SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - When it comes to the sale of candy nationwide, the Halloween season has now surpassed Easter and Christmas.

According to statistics reported on the National Confectioners Association Web site, Halloween candy sales grew by 2.3 percent from 2004 to 2005 and are likely to increase again this year.

The sales feature both Halloween-specific candies and fun-size and other bags of chocolate candy, novelty candy, licorice, hard candy and chewy candy.

NCA estimates that Halloween sales were approximately $2.1 billion in 2005, making it the largest candy season of the year. Items such as candy corn and themed candies with witches and goblins grew an impressive 10.2 percent in 2005 and overall chocolate candy sales grew 3.2 percent. Drug store sales grew more than six percent while supermarket and mass outlets grew less than one percent. Much of this variance in growth rates can be attributed to the early start to the Halloween selling season by drug store retailers.

Susan Fussell, director of communications with the National Confectioners Association, said that when people think of Halloween, they naturally think of Trick or Treating and the purchase of all varieties of candy.

"The Halloween season has been No. 1 in candy sales for a number of years now," Fussell said. "It's pretty safe to say that sales have increased between 1 and 3 percent each year. Themed candies are a large part of the sales. Would you believe that more than nine billion pieces of candy corn are made each year. And the candies that are most popular at Halloween are usually popular year 'round with candy bars, gum and licorice.

"Novelty candies are also popular - candies that include toys that spin, cackle and make any kind of noise. Baby Bottle Pops, for example, are popular again this Halloween. The bottle pop is orange with black sugar powder, which dyes your tongue black. The more gruesome, the better. Kids are crazy about gross out candies because their parents don't like them."

Chris Bevis, store manager with Tom's Mad Pricer in Herrin, said he has to order the store's Halloween candy about six months in advance.

"We got the candy delivered a month or so ago and have already sold about half of our inventory. We'll move about 20 to 30 percent of our supply the last three days before Halloween. We always get a huge rush at the end. There probably won't be anything left."

Bevis said candy corn remains a favorite with shoppers.

"We sold out of that in the first two weeks," he said. "We still have plenty of candy bars left, though. Another one of our popular items for younger children are the glow-in-the-dark lollipops and ghost and pumpkin Peeps. When I was a kid, you'd only see Peeps at Easter, but now they're everywhere."

Carbondale Kroger West store manager Kendal White said anything new in regard to Halloween candy resonates well with kids.

"But the old standbys like candy corn sells well, too. Really, there's not a whole lot of change with Halloween candy; it's mostly just the packaging that changes."

Brandon Sather, store team leader with Target in Marion, said Halloween candy sales have been on the increase for the last few years.

"We have more space to display our candy now and something else that's helped drive our sales is our supply of higher-end chocolates - caramels, mints, pistachio and dark-colored chocolates for adults."

Dave Utley, consumables team leader with Target, said M&M candies are probably the most popular Halloween candies sold.

"Those fun-sized packs with the individually wrapped candy bars sell very well."

john.homan@thesouthern.com

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