From Where I Sit

By Pat Spilseth, Columnist

Halloween is just around the corner. Time to purchase the candy treats every kid looks forward to when they ring my doorbell on October 31. Disappointed, suprised and even angry faces confront me if I try to pawn off fresh toothbrushes and a tiny tube of toothpaste or if I try to peddle brown pennies. What kid today even stops to pick up a fallen penny? Kids today want chocolate, gooey caramel and bubble gum treats! They expect sweetness, primarily chocolate candy.

It takes 400 cocoa beans to make 1 pound of chocolate. The chocolate industry is more than a $100 billion business! Who would have thought that such yummy treats would be so lucrative? The confectionery business is flourishing today. We may be close to a recession, but kids and adults still crave chocolate. Candy sales are in the $37 billion-plus area. Halloween’s October 31 holiday is cash-flush Christmas time for the candy business. 

Who isn’t familiar with Nestlé chocolates? I really like their crunch bars. Nestlé’s motto is “Good food, Good life.” Not only is Nestlé a popular chocolate company, but it is also one of the largest food distributors in the world. Nestlé’s extensive brand portfolio includes everything from baby food and water bottles to coffee, cereal and pet care products. The company even dabbles in health care, nutrition and food service.

Mars has been around for over 100 years. Like other brand powerhouses like Nestlé, Mars produces a large variety of products, from pet care and candy to food and nutrition. Mars makes candy brands like M&M’s, Snickers, 3 Musketeers and MilkyWay.

M&Ms are undoubtedly a crowd favorite, and you cannot blame them. The classic bag alone speaks for itself and is the perfect treat or snack if you want a few small candies. One of the unique services M&M’s offers is it lets you special-order color-specific bags and even personalizes them with a message or your name.

Candy researchers Lidsky and Rockwood found that only 26% of homes give out full-size candy bars on Halloween. Most of us distribute those more reasonably priced tiny chocolate candy bars. Of course, each is wrapped individually to accommodate the safety regulations of giving out candy to kids on Halloween. Fun-size Snickers bars are the most popular Halloween candy.

Though October is World Vegetarian month, Computer Learning month, National Book month, International Strategic Planning month, National Arts and Humanities month and National Pasta month, October is really only known to most folks as Halloween month. After all, don’t kids rule the roost in most of our homes? They want Halloween candy! It just struck me that the word “candy” has my son’s name “Andy” inside it. Of course! I knew there was a definite reason we named our boy Andy. This family can’t endure one day without our chocolate fix!

October 30 is also National Candy Corn Day. Almost 9 billion pieces of candy corn are produced annually. But Mars’ M&Ms are the most popular chocolate candy in the United States. There are 22 M&M  colors. They produce annual sales of almost $425 million.  

Prohibition years, between 1920 and 1930, saw the invention of Baby Ruth, Oh Henry!, Charleston Chew, Mounds, Milky Way, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Bit-O-Honey, Mr. Goodbar, Butterfinger and Snickers candy bars.  

Millions of Mexican kids go trick-or-treating on their Halloween holiday, named Day of the Dead, which occurs on Nov. 1. Costumed kids flock to neighbors’ doors for candy. The city celebrates with skulls, costumes and fall produce decorating the huge park in Mexico City, Chipoltapec Park.

On average, Americans will spend $20.39 on Halloween candy treats. Actually, today with the rising prices at grocery stores, even candy prices are up, unfortunately. Totaled, that spending gives the industry proceeds of about 6 billion dollars. Austin, Charlotte and San Antonio lead spending on Halloween candy and decorations. Cincinnati citizens spend just $35.  

Don’t hesitate. Get out there to the stores and grab bags of chocolate for the kiddies who will arrive as witches, goblins, Darth Vader and Igor on Halloween. They’ll be expecting chocolate. Don’t disappoint the little munchkins. If they don’t get a sweet “treat,” you may get “tricked!”

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To contact Pat, email: pat.spilseth@gmail.com.