SCARBOROUGH — After comparing prices on Halloween candy for the first time either of them could remember, David and Arren Rosen settled on two bags of miniature chocolates from Marden’s.

“We are shopping around to price out candy, which is ridiculous,” Arren Rosen, 50, said this week as she clutched two orange bags of goodies — totaling 300 pieces for about $16. “This was the best price.”

The Portland couple had just come from Costco in Scarborough, where they nearly settled on a box of Rice Crispy Treats and a variety-pack of non-chocolate candies.

Like many shoppers, the Rosens are contending with higher-than-usual candy prices, which have risen significantly faster than other costs.

The average price of candy and chewing gum was up about 8.1% in August compared to the same month in 2024 — three times the overall inflation rate for groceries — according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s more than twice the overall rate of inflation of 2.9%.

To cope, some people are buying less, choosing brands they may consider second-tier and shifting away from pricy treats like chocolate — but Mainers say they are loathe to skip out on the sweet tradition entirely.

Many households in Maine were already looking to cut down on expenses in response to rising costs and fears of a looming recession before the Halloween season began.

More than half of Americans said they are spending less on Halloween this year, according to a recent survey by financial services company Empower. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they were hunting for coupons, sales or bulk deals.

“Everything’s really expensive,” said Mackenzie Burke, a self-identified Halloween fanatic, who snagged four bags of treats at the Portland Renys on Wednesday. He said the selection at the Congress Street shop was cheaper than at the larger grocery stores.

For about $25, Burke secured what he hopes is enough candy to make it through a night of trick-or-treaters at his home in the city’s West End — assuming he doesn’t tap into his own supply ahead of the holiday.

“I’m my own worst enemy now,” he said.

COCOA CRUNCH

Chocolate is leading the charge when it comes to rising prices, as poor growing conditions have punished producers for months.

Cocoa prices soared to the highest in decades in 2024, driven by supply disruptions in West Africa, which produces up about 70% of global product, according to Reuters. Though costs have fallen in recent months, the price of cocoa is still more than twice as high as it was in early 2023.

The hike in ingredient prices has led some companies to develop new varieties of candy that require less chocolate, or none at all. Confection giants like Hershey’s and Ferrero have debuted chocolate-free, Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavored Kisses and Butterfinger bars with caramel coatings where the milk chocolate typically goes, the Atlantic reported last week.

Angie, a Berwick resident who declined to give her last name, loaded two big bags of Haribo Goldbears into her car in the Marden’s parking lot on Monday.

In past years, she handed out KitKats and Hershey bars — “the good stuff,” she called it — but between candy, costumes and decorations for her home, she had to cut costs somewhere.

“We had to think about the prices (of) all these things together,” she said.

THE LOCAL LANDSCAPE

Even for the same product, candy prices vary from store to store in Maine.

The same green party pack — a 30.22-ounce assortment of Hershey’s bars, York Peppermint Patties, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Almond Joys and KitKats — ran $16.49 at Hannaford, $15.99 at Shaw’s, $14.99 at Market Basket, $9.99 at the Congress Street Renys and $8.99 at the Scarborough Marden’s, according to an analysis of prices listed in-store and online.

Meanwhile, a 75-piece package of Nerds was listed as high as $17.99 at Hannaford and as low as $14.96 at Walmart. A 10.2-ounce package of fun-sized Butterfinger bars was $4.99 at Target, $3.95 at Hannaford (marked down from $5.75 on Monday) and $2.79 at Marden’s.

For those willing to trick-or-treat from store to store, there are still some sweet deals to be found.