Rising cocoa costs push Canadian Halloween candy prices up and shrink portions

Canadian consumers may face higher prices and smaller portions of Halloween chocolate as cocoa costs remain elevated. A Leger survey released this week found that 72% of Canadians expect their overall Halloween spending to stay roughly the same as last year, even though the price of treats is climbing.

Richard Powers, an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, estimates that Canadians are paying between 12% and 15% more for Halloween chocolate compared with the previous year. He attributes most of the increase to higher cocoa prices caused by drought and extreme weather that disrupted production, with manufacturers passing those costs on to buyers.

“They can expect to pay more for less,” Powers said.

Statistics Canada reports that all cocoa beans used in Canadian chocolate are imported, with over 110,000 tonnes worth nearly $170 million brought in during August 2025. Although cocoa prices have begun to fall, Powers cautions that the relief may not reach consumers for another 12 to 18 months.

“Cocoa prices are starting to fall, but those won’t flow through until the current cocoa has been used up,” he added.

In addition to higher prices, many manufacturers are reducing the size of individual treats or packages—a practice known as shrinkflation. Powers estimates families could receive eight to ten percent less chocolate by weight while the number of units remains unchanged.

“The number of units won’t change. They’ll just be a little bit smaller. Will kids notice it? No, not at all,” he said.

Marketing professor David Soberman of Rotman notes that the pressure is already affecting buying habits, with Halloween candy spending down about 10% overall. Some shoppers are shifting from traditional chocolate brands to gummies, hard candies, or unbranded products sold at discount retailers such as Dollarama.

“More shoppers are going to places like Dollarama, and when they do that, they find chocolate that is not branded, you know, a typical Nestlé or Mars product, and they may find that those products satisfy their needs completely,” Soberman explained.

Soberman advises shoppers to compare price per piece rather than focusing solely on package price when making last-minute purchases.

According to the Leger survey, 29% of Canadians plan to spend between $20 and $50 on Halloween candy, 12% expect to spend $50 to $75, and another 29% do not plan to spend anything on candy at all.