Twice as Good - Mars Halfway to Halloween is Back for Year Two, Bringing Thrilling Twists to Seasonal Lineup

"Mars Tricks, Treats and Trends" report shows some Americans are already embracing the Halloween spirit

NEWARK, N.J., April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars, the authority on Halloween, and maker of some of the world's most beloved treats and snacks is again celebrating Halfway to Halloween by unveiling its 2025 Halloween line-up alongside the second annual "Mars Tricks, Treats and Trends" report. Fueled by consumer insights, Mars is conjuring up eerie-sistible seasonal offerings you won't want to miss.

In partnership with Ipsos, Mars is once again diving into the delicious details of how Americans are planning, celebrating and—most importantly—stocking up on candy for the biggest treating occasion of the year when Halloween and candy go hand in hand. The new data reveals a whopping 95 percent of Americans planning to celebrate Halloween typically purchase some type of candy, with chocolate being the top choice.

In it for the long haunt

For some, the spooky spirit starts frighteningly early, especially Gen Z and Millennials, our Halloween enthusiasts. Nearly 1 in 10 Gen Z and Millennials are already conjuring up their celebrations, and these generations are also most likely to buy seasonal treats as soon as they see them online or in store. Gen Z and Millennials also don't wait for the leaves to fall to start their Halloween planning—on average, they start planning almost 2 months out. They're also fueling the rise of the Summerween trend, because why wait until October to indulge in the festivities?

"At Mars, we think about Halloween year-round and increasingly we are seeing consumers embrace the spooky season early as well," said Tim LeBel, Chief Halloween Officer and President of Sales at Mars Wrigley North America. "As the authority on Halloween, Mars has something for every ghost and ghoul no matter how... or how early... you celebrate this year."

Chocolate holds the throne

According to the "Mars Tricks, Treats and Trends" report, chocolate reigns supreme among Halloween candy, with 80 percent of Halloween candy purchasers reporting they typically buy this perennial favorite. M&M'S®—a top brand for Halloween[1]—will release an all-new M&M'S® Halloween Blend in Milk Chocolate, Peanut Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate varieties, and is celebrating the return of M&M'S® Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie for a second year. While chocolate still holds its lead as a favorite across generations, Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to purchase gummy, fruity and sour treats, compared to other generations.

Themed sweets make for an exciting treat

The report also found that half (50 percent) of Halloween candy purchasers typically buy Halloween-themed candy. And Mars has you covered with festive shapes like SNICKERS® Pumpkins, which will debut a new 6-pack offering, and new Fun Size M&M'S® Peanut Butter giveaway bags that are perfect for delighting trick-or-treaters. Mars is also bringing back fan favorites Ghoulish Green TWIX® and SNICKERS®, along with SKITTLES® Shriekers—bringing a haunting twist to iconic Mars candies.

Frightfully fun variety packs

Mars is a top choice for variety packs during Halloween[2] and this year there are even more options for every chocolate, fruity and gummy fan. With Gen Z and Millennials more likely to purchase fruity treats compared to other generations, Mars is releasing additional combinations of fruity fan-favorites that are scary good, such as STARBURST®, STARBURST® FaveREDs, SKITTLES® and SKITTLES® Wild Berry.

The complete 2025 Mars Halloween product lineup will include:

• Returning Seasonal Staples
• M&M'S® Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
• SNICKERS® Pumpkins
• TWIX® and SNICKERS® Ghoulish Green
• SKITTLES® Shriekers
• NEW! M&M'S® With Festive Flare
• M&M'S® Milk Chocolate Halloween Blend
• M&M'S® Peanut Milk Chocolate Halloween Blend
• M&M'S® Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Halloween Blend
• NEW! Seasonal Packaging
• M&M'S® Peanut Butter Fun Size Giveaway Bags
• SNICKERS® Pumpkins 6-Pack
• NEW! Variety Packs
• STARBURST®, STARBURST® FaveREDs, SKITTLES®, SKITTLES® Wild Berry
• SNICKERS®, MILKY WAY®, TWIX®, 3 MUSKETEERS®
• HUBBA BUBBA®, LIFE SAVERS®, STARBURST®
• M&M'S®, STARBURST®, SKITTLES®, SNICKERS®

With the release of the latest report and innovative product offerings, Mars remains committed to delivering seasonal excitement, quality treats and insights around treating moments. Read the full 2025 "Mars Tricks, Treats and Trends" report here.

Ipsos Survey Methodology:

These are some findings from an Ipsos survey, conducted on behalf of Mars, Incorporated, among n=2,406 adults in the U.S., age 18 and up, who indicate plans to celebrate Halloween. The survey was conducted online, in English, between March 20-25, 2025. The starting sample for the survey was a representative sample of n=3,000 U.S. adults, including an oversample of n=105 Gen Z adults, who were then screened on how, if at all, they plan to celebrate Halloween. The credibility interval, a measure of precision used for online, non-probability polls, for this survey is plus or minus 2.4 percentage points. The survey was weighted to known population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, religion and income.

Media Contact

Hannah Messinger
Hannah.messinger@effem.com
(445) 444-6970

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M'S®, SNICKERS® and BEN'S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing over 18,000 people.

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.

Our tagline "Game Changers" sums up our ambition to help our 5,000 customers move confidently through a rapidly changing world.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and Mid-60 indices and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP www.ipsos.com

[1] CandyStore.com, Top Halloween Candies Nationwide: 2024 Annual List, 2024

[2] Nielsen, Halloween Sales Data, 2024

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SOURCE Mars, Incorporated