September 2, 2026
For retailers, Halloween no longer arrives in October.
It begins months earlier, as shoppers start planning parties, decorating homes, sharing seasonal treats and looking for new ways to celebrate. What was once a single shopping occasion has become a series of distinct moments, each with their own consumer needs and buying patterns.
I’ve spent my career working alongside retailers, and one thing has become clear: Winning Halloween today requires a different playbook. Demand shifts throughout the season as shoppers move from early anticipation to entertaining, trick-or-treat preparation and last-minute purchases.
Helping retailers stay ahead of those moments is where Hershey is at its best.
Turning Consumer Insights Into Retail Action
Halloween is the season we’re built for, and that means helping our retail partners translate the new ways people are celebrating into how stores plan, merchandise and execute.
Our retail field team brings that strategy to life every day. And with our ONE Hershey approach, we’re simplifying planning and execution for our retail partners during one of the busiest and most important selling seasons of the year.
Across more than 75,000 locations in the U.S., roughly 1,100 Hershey Company retail sales employees work alongside store teams to plan assortments, execute displays and keep products available as shopper needs evolve throughout the season.
The products consumers buy while anticipating Halloween aren’t always the same products they reach for when planning a party or preparing for trick-or-treaters. Early on, they’re stocking up with Reese’s Pumpkins and KIT KAT® shapes; mid-season, they’re adding party formats like Pirate’s Booty Boos & Bites and Jolly Rancher Gummies Minis Snack Size; and on Halloween night, they’re grabbing assortment bundles like Hershey Halloween All-Stars and SkinnyPop Halloween Packs for the trick-or-treaters. Our role is helping retailers stay ahead of those moments with the right products, in the right places, at the right time. And because baskets that include seasonal candy are 65% larger1, getting that execution right can make a meaningful difference throughout the season.
When I talk with our retail sales teams, the same theme comes up: Winning Halloween means pairing what we know about each store with the seasonal brands shoppers love, then executing it with real discipline. That’s how we help retailers win the season.
Where People and Technology Meet
Great retail execution has always relied on strong relationships and local expertise. Today, technology helps strengthen the partnership and make it even more effective.
Our field teams use store-level data, analytics and image recognition tools to monitor shelf conditions, display execution and inventory trends across thousands of locations. That visibility helps us identify issues earlier, whether a seasonal display needs attention or a high-demand item needs to be replenished before a key shopping weekend.
That connection is also what makes our Helping Hands program so valuable. Each season, employees from across the business spend time in stores alongside Territory Sales Leads, helping build displays, support in-store execution and see firsthand how retail strategy comes to life where consumers shop. It gives our teams a front-row view of the relationships and technology that help us win big moments like Halloween.
That’s the thinking behind our Perfect Playbook approach. We combine local market knowledge, real-time retail intelligence and a consistent approach to seasons to help deliver more seamless execution across stores throughout the Halloween season.
As Halloween demand builds and shifts, better visibility helps retailers respond with greater speed and confidence. Technology gives our teams better information to help retailers stay in stock, execute displays more consistently and make the most of the season.
Winning the Season Together
Halloween should feel magical to consumers, and retailers are the magic makers – with planning, partnership and execution that starts long before October arrives.
As Halloween continues to expand, our focus remains the same: helping retailers understand how shoppers are celebrating, preparing, and purchasing at every stage of the season.
Consumer insights help shape the strategy. Retail partnerships bring it to life. Data and technology help us move with greater speed and precision. And our people make it happen every day in stores across the country.
That’s the retail story behind Hersheyween, and how we help retailers turn seasonal anticipation into sales results.
1Circana, Consumer Network Panel, Total U.S. All Outlets, Halloween Seasonal Candy, Halloween 2025 season (through WE 11/02/2025)
Stephanie Berman is Vice President of Retail at The Hershey Company, where she has spent more than 25 years helping retailers grow through category expertise, consumer insights and innovation. She leads Hershey’s 1,100-person retail field team serving more than 75,000 stores nationwide. Her expertise spans retail strategy, AI-enabled execution, shopper behavior and emerging consumer trends.