US sets the tone for supernaturally fine Halloween celebrations

A devilishly fine Halloween has been projected for this month’s festivities, according to the National Confectioners Association’s latest consumer survey on the spooky season.

With Stateside sales put at an incredible $7 billion last autumn, and estimates for this side of the Atlantic placed at around £1billion retail sales for confectionery and snacks, its popularity as a cultural phenomenon is impressive to behold.

As you’ll see from our pages of our upcoming magazine and online coverage this month, manufacturers large and small alike are lining-up to gain a slice of the action over the coming weeks, as people continue to take advantage of a wealth of seasonal parties and events that have incorporated confectionery into the heart of their activities.

Indeed, as we have reported over the months and years, manufacturers have become increasingly savvy at targeting the big seasons for their treating lines, and Halloween this year is definitely set to be a blockbuster affair.

Companies such as Ferrero have been hot of the mark with its 31 Days of Halloween Calendar returning once more to count down the season, and brands such as Hershey come up with special edition KitKat ‘Count’ Draculas, and M&M’s with its Halloween rescue squad delivering candy to add to the sense of occasion.

There are plenty more spooktacular surprises in store in the coming weeks, so the infectious sense of celebration that is seen Stateside is perhaps something to be cherished amid a world that otherwise has so many challenges on its plate right now. Watch this space for plenty of spooky goings on around the world – as what was once just limited to fairly regional confectionery celebrations, now being something of a global jamboree. 

Neill Barston, editor, Confectionery Production

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