September 25, 2025
In a year of sweet seasons, Halloween takes the candy crown. For Hershey, this holiday is our big game, our main stage, our star event. And as the Senior Brand Manager of Halloween, it’s my duty to make sure that every year is more fun than the one before.
This Halloween, we’re upping the ante with our latest spooktacular innovations. Here’s a look at the ones I’m most excited about:
- Reese’s Mini Pumpkins Unwrapped. Reese’s Pumpkins are the No. 1 Halloween candy, so why wouldn’t we make them in pop-able mini form? Look for these and bags of Reese’s Pumpkins with our new Peanuts® packaging celebrating "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." KIT KAT® Counts.We’re bringing new wafer shapes to Halloween, this year with our spooky KIT KAT® Counts. More Hershey’s Harry Potter™. This spellbinding partnership keeps growing, and the latest addition is Hershey’s Cookies 'n' Crème Harry Potter™ Magical Friends Collection, featuring wizarding world favorites, such as Hedwig, Dobby, Buckbeak and Fawkes. We’ve also designed a new assortment pack of our Harry Potter™ themed candy. Sweets, sweets and more sweets. The sweets segment of Halloween has been growing rapidly and we’re leaning into it this year with our Jolly Rancher Gummies Trickies, Twizzlers Ghosts and Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies.
- And for those who enjoy Salty snacks, Halloween-inspired packaging on SkinnyPop Popcorn and Pirate’s Booty Boos & Bites Aged White Cheddar Puffs are the perfect additions to trick-or-treat night, movie watch parties or festive gatherings.
We all scream for Halloween
In my job, I think about Halloween all the time. I know I’m not alone in my love for the season. Consumers are thinking about Halloween earlier every year. Research by Hershey’s consumer insights team during the week of Aug. 12 found that even in the thick of the summer, consumers were gearing up for the spookiest of seasons: 74% of those polled said they were very or extremely excited for Halloween this year. And 20% started to celebrate Halloween before September.
And it’s not just trick-or-treating they’re thinking about, although that’s certainly popular. Beyond Oct. 31 festivities, the consumers we polled said they also plan to:
- Carve a pumpkin: 35%
- Decorate their home: 35%
- Watch a seasonally themed movie: 34%
- Buy/dress up in a costume: 28%
- Take kids trick-or-treating: 24%
- Attend a trunk or treat event: 21%
- Bake or make homemade treats: 22%
- Host or attend a party or gathering: 20%
Rather than waiting until fall, consumers have also been celebrating “summerween,” right around the time that Reese's Pumpkins are hitting shelves in July and August. It’s meaningful for us to see the love of the season seep into the summer, and to be a part of those celebrations, whenever and wherever they are.
Spirited celebrations
Since the earlier days of The Hershey Company, our purpose has been to be a part of more moments of goodness. And for candy, there’s no bigger moment of goodness than Halloween.
I am so inspired when I think about the people who are the muscle and power behind our Hershey Halloween engine. As I write this in early September of 2025, the team has finished building the program for 2026 and we are already thinking about what Halloween will look like in 2027 and 2028.That’s because it takes a village to design, produce, package, sell and deliver our products in a very short period of time so that they reach all the little ghosts and goblins who await them.
After all, Hershey and Halloween go hand-in-hand, and that’s an honor and commitment that we take very seriously.
On a personal level, I count down the days until Halloween. My boys, who are 3 and 6 years old, are both giddy to dress up like Spider-Man and go trick-or-treating this year. Me, I love handing out candy. I always get together with two families from work, and our neighbors know that we’re a Hershey powerhouse with a shocking number of treats to share. Even as someone who’s immersed in Halloween all year round, this part still feels magical.
Looking for Halloween inspiration? Find ideas for decorations, treat bags, recipes, crafts, products and more at Hersheyland’s interactive Halloween site.
Source: July Pulse Survey