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Last week's Friday Food Insider highlighted the shift in the candy aisle this Halloween, gummy treats are booming. Non-chocolate candy sales are rising fast — in fact, non-chocolate confectionery sales in the U.S. were nearly $2.2 billion in 2024, around 40% of total candy sales.
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%.
Local candy stores in Maine are seeing this trend firsthand: one Portland store ordered 275 pounds of Halloween candy and sold out in just the first week. A candy store in Kittery said they are having a hard time keeping stock on the shelf, such as the viral TikTok Bubs Swedish Candy and Smarties Squashies, which are said to be among Taylor Swift’s favorite treats.
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Last week's Friday Food Insider highlighted the shift in the candy aisle this Halloween, gummy treats are booming. Non-chocolate candy sales are rising fast — in fact, non-chocolate confectionery sales in the U.S. were nearly $2.2 billion in 2024, around 40% of total candy sales.
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%.
Local candy stores in Maine are seeing this trend firsthand: one Portland store ordered 275 pounds of Halloween candy and sold out in just the first week. A candy store in Kittery said they are having a hard time keeping stock on the shelf, such as the viral TikTok Bubs Swedish Candy and Smarties Squashies, which are said to be among Taylor Swift’s favorite treats.