CINCINNATI — Halloween is just a week away, and if you still need to buy some candy for the trick-or-treaters, you’re not alone.
Many shoppers have been holding out on buying their candy because they’ve been spooked by the price tags this year.
"The price just went up exponentially," said Tracy Singleton, who was shocked by the candy prices while shopping at Kroger in Anderson Township.
Singleton said she knows she’ll be purchasing candy before Halloween, but she’s intentionally waiting until the last minute in the hopes that prices will drop.
"I'm still going to wait to see if it goes on sale," she said. “I think it makes you rethink just how much candy you're going to be handing out this Halloween,” Singleton said.
We went to four different stores to see where you can get Halloween candy without the scary price tag.
Here’s what we found:
Kroger
Kroger stores across the Tri-State have a wide selection of candy, and most bags are already marked down.
A bag of 125 pieces of assorted Hershey’s chocolates is on sale for $15.99.
Want to be the talk of the neighborhood? Nerds gummy clusters are a popular product this year. Kroger sells individual packs in a large bag of 90 pieces.
Target
Target has already started to mark down prices on their Halloween candy bags.
We found Target had a wide selection of combo bags that had both sweets and chocolate in one bag. This may be your best bet if you’re looking for a variety.
For example, one 100-piece bag had gummy bears, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, KitKat, Reese's, and Hershey's all for $14.99.
Walmart
Walmart has giant bags of candy with some very big savings. They have a wide selection of big bags, but don’t be scared by these $19 and $24 price tags, because each piece is much cheaper overall.
Non-chocolate candy was the best deal at Walmart, like Starburst for just $3.98 a bag. Nothing spooky about that.
Walgreens
At drug stores, coupons are king.
At Walgreens, reward members can get 2 bags for $7 right now — a great deal.
Members also get 40% off their second purchase on larger bags.
Why the high chocolate prices?
You may notice chocolate is more expensive this year. Paul Picton, owner of Maverick Chocolate in Norwood said cocoa prices have doubled recently due to droughts in Africa.
"The price of cocoa beans at the commodity levels, from the farms, has skyrocketed,” Picton said.
It's hitting shoppers with sticker shock.
"Everything is getting smaller, and more expensive," one shopper said.
This year, opting for big bags, and non-chocolate can help you save.
If you're expecting a lot of trick-or-treaters, you may want to buy in bulk at places like Costco or Sam’s Club, where prices tend to be cheaper than traditional grocery stores.
Of course, if you want the sweetest price, wait for the candy to go on clearance the day after Halloween, that way you don't waste your money.
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