August 5, 2026
No one knows Halloween like Hershey. Trusted by the most households and with unmatched brand recognition, we define the season where others show up. That’s why we call it Hersheyween.
Hersheyween is how Hershey does Halloween: turning consumer insights into must-have treats, building a portfolio designed for how people shop, and showing up with the scale and seasonal innovation only Hershey can deliver. From Summerween to October 31, we have a portfolio that’s built for the full season and the many ways people celebrate.
Grounded in Consumer Celebrations
We take a consumer-first, occasion-based approach to seasons. For us and our brand fans, there’s a new Halloween calendar that’s fueled by anticipation and shaped by the rituals, flavors, and traditions that define the season.
We know that Halloween “officially” starts for many when Reese’s Pumpkins hit shelves in July. It’s a time when consumers treat themselves versus stocking up for others. As the season progresses, anticipation builds and consumers reach for “snack-sized fun” in August and September before it’s all about trick-or-treating and time to share in October.
The Halloween candy category grew 11% during the July-August pre-season window in 2025,1 driven in part by younger consumers entering the season ahead of traditional timelines. Nearly one-third of consumers now say they participate in some form of early celebrating, from Summerween gatherings to summer candy shopping trips. As consumers continue to think about Halloween earlier each year and celebrate with a series of unique moments that build over time, we’re showing up to build momentum well before October.
Participation is also expanding across occasions. While trick-or-treating remains the primary event, trunk-or-treating now reaches about 20% of Halloween participants.2 Parties, neighborhood events and at-home activities are continuing to grow. Our 2026 strategy is built around this shift, matching the right products to the right occasions across the full season as the undisputed Halloween leader.
Hershey Sets the Standard
In 2025, we reached more than 42 million U.S. households and captured 36.1% of total Halloween retail dollar sales.3 Hershey sets the standard for seasonal performance:
- Top brands: Three of the top 5 Halloween chocolate brands: No. 1 Reese’s, No. 3 KIT KAT®, No. 5 Reese’s shapes
- Must-have items: Three of the top six best-sellers: No. 2 Reese’s Cup snack size, No. 4 165-count chocolate assortment, No. 6 55-count chocolate assortment
- Unmatched variety: No. 1 in assortment bags
This year, as consumers celebrate longer and Halloween falls on a Saturday for the first time since 2020, we’ll produce more than 150 million pounds of candy across 160 seasonal items. We’re creating momentum early and meeting consumers where they are all season long. This includes an expanded role for our salty brands this year.
Expanding Our Seasonal Portfolio
Our salty brands, Pirate’s Booty, LesserEvil, SkinnyPop, and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels, offer households a wider range of options beyond sweets. It's a meaningful expansion as consumers seek variety, and we see salty playing a growing role in trunk-or-treating, parties and non-candy occasions.
Across our portfolio, new seasonal shapes and formats bring playful energy to the aisle, each offering something distinct for candy bowls, parties and on-the-go snacking. We know assortment bags can be overwhelming, so we’ve made them easier to shop with refreshed packaging designs and clearer formats.
In our most diversified seasonal approach ever, more than 20 innovations across confection, sweets, and salty will provide the variety and flexibility to excite, “fright” and delight!
For more consumer insights and seasonal signals that are shaping our Hersheyween strategy, check out Unwrapping Halloween: Hershey’s State of the Season Report.
Learn more about our Halloween offerings at Hersheyland.com.
Sources:
1Hershey Internal Halloween Tracking Study, 2025
2Circana Retail, MULO+C, Halloween 2025 UPC (retail sales data)
3Circana Panel, MULO+C, Halloween 2025 UPC (household penetration data)