Hershey Launches Savory Halloween Snacks for Health-Conscious Consumers

Hershey is adding popcorn, pretzels, and zero-sugar candies to its Halloween lineup as consumers shift eating habits. The move targets demand shaped in part by the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

• $7.4 billion: what Americans spent on Halloween treats in 2024.
• 18% of total annual confectionery retail sales comes from Halloween.
• 75% expansion in Hershey's innovation pipeline, enabled by AI tools.
• Double-digit early-season growth in snack-size chocolate bags was reported.

Why it matters: Halloween confectionery sales are a critical revenue window for manufacturers. A shift toward salty and low-sugar products could reshape what lands in trick-or-treat bags.

• Hershey's AI investment cuts development time by three months per product cycle.

How 4 sources split on this story

What’s next: Hershey is targeting trunk-or-treat events as a specific growth opportunity.

• Whether health-focused Halloween products will take meaningful market share from traditional chocolate remains unproven.
• How broadly GLP-1 drug adoption is actually changing household candy purchasing is not yet clear.