Halloween is a holiday built on costumes and disguises — but the receipts see right through them. Behind the masks, Halloween shopping gets weird.

From supposedly dead candies rising again to oral care getting swept up in the sugar rush, here’s what’s really happening when spooky season rolls around.

1. Halloween’s best dressers are also the biggest treaters

Going all-in on a Halloween costume sounds like a good way to leave less room in the budget for candy. But the consumers spending the most on costumes are also loading up on sweets.

Big costume tabs come with bigger candy hauls. The top 10% of costume buyers spend more than twice as much on candy as the average shopper. The only thing getting cut back is restraint.

2. Trick-or-treaters are getting your usual candy order

Halloween candy is supposed to be for trick-or-treaters. But among shoppers who buy candy both during Halloween and in the offseason, familiar brands keep making it into the bowl.

The candy bowl has a house favorite. During Halloween, four out of five shoppers who bought candy during the offseason return to at least one familiar brand. Even on a night built around disguises, the candy bowl gives you away.

3. Candy corn and licorice are back from the dead

Candy corn and licorice have spent years being written off as Halloween relics. But despite widespread talk of their demise, they’re both back and gaining ground.

The candy slander isn’t slowing sales. Keep arguing about whether they belong in the bowl. People are buying more anyway.

4. The cavity contingency plan is fully funded

Halloween is supposed to be candy first, dental consequences later. But candy buyers are making room in the cart for both.

Candy buyers are prepared for the aftermath. In late October, oral care purchases climb right alongside the sweets. Nothing says “Happy Halloween” like 200 pieces of candy and a brand-new toothbrush.

About Fetch Finds

Fetch Finds is a consumer insights series from Fetch. Our insights are powered by billions of verified receipts — real transactions, not projections or approximations. This report draws from a static panel of Fetch users, capturing verified purchase behavior from October 2024 to October 2025.