Prepare yourself for a startling truth: the cost of your Halloween chocolate indulgences might be on the rise due to a recent surge in cocoa prices. In the event that you manage to avoid the price hike, you could still end up paying more because of shrinkflation, a sneaky tactic where companies reduce the weight of a product without adjusting the price.
Reviewing online advertisements for Halloween candy from October 2024, CBC News uncovered that major candy manufacturers, Mars Inc. and the Hershey Company, have downsized several Halloween chocolate bar variety packs this year by up to almost 17 percent. Despite containing the same number of candy bars as in 2024, the changes may not be immediately noticeable to shoppers.
Both Mars Inc. and the Hershey Company, based in the U.S., cited shifting customer preferences as a reason for potential product alterations without providing specific examples.
In previous instances of shrinkflation, companies have justified reducing a product’s weight as a means to offset increased production costs.
Jordan LeBel, a food marketing professor at Concordia University in Montreal, highlighted that companies are constantly seeking ways to maintain profitability without directly raising consumer prices.
With Canadians grappling with escalating grocery costs, there is a growing demand for food producers to be transparent about downsizing products.
Sylvie De Bellefeuille, a lawyer with the consumer advocacy group Option Consommateurs, expressed that lack of transparency concerning product downsizing hinders consumers from making informed choices.
Surge in Chocolate Prices
Over the past couple of years, cocoa prices have more than doubled, as reported by the Associated Press.
LeBel attributed this price surge to extreme weather conditions in West Africa, the primary global cocoa supplier, leading to poor harvests. Additionally, he noted that many cocoa farms are small-scale operations, facing difficulties in recovering from setbacks.
According to Statistics Canada, prices for confectionery items, including chocolate, have risen by 10 percent in the last year.
Despite this, a Toronto No Frills maintained the same price of $8.99 for a Mars “fun size” box of 65 mini-candy bars in online Halloween ads from both October 2024 and 2025. However, a closer inspection revealed a significant difference in weight, with the 2024 box weighing 782 grams and the current box weighing only 672 grams, reflecting a 14 percent reduction.
