There may be less chocolate at the door this Halloween

CTV National News: Halloween candy price crunch Soaring cocoa prices could mean children coming home with more chips instead of chocolate on Halloween night. Peter Szperling reports.

If you’re heading out trick or treating this Halloween, you may end up with more chips, gummies, licorice, and other goodies in the treat bag – rather than chocolate.

Cocoa prices have spiked, and that could be playing a trick with what your kids come home with and what you give out on Halloween night.

“Chocolate prices have skyrocketed in the last year or so. It's at $7,700 a ton right now, which is double what it was last year,” Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Foods Lab, said.

"You're likely going to see less chocolate, unfortunately. And I know that chocolate is very popular with the kids, with trick or treaters, but, yeah, chances are you're not going to see as much chocolate."

Charlebois also says ‘Shrinkflation’ may have an impact on the size of treats this season too.

Ottawa mother Mellina Brenton says she noticed last year there was already less chocolate.

"I'm more of a trick or treater with my children because I have four of them. And I've noticed that a lot of people are just giving out chips now instead of chocolate or candy,” Brenton tells CTV News Ottawa.

"I feel like it's going to be a lot of the same, a lot of plain chips. But I mean we're not complaining, and we get what we got.”

At Lollies + Scoops in Manotick, they’re stocking up for Halloween.  The candy shop in Manotick has a dedicated section which includes nostalgic, niche, and retro Halloween candies - but there is one category they won’t be stocking this year.

“Our trends aren't supporting chocolate. We haven't ordered any for this year,” says assistant manager Saria Lyons.

While she’s not sure if the price is the reason for the trend, she says selling chocolate this Halloween would’ve cost more.

“So, like most of our bags here are ranging from $12 to $20 just based on the contents. The chocolate was that, if not more. And we try to keep a lot of our things affordable." Lyons said.

She says chocolate would’ve sold for, “probably $25, if not more.”

Master Chocolate Maker Heinrich Stubbe, of Stubbe Chocolates, says he's faced with higher ingredient costs.

"Fifteen per cent for dark chocolate, up 20 per cent for milk and 25 per cent for white chocolate," Stubbe said.  "So, it is quite an increase we have to deal with. People are still buying chocolate. They might buy a little less, but they still buy, if it's a quality they want.”

Stubbe believes, the price has stabilized for now.

“I think the prices are levelled now that we don't see another increase before Christmas. So we still I think we still stable."