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Halloween candy sales start slowly as prices stay high

Halloween candy sales in the US are down this year, as rising living costs, cocoa prices and gas prices make shoppers buy smaller bags.

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Halloween candy sales in the United States are off to a slow start this year. The market research firm NielsenIQ says sales fell 6.7% in the month ending October 17, compared with the same period last year. In the middle of September, sales were down 11.7%. That wiped out the early gains that Halloween candy had in the two years before. Small bags were the only sizes still selling more, while large bags sold much less.

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That out the early gains that Halloween candy had in the two years before.

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Experts say the main reason is the cost of living, not only the price of candy. A NielsenIQ executive said many families are spending more on fuel, housing, clothes and food, so some of them skip big bags of candy. Gasoline averaged $4.29 a gallon, nearly 40% more than a year ago. Candy and gum prices have gone up 44% in five years, while food eaten at home rose 22.5%. Cocoa is the main cause: bad weather in West Africa pushed prices to a record in early 2025. They fell later, but they started to rise again this spring.

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A   executive said many families are spending more on fuel, housing, clothes and food, so some of them skip big bags of candy.

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Not every report is so gloomy. Entrepreneur magazine points out that the National Retail Federation expects people to spend $4.1 billion on sweets this season, even though PwC says a package of Halloween chocolate now costs 15.5% more, about $5.67. Some people still want children to have the same trick or treating fun that they remember. NielsenIQ also found that cheaper gummies and lollipops did not sell better, which suggests that price is not the only problem. The final result will be clearer after Halloween night on October 31.

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Питання агента

  1. Why are Halloween candy sales down this year, according to the article? Чому, згідно зі статтею, продажі хелловінських цукерок цього року впали?
  2. What are people buying instead of large bags of candy? Що люди купують замість великих пакетів цукерок?
  3. Do you think people should spend less on treats when prices go up? Як ти думаєш, чи варто людям витрачати менше на солодощі, коли ціни зростають?
  4. Do you celebrate Halloween or any similar holiday? Ти святкуєш Хелловін чи якесь подібне свято?
  5. If chocolate prices doubled, would you still buy it? Якби ціни на шоколад подвоїлися, ти б все одно купував(ла) його?

Питання до агента

  • Have you noticed candy or chocolate getting more expensive recently? Ти помічав(ла), що цукерки чи шоколад останнім часом подорожчали?
  • What is your favorite Halloween or holiday treat? Яка твоя улюблена хелловінська чи святкова смакота?
  • Do you think rising prices change how people celebrate holidays? Як ти думаєш, чи змінюють зростаючі ціни те, як люди святкують свята?

Нема що сказати? Почніть так

  • I think that... Я думаю, що...
  • In my country, we usually... У моїй країні ми зазвичай...
  • For example, ... Наприклад, ...
  • I'm not sure, but maybe... Я не впевнений(а), але, можливо...
  • If I had to choose, I would... Якби мені довелося обирати, я б...

Слова з тексту

  • candy цукерки, солодощі sweet food, like small pieces of chocolate or sugar My kids ate too much candy after the party.
  • suggest свідчити, натякати to show or hint that something might be true Her tired face suggested she hadn't slept well.
  • fuel паливо gasoline or energy used to power cars and machines We stopped to buy fuel before the long trip.
  • cheap дешевий not costing much money This shop sells really cheap clothes.
  • expert експерт a person who knows a lot about a subject We asked an expert for advice about the garden.
  • skip пропускати to not do something you usually do I sometimes skip breakfast when I'm in a hurry.
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# Speaking practice: Halloween candy sales start slowly as prices stay high

You are my friendly English conversation partner. We talk by voice, so keep every reply short: one to three sentences. Speak English only.

About me: I am an intermediate learner (CEFR B1-B2): I can talk about experiences and opinions, with some mistakes. My native language is Ukrainian.

The text we talk about is called “Halloween candy sales start slowly as prices stay high”. This article is about Halloween candy sales in the US, which are lower this year. Rising prices for cocoa, fuel and everyday living costs mean people are buying smaller bags of candy instead of big ones. Still, some experts think people will still spend a lot of money on sweets this Halloween.

The conversation has three stages:

- 1. The text: start with the first questions, which are about what the text says.
- 2. Me: move on to the later questions, which are about my own experience and opinion.
- 3. The end: when I say we are done, or after the last question, stop asking and give the report below.

Ask me these questions in this order, one at a time. Wait for my answer and react to it in a few words before the next one.

1. Why are Halloween candy sales down this year, according to the article?
2. What are people buying instead of large bags of candy?
3. Do you think people should spend less on treats when prices go up?
4. Do you celebrate Halloween or any similar holiday?
5. If chocolate prices doubled, would you still buy it?

If I get stuck, give me one of these sentence starters or make the question easier:

- I think that...
- In my country, we usually...
- For example, ...
- I'm not sure, but maybe...
- If I had to choose, I would...

Target words. Use them naturally in your own replies and ask questions that make me want to use them:

- candy: sweet food, like small pieces of chocolate or sugar Example: My kids ate too much candy after the party.
- suggest: to show or hint that something might be true Example: Her tired face suggested she hadn't slept well.
- fuel: gasoline or energy used to power cars and machines Example: We stopped to buy fuel before the long trip.
- cheap: not costing much money Example: This shop sells really cheap clothes.
- expert: a person who knows a lot about a subject Example: We asked an expert for advice about the garden.
- skip: to not do something you usually do Example: I sometimes skip breakfast when I'm in a hurry.

If I ask what a word means, answer in simple English with a short example. Say the word in my native language only if I ask a second time.

If I go off the topic, answer in one sentence, then bring me back to the question we were on.

Rules:

- Do not correct me while I speak. Let me finish my thought.
- Quietly keep a list of my mistakes and of the new words I used or needed.
- Report: my mistakes with the corrected sentences, which target words I used and which I did not (with a short meaning of each one I did not), and one thing to practise next.

Start now with the first question.

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