Hershey has released its Unwrapping Halloween: State of the Season report, built on a Morning Consult survey of 3,026 US adults fielded July 8 through 10, and its central claim puts a number on what this season has looked like from every direction: “Halloween has evolved into a season spanning a third of the year rather than a single day.”
Update: Our essay on what Treatonomics means for haunts and attractions is here.
The report says the consumer research and Hershey’s shipment data “tell the same story: Halloween has become a season, not a single night.”
Halloween Buying Started in July
By early July, 67 percent of parents had already bought Halloween candy, the report finds, and 55 percent say they are in “Halloween mode” before October begins. Purchase intent before September runs at 77 percent for chocolate and 72 percent for gummy candy. Summerween awareness splits hard by generation, with 53 percent of Gen Z knowing the term against 6 percent of Boomers, and per the press release, Summerween social conversations grew from 14,000 mentions in 2023 to 65,000 in 2025.
Fun tradition (41 percent) and mood lift (39 percent) rank far above beating the crowds (21 percent). In the report’s words, “The reason isn’t practical, it’s emotional.”
Per the report: “People aren’t extending Halloween because retailers put products on shelves earlier. They’re extending it because the rituals, flavors, traditions and treats give them something joyful to look forward to.” The calendar backs the demand side up. This is the year Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party opens August 7 with eight dates already sold out, and Halloween Horror Nights Orlando opens August 28, the earliest date in its history.
What Is Treatonomics?
Hershey defines Treatonomics as “a consumer trend in which people prioritize joyful, memorable experiences and generosity over simply chasing the lowest price.” The report continues: “Halloween fans aren’t looking for the bargain Halloween. They’re hoping to create and participate in the most memorable one. As consumers pull back on bigger purchases, they’re leaning into smaller moments of joy.”
Involvement is up, per the report, with 41 percent of parents expecting to be more involved this year against 27 percent of all adults. The generosity data points the same direction: 46 percent of parents say the perfect Halloween block hands out full-size candy bars, and Gen Z prefers full-size bars at four times the rate of Boomers, 36 percent to 9 percent per the release.
“As Halloween continues to evolve, it’s become one of the longest and most anticipated seasons of the year,” said Stacy Taffet, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at The Hershey Company. “Consumers are creating rituals that blend tradition, self-expression, and community. We’re meeting consumers where they are with the snacks and experiences that help make these moments memorable all Halloween season.”
Traditions, Not Nostalgia
The report’s traditions section carries the header “TRADITIONS, NOT NOSTALGIA” and puts the mechanism plainly: “The candy people grew up with is becoming the candy they pass down.”
That mechanism is the nostalgia trend. It is the same generational-memory engine behind Michaels building six nostalgia-themed decor collections and the vintage decor wave we have covered all season. What Hershey’s framing usefully separates is the behavior from the feeling. Nostalgia is the sentiment, and a tradition is what happens when that sentiment gets scheduled, repeated, and handed to your kids. For an attraction or a retailer, traditions rebook themselves every year. Nostalgia has to be resold.
The excitement gradient supports it: 50 percent of parents are excited about Halloween candy, rising to 71 percent among Halloween enthusiasts, with the report noting excitement “climbs sharply the more engaged someone already is with the season.”
Community Is the Payoff, and the Bowl Is the Ticket
Asked what makes the best Halloween block, respondents ranked:
- Houses handing out full-size candy bars, 46 percent among parents
- A neighborhood where everyone participates, 41 percent
- Streets packed with trick-or-treaters, 39 percent Trunk-or-treating is “now embraced by 20% of Halloween participants” per the release, which also notes the new occasions “underscore the growing role of salty snacks, as consumers look for a variety of flavors, formats, and textures to enjoy across occasions.”
In the bowl itself:
- Reese’s, 39 percent
- Snickers, 32 percent
- M&M’s, 30 percent
- Kit Kat, 27 percent
- Hershey’s Bars, 24 percent
That puts three of the top five brands under Hershey’s roof. The report also cites Circana data naming Reese’s the top-selling Halloween candy brand for the ten weeks ending November 2, 2025.
The fast-facts page fills in the season plan:
- 82 percent of parents are likely to buy chocolate in October
- 79 percent plan to watch Halloween or scary movies
- 73 percent plan to carve a pumpkin
- 69 percent plan to take their kids trunk-or-treating
A Candy Company’s Survey, Beside the Mars Report
This is a candy company’s commissioned survey, fielded online and self-reported, so every finding arrives with a Hershey-shaped frame around it, down to the campaign brand “Hersheyween.” But it lands beside Mars’s Tricks, Treats and Trends report, which we have already covered, and Mars and Hershey are now publishing the same conclusion from separate data: the season is longer, it starts in summer, and the driver is emotional anticipation rather than retail supply.
The full report and release are at Hershey’s newsroom. Survey of 3,026 US adults including 924 parents and 596 Halloween enthusiasts, fielded July 8 to 10, 2026, margin of error plus or minus 2 percent for all adults.
