Halloween has become a season rather than a single day, and two major grocers are merchandising it that way. Kroger expects to sell 25 million pounds of Halloween candy this year, while Stop & Shop is pairing its candy assortment with seasonal exclusives, including a collectible bucket modeled on its in-store robot.
Kroger: 25 million pounds of candy
Kroger’s expected Halloween candy sales include millions of pounds of chocolate and 9 million bags of fun-sized chocolate treats. Placed end to end, the bags would stretch 1,400 miles, the distance from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Salt Lake City, Utah.
“Halloween is one of the most fun times of year for families and communities, and candy plays an important role,” said Mike Murphy, group VP for center store and merchandising at Cincinnati-based Kroger. “We want every customer to find what they are looking for, whether it’s a full candy bowl for neighborhood kids, the perfect treat for a classroom party or a seasonal favorite.”
Kroger’s consumer data points to an extended selling season:
- 57 percent of U.S. adults say they celebrate Halloween for a full season instead of just one day, and 92 percent celebrate some or all years.
- More than one-quarter of shoppers purchased Halloween treats before October.
- 84 percent plan to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters; of those, 73 percent choose mini or fun-size treats.
- Among candy corn eaters, 60 percent eat it in a single bite, 28 percent start with the white end and 12 percent begin with the yellow end.
Stop & Shop: Boo Buckets, muffins and pizza night
Stop & Shop is marking October with the new Marty the Robot Boo Bucket, a $2.99 collectible featuring the face of the retailer’s in-store robot that holds approximately 500 pieces of candy, available throughout the season while supplies last.
The retailer also brought back its Mocha Chip Muffins, returning to bakery departments for a limited time at $3.99 per four-pack after customer demand.
“At Stop & Shop, we love hearing from our customers, and when they told us how much they missed our Mocha Chip Muffins, we listened,” said Roger Wheeler, president of Stop & Shop. “This is just one of the exciting new offerings and changes we’re making as we continue to put the customer first and deliver on our commitment to providing great value, especially for important seasonal moments.”
For trick-or-treat night dinners, Stop & Shop’s new 16-inch Thin Crust Take & Bake Pizza, its largest pizza offering to date, will be priced at $6.99 from Oct. 23 through Nov. 5 in Five Cheese and Double Pepperoni varieties. The retailer’s candy assortment includes this year’s new items, such as Hershey’s Cookies & Cream Fangs, Kit Kat Ghost Toast and Twix Skulls, alongside favorites like Brach’s candy corn.
Stop & Shop, an Ahold Delhaize USA company, operates more than 350 stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.
Related: Giant/Martin’s Survey: Chocolate, Caramel, Peanut Butter Rule Halloween