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October 22, 2025

Friday Food Insider: Gummy takeover grips candy stores this Halloween

Photos / Alexis Wells and Sødt At Sødt, the most popular Halloween candy was the Skeleton Faces and Eyeballs. The Haribo Vampire bags, still available in stores, are very popular among the Scandinavians who stop by.
By Alexis Wells

How about sinking your teeth into a brain or skull this Halloween? Not the real thing, of course, but sweet seasonal chewy treats flying off the shelves of a Portland candy store that's capitalizing on consumers' growing appetite for gummies.

The store, called Sødt, opened in May at 119 Cumberland Ave. and sells imported treats from Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and England. 

Signe Ostergaard, who owns the business with her sister Nikoline and their mother, Liz Ostergaard, said that sales shot up after they released their Halloween gummy candy. 

In early October, they sold around 400 pounds of pick-and-mix candy in their first week. 

Sodt candy store exterior.
Photo / Alexis Wells
Sødt is located at 119 Cumberland Ave in Portland.

"We ordered around 275 pounds of Halloween candy, excluding prepackaged goods for October, and sold all of it in the first week," Signe told Mainebiz. "We have around 41 pounds of Halloween candy on the way. We are hoping it gets here before next week."

At Sødt, the most popular Halloween candy is the Skeleton Faces and Eyeballs, while the Haribo Vampire bags are a hit with Scandinavian customers.

In Kittery, Yummies Candies & Nuts at 384 U.S. Route 1 is also seeing a surge in chewy treats this spooky season.

The store stocks more than 10,000 pounds of bulk and packaged sweets — including many vintage favorites.

Some candies have recently spiked in popularity, such as the viral TikTok Bubs Swedish Candy and Smarties Squashies, which are said to be among Taylor Swift’s favorite treats.

"We are having a hard time keeping stock on the shelf and have been selling out within two weeks of ordering," Matt Brodsky, the store's manager, said by phone on Friday morning. 

Sweet surge 

Gummy candy has been on the rise nationwide, fueled by viral social media trends and a growing appetite for novel, non-chocolate sweets. 

While chocolate still accounts for the biggest chunk of candy sales, other treats are gaining ground, the National Confectioners Association said earlier this year in its "2025 State of Treating" report.

While a little more than half of confectionery sales were driven by chocolate, non-chocolate candy experienced standout results in 2025, growing by nearly $5 billion since 2019 —  representing an increase of almost 70%. 

Non-chocolate candy sales were close to $22 billion in 2024, accounting for 40% of confectionery sales across all outlets, including vending, e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar candy stores.

The report also predicts that U.S. confectionery sales will grow over the next five years, exceeding $27.9 billion by 2030. 

Business as usual

Halloween isn't necessarily the busiest season for all candy sellers. 

Over at Scarborough's Len Libby Candies on U.S., home of a life-sized chocolate moose on 419 U.S. Route 1, the busiest seasons are Easter, Valentine's Day and Christmas.

Still, "we have noticed Halloween is being celebrated more by adults than ever before," said co-owner Gisele DeGrinney.

To cater to those tastes, the store is offering two new items this Halloween: a buttery caramel popcorn called "It's time for a scary movie," and a coffee cup that says "I'm Wicked Without my Coffee."

Chocolate lovers can also purchase other fun Halloween-themed candies, including skull pops, candy corn, foiled pumpkin wafers and chocolate ghosts.

Reader feedback

Where do you buy your Halloween candy? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to know! Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.

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