
“Halloween is seeing sustained year-on-year growth, and with the occasion falling on a Saturday this year, consumer participation is expected to be stronger than ever,” says Steve Waters, Seasonal Senior Brand Manager at Mars Wrigley UK.
“With consistent growth in spend per household, and category penetration, Halloween represents a significant opportunity for retailers to support incremental sales through strategic product selection and early season activation.”
Mondelez International agrees that a fast start is a smart move. “Retailers looking to make the most of Halloween should avoid treating it as a last-minute event,” says Trade Communications Manager Susan Nash. “The strongest opportunity is to build sales throughout October, using early displays to remind shoppers that Halloween is approaching and then increasing visibility as 31 October gets closer.”
An effective approach is to start with a small seasonal section early in the month, focusing on sharing bags, treat-size packs and limited-edition products, she suggests. Then, as Halloween nears, she advises retailers to expand the display, add secondary sitings and create more dramatic in-store theatre.
“Front-of-store displays and till-point features can all help drive impulse sales,” says Nash. “Retailers should also consider grouping products by occasion, such as trick-or-treating, party night, family sharing or spooky snacking. This makes it easier for shoppers to quickly find what they need.”
Sharing and scaring
Mars Wrigley, which is bringing back Skittles Darkside for another season, claims that sharing bags represent the largest Halloween confectionery segment. “Large and extra-large sharing formats drive both penetration and basket spend, making them essential for early pre-season engagement,” says Waters.
Sharing bags were the fastest-growing format for Halloween 2025, growing +7.1% in value sales [NIQ Scantrack Total Coverage Total Halloween Confectionery by Sub Segment Value 12 we 01.11.2025], with Mars Wrigley products, namely Maltesers, M&M’s, Galaxy Minstrels, Milky Way and Revels, driving that growth, states the firm.
Mars Wrigley claims to deliver five of the top 10 brands for sharing at Halloween, delivering 64% of value sales for the category [ibid].
“With eight million shoppers purchasing tins & tubs at Halloween [Kantar, TH, 08 we 03.11.24], and 2.8m shoppers only buying a Celebrations tub [NIQ Scantrack Total Coverage Total Halloween Confectionery by Sub Segment Value 12we 01.11.2025], this format plays a unique role,” says Waters. “Nearly half of Halloween tins & tubs purchasers will buy again at Christmas, creating valuable cross-seasonal loyalty [ibid].”
HFSS has changed some of the mechanics around placement [for retailers within its scope], so the role of range, visibility and occasion-led activation is now even more important, claims Perfetti Van Melle.
“The opportunity is to make the seasonal aisle work harder, using strong branded activation and the right mix of formats to capture shoppers who are buying for several occasions, not just one,” says Marketing & Trade Marketing Director UK Mark Roberts. “We also benefit from having a broad portfolio across indulgence, refreshment and sugar-free, so retailers can offer choice within the fixture while still leaning into the fun of Halloween.”
He claims that the best stores now treat Halloween as a chance to create real theatre. “It’s not just confectionery on shelf; it’s sweets sitting alongside bakery, snacks, costumes, decorations and party products to make the whole occasion feel bigger. HFSS has changed where some products can be displayed, so seasonal aisles and branded floor stands have become even more important. Even where products don’t carry Halloween-specific packaging, the right display can still get shoppers in the mood and drive the impulse to buy.”
Bebeto is targeting Halloween sharing with the launch of Boo Crew Foamies.
Launching in September 2026, the 130g hanging bag (RSP £1) combines foam-textured fruity sweets with six Halloween-themed shapes, including a witch, Frankenstein, vampire, pumpkin, cat on a broomstick and a Halloween character. The halal-certified sweets come in orange, lime, cola and blue raspberry flavours and will be listed in JW Filshill.
The launch follows the strong performance of Bebeto’s Easter Foamies range and marks the first time the format has been introduced into the brand’s Halloween portfolio, which it claims has delivered consistent sales growth in recent years.
Boo Crew Foamies joins Bebeto’s wider Halloween line-up, which includes gummies in mini bag formats such as Spooky Mix and, for the second year running, sour pencil sharing bag Witches Hair, plus gummy and centre-filled mix Witches Cauldron.
Phil Hulme, Commercial Director at Kervan Gida UK, explains: “Halloween remains an important seasonal opportunity for retailers and we’re seeing continued demand for products that bring something different to the fixture. Boo Crew Foamies gives retailers a new format within our Halloween range, combining the soft texture consumers know from Foamies with fun seasonal shapes and flavours.”
Cadbury is also adding some devilishly fun NPD with the launch of limited-edition Sour Patch Kids Monster Heads.
The product features larger “Big Kids” jelly pieces in monster-head shapes, with dual-flavour and dual-colour combinations across Watermelon, Raspberry and Orange. The launch gives retailers a seasonal novelty product that can stand out on shelf while tapping into the growing popularity of Sour Patch Kids.
Sour Patch Kids is one of the fastest-growing confectionery brands, growing 26.9% year on year [Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Sugar share bags, data WE 17/05/25].
Treats for all
The return of Sour Patch Kids Watermelon & Strawberry Treatsize also gives stores another proven performer, states Mondelez. The product delivered £1.3m RSV following its launch last year and became the number one NPD in Total Halloween [NielsenIQ Scantrack Treatsize and Trad Halloween 6wks Data WE 1.11.25].
“While innovation helps create excitement, Halloween shoppers also want brands they know and trust,” says Nash. “This is where Cadbury’s seasonal treatsize range can play an important role.”
Cadbury Treatsize Sharing Selection 223g is returning for 2026, featuring Cadbury Buttons, Crunchie, Twirl, Fudge and Freddo. “The individually wrapped format makes it well suited to trick-or-treaters, while the mix of familiar products gives shoppers an easy, low-risk choice,” she says.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Freddo & Friends and Cadbury Fudge treatsize packs are returning too.
Fun-size confectionery also continues to play a central role in Halloween purchasing, driven by the trick-or-treat occasion, notes Mars Wrigley. “Demand peaks in the final two weeks leading to 31 October, with 80% of shoppers purchasing only chocolate and fruity fun-size products, underlining the importance of maintaining availability during this critical trading period,” says Waters.
“Mars Wrigley delivers six out of the top 10 fun-size products at Halloween, delivering 54% of the value sales for the category [NIQ Scantrack Total Halloween Confectionery VROS 12 we 01.11.2025]. Limited-edition flavours and trade-up packs drive category engagement while maximising late-season availability opportunities.”
The firm will be hoping to bewitch Halloween consumers with the launch of Chocolate M&M’s Minis Funsize.
The ghosts and ghouls might be out in all their glory, but beware – the scariest part of Halloween for retailers may be the new rules coming into effect on 1 October, which restrict how products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) are displayed and promoted.
The HFSS promotion restrictions apply to any retailer with 50 or more employees. Symbol retailers may also be impacted – you are best to check directly with your symbol group for clarity.
The promotion restrictions mean stores must stop multibuy and volume deals, such as ‘50% extra free’, ‘buy one get one free’ and ‘three for £10’ on HFSS products.
Meal Deals & Temporary Price Reductions will not be included in the restrictions.
Stores under 2,000sq ft are exempt from the HFSS display rules.
Retailers with a relevant floor space of over 2,000sq ft and 50 or more employees must adhere to the display restrictions. Again, symbol group retailers may also be within the scope – check with your operator for further information.
The display restrictions mean HFSS products, such as chocolate, sweets and crisps, cannot be displayed at the end of aisles, at store entrances and within 2m of checkouts and queuing areas.
Free-standing displays are exempt from the HFSS display restrictions.
A breach of the rules will result in a fine of up to £2,500.
Another fun-size treat looking to make its mark on Halloween is Perfetti Van Melle’s Mini Mentos. Designed for Halloween celebrations, Mini Mentos gives retailers a more flexible treating format that works across trick-or-treating and group occasions, whilst responding to shopper demand for portion control and value, claims Perfetti. The sweets comprise four fan-favourite flavours (Strawberry, Green Apple, Orange and Lemon) and come in a fun-sized bag-in-bag format.
The firm is also launching Experimentos, which offer a multi-textured experience combining Mini Mentos with jelly sweets. The jelly sweets are shaped to fit a Mini Mentos inside, encouraging consumers to have fun with different flavours. Each bag contains Strawberry, Orange and Lemon Mini Mentos, plus Raspberry, Green Apple, Orange, Strawberry and Pineapple flavoured jellies. While not specifically Halloween-themed, the product definitely falls into the weird and wonderful category, allowing shoppers to create 15 different flavour combinations, delivering a mix of crunchy, chewy and gummy textures.
By combining tried and trusted favourites with a selection of seasonal and quirky treats that cater for a range of Halloween occasions, retailers can really bring this celebration of the dead to life.
It’s all very well buying limited-edition lines, but every retailer will have been burnt with unsellable products at some point.
However, this isn’t an issue for Halloween beer and cider, as far as Heineken UK is concerned.
“When it comes to the brands people are purchasing, Foster’s 18 pack remains Heineken UK’s best-performing SKU during the Halloween season, followed by Foster’s 10 pack,” says Alexander Wilson, Category & Commercial Strategy Director. “However, Strongbow Dark Fruit is a standout brand during the lead up to Halloween when it performs ‘way above usual sales’ at this time.
“With Strongbow Dark Fruit and Foster’s being core brands that perform well all year round, retailers and wholesalers don’t necessarily have to worry about having dead stock after the Halloween season has passed, but instead focus on how they display beer and cider in store and having full availability of these bestsellers,” he adds.
