Where to buy Halloween candy to avoid the creepiest price tags

CINCINNATI — Halloween is just a week away, and if you still need to buy some candy for trick-or-treaters, you’re not alone.

Many shoppers have held off buying their candy because they have been put off by the price tags this year.

“The price just went up exponentially,” said Tracy Singleton, who was shocked by the candy prices while shopping at Kroger in Anderson Township.

Singleton said she knows she wants to buy candy before Halloween, but she intentionally waits until the last minute in hopes the prices will drop.

“I’m still going to wait to see if it goes on sale,” she said. “I think it makes you rethink how much candy you want to give out this Halloween,” Singleton said.

We went to four different stores to see where you can get Halloween candy without the scary price tag.

Here’s what we found:

Hooks

Kroger stores throughout the Tri-State carry a wide selection of candy, and most bags are already marked down.

A bag of 125 assorted Hershey’s chocolates retails for $15.99.

WCPO

Want to be the talk of the neighborhood? Nerds gummy clusters are a popular product this year. Kroger sells individual packages in a large bag of 90.

Taylor Nimmo

Goal

Target has already started slashing prices on their Halloween candy bags.

We found that Target had a wide variety of combo bags that had both candy and chocolate in one bag. This might be your best bet if you’re looking for a variety.

For example, a 100-piece bag had gummy bears, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, KitKat, Reese’s and Hershey’s for $14.99.

Taylor Nimmo

Walmart

Walmart has giant bags of candy with some very big savings. They have a wide selection of large bags, but don’t be intimidated by those $19 and $24 price tags, because each piece is generally much cheaper.

John Matarese

Non-chocolate candies were the best deal at Walmart, like Starburst for just $3.98 each. bag. Nothing creepy about that.

John Matarese

Walgreens

In pharmacies, coupons are king.

At Walgreens, Rewards members can get 2 bags for $7 right now – a great deal.

John Matarese

Members also receive 40% off their second purchase on larger bags.

Why the high chocolate prices?

You may notice that chocolate is more expensive this year. Paul Picton, owner of Maverick Chocolate in Norwood said cocoa prices have doubled recently due to drought in Africa.

“The price of cocoa beans at commodity levels, from the farms, has skyrocketed,” Picton said.

It hits customers with sticker shock.

“Everything is getting smaller and more expensive,” said one shopper.

This year, opting for large bags and non-chocolate can help you save.

If you’re expecting a lot of trick-or-treaters, you might want to buy in bulk at places like Costco or Sam’s Club, where prices tend to be cheaper than traditional grocery stores.

Of course, if you want the sweetest price, wait for the candy to come for pickup the day after Halloween, that way you won’t waste your money.

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