Candy prices up almost 20% over the last two years
From NPR.
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Halloween is just around the corner, and candy hasn't gotten any cheaper.
According to the latest federal data, prices for candy and gum are up 7.7% over the last year — and more than 18% over the last two years. One major culprit is chocolate, after drought and heavy rains in places like West Africa hurt cocoa harvests in recent seasons. Global cocoa production is rebounding, but consumer chocolate prices remain elevated — and shoppers are pulling back.
That’s according to data from Circana, which tracks sales in supermarkets across the U.S. They found that chocolate candy sales have been increasing, even as shoppers have been buying less chocolate candy over the same period, which means people are paying more for chocolate and getting less of it.
Find “NPR News Now” wherever you listen to podcasts.
Host: Korva Coleman/NPR
Reporter: Joe Hernandez/NPR
Producer: Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR
According to the latest federal data, prices for candy and gum are up 7.7% over the last year — and more than 18% over the last two years. One major culprit is chocolate, after drought and heavy rains in places like West Africa hurt cocoa harvests in recent seasons. Global cocoa production is rebounding, but consumer chocolate prices remain elevated — and shoppers are pulling back.
That’s according to data from Circana, which tracks sales in supermarkets across the U.S. They found that chocolate candy sales have been increasing, even as shoppers have been buying less chocolate candy over the same period, which means people are paying more for chocolate and getting less of it.
Find “NPR News Now” wherever you listen to podcasts.
Host: Korva Coleman/NPR
Reporter: Joe Hernandez/NPR
Producer: Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR
