The Massive Amount Of Money Hershey's Makes Every Halloween

You would probably not be surprised to learn that the build-up toward Halloween marks the biggest paycheck of the year for Hershey's, according to CNBC. Yes, there are Easter, Christmas, and Valentine's Day sales, but chocolate does not get the same full-throttle boost from those occasions as it does from parents shopping for impending trick-or-treaters.

Hershey's, as well as the various chocolate brands it produces, has such a hold on Halloween that not even COVID-19 could put a stop to its sales. In fact, the company made even more money than usual, according to AP News. The third quarter of 2020 saw sales rise by 4% to $2.2 billion. Michele Buck, chairman, president, and CEO of The Hershey Company, credited this financial success to the company's decision to begin its Halloween season earlier in the year. "We know that consumers will buy that holiday or seasonal product, whether it's Easter or whatever, early for in-home consumption," she said. "If you get it out there, it kind of sparks the trigger of fun moments earlier." In other words, Hershey's is so powerful that the chocolate company, not the calendar, tells you when it's time to start enjoying Halloween candy.

Though the pandemic is not over, this year's Halloween is even more candy-filled than the holidays we celebrated prior to 2020, according to a report by Numerator. Specifically, the market research company reports that the sales of seasonal candy in the second half of 2021 are 29% higher than they were in 2020 — and 43% above those in 2019.

The explanation for this growth, according to The Hershey Company's global chief sales officer Phil Stanley, is similar to why the company saw success last year. "For Halloween we have seen a continued increase in many early and mid-season activities like decorating, baking, and movie nights," he said. People's pandemic-era habit of celebrating special events at home — combined with the likelihood that parades, parties, and other group events have picked up this season — means that customers are buying more candy, he added. Make sure you have enough candy bars for those ravenous trick-or-treaters, then.