Every October, families stock up on candy for trick-or-treaters — but this year, filling those Halloween bowls is more expensive than ever. Cocoa harvests have come up short for three years in a row, sending chocolate prices soaring and forcing candy companies to use new tactics like fillers and smaller packaging. Some shoppers are buying in bulk, while others are choosing cheaper non-chocolate treats to handle the hordes of trick-or-treaters. In this lesson, you’ll learn vocabulary related to spending and consumer trends, practice comprehension, and discuss how people are adjusting their habits while still finding ways to let the ghoul times roll.
| Cost of Living: Frightening Halloween candy costs |
Warm-up question: What’s your favorite candy or treat, and do you think it’s gotten more expensive in recent years?
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A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Halloween is a week away. So if you don’t want sugar-starved kids to TP the yard, it’s time to make sure that you have some goodies on hand. Thing is, keeping those candy bowls stocked is getting more expensive as chocolate prices are rising for the second year in a row. NPR’s Alina Selyukh explains why.
ALINA SELYUKH, BYLINE: A couple of years ago, Stephanie Espinosa moved to a new town, Babcock Ranch in Florida – a town with a spooky surprise.
STEPHANIE ESPINOSA: Our town is very into Halloween. We did not realize how big Halloween is here. October 1, everyone’s – already their houses are decorated.
SELYUKH: Espinosa and her husband got into it. Their oak tree in the yard is now haunted by a floating ghost. Palm trees have sprouted glowing eyeballs. But the real fright for them was the cost of Halloween candy, which they buy in bulk at Walmart.
ESPINOSA: We bought some bags that – you know, it said around a hundred to a hundred and twenty pieces last year for, like, 9.95. And those bags are now, like, $15. You know, do the math. We have, like, 5,000 kids in our town, and that’s just a bag of between 100 and 120 pieces.
SELYUKH: Federal data shows the price of chewing gum and candy going up more than 8% from a year ago, and it’s mainly because of one specific type of candy, which is chocolate as harvests of cocoa keep coming up short for three years. David Branch tracks agricultural markets at Wells Fargo.
DAVID BRANCH: What’s really driving increase is the weather.
SELYUKH: Most of the world’s cocoa beans grow in West Africa, where farmers have dealt with extreme weather, changing climate patterns and disease in their aging trees. The price of cocoa has more than doubled since the beginning of last year, Branch says. And so all the major chocolate makers have raised their prices – Nestle, Lindt, Hershey and Mars, which makes M&M’s, Snickers and Twix. And they are resorting to tricks to make their treats.
BRANCH: We’re seeing a lot more fillers going in, a lot more with wafers, nuts. They’re putting more nuts, less chocolate. Keeping the price the same, just reducing the amount of cocoa costs that’s going in it.
SELYUKH: Reese’s now makes a peanut butter cup that’s half-dipped in white cream. It’s a mashup with Oreo cookies. KitKat comes dipped in white chocolate, which has no cocoa.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: Have a break. Have a KitKat. And try KitKat vanilla.
SELYUKH: For Halloween, KitKat launched a version called Ghost Toast with cinnamon and Witch’s Brew, which is green with marshmallow flavor. Stephanie Espinosa, from the Halloween-crazy town in Florida, noticed another tactic.
ESPINOSA: The bags for chocolate are definitely smaller now, and there’s, like, less pieces.
SELYUKH: Shrinkflation is real in the candy aisles. And then there’s one other change.
ESPINOSA: The mixed bags are definitely – you can see that there’s less of the chocolate pieces in the mixes and more like SweeTARTS or gummies or things like that.
SELYUKH: Non-chocolate candy is having a big moment. Sales of gummy, sour, fruity stuff are growing much faster than chocolate lately. Shoppers are still spending more dollars on chocolate treats, but they’re buying fewer of them. Espinosa says this was a hard decision for her this Halloween. In her old neighborhood, they were a chocolate house. But now, expecting hordes of trick-or-treaters, they had to budget, choosing Tootsie Rolls and Fruit Chews.
ESPINOSA: We did what was more cost-efficient for us. And, you know, the kids are probably going to be like, we don’t like that house on the end of the street ’cause they don’t give the good candy. But we try.
SELYUKH: Overall, Halloween is still a splurgy time, expected to set a new spending record as people sort of squint at prices and choose to let the ghoul times roll.
Alina Selyukh, NPR News.
Vocabulary and Phrases:
- On hand: Available or ready to use when needed.
- Get into (something): To become interested or involved in an activity or topic.
- Buy in bulk: To purchase large quantities of something, usually to save money.
- Come up short: To not have enough of something; to fail to meet a goal or need.
- Filler: A substance added to a product to make it larger or cheaper, often replacing a more expensive ingredient.
- Tactic: A specific action or strategy used to achieve a goal.
- Shrinkflation: When a product becomes smaller in size or quantity, but the price stays the same or increases.
- Hordes: Large crowds or groups of people, often used to describe noisy or overwhelming numbers.
- Splurgy: Involving spending more money than usual on something fun or unnecessary.
- Squint at prices: To look closely or carefully at prices, often because they seem high or confusing.
- Let the ghoul (good) times roll: A Halloween-themed play on the phrase “let the good times roll,” meaning to enjoy yourself despite difficulties.
Fill in the Blank Use the correct word or phrase from the vocabulary list to complete each sentence.
- Even though candy prices have risen, many families still __________ for Halloween to save money in the long run.
- Some candy companies use more wafers and nuts as a __________ to reduce chocolate costs.
- If we don’t plan ahead, we might __________ and run out of treats before the night ends.
- The company’s latest marketing __________ was to release limited-edition Halloween flavors.
- There’s been a lot of talk about __________ lately, as people notice smaller candy bars in the same-sized packages.
- The neighborhood is so popular on Halloween that __________ of kids come to trick-or-treat.
- Even with higher prices, people tend to be a little __________ this time of year and spend more on decorations and candy.
- Many shoppers now __________ before checking out, wondering if they can still afford their favorite brands.
- Despite the price hikes, Halloween lovers say it’s still worth it — time to __________!
Comprehension Questions:
- Why have chocolate prices been rising for the past few years?
- What are some ways candy makers are trying to reduce costs without losing sales?
- What does Stephanie Espinosa mean when she says she had to “budget” for Halloween candy this year?
- How has “shrinkflation” affected the candy people buy for Halloween?
- What trend does the story mention about non-chocolate candy?
Discussion Questions:
- Have you noticed examples of shrinkflation in your own shopping? How did you feel about it?
- Do you think buying in bulk really saves money, or does it just lead to buying more than you need?
- Why do you think people still spend a lot on holidays, even when prices rise?
- If you had to choose between quality and quantity when giving out Halloween treats, which would you pick?
- What strategies do you use to stay on budget during holiday seasons?
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