Winning Halloween: How Gen Z’s spooky summers are driving growth

New Mars report reveals 3/4 of Gen Z want Halloween candy year-round

Imagine it’s a sunny summer day. Your friends are planning a party. Instead of just grilling burgers by the pool, it’s a spooky pool party with ghostly decorations, orange and black baked goods, watermelon jack-o’-lanterns, and trick-or-treat candy bowls: welcome to Summerween.

We’ve long seen summer as the “fifth season” at Mars, behind the core four of Halloween, the winter holidays, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. This rising demand for celebrating our favorite season, Halloween, is helping to fuel this momentum—and it’s one of the reasons why you’ll start to see Halloween treats now.

Gen Z’s engagement with Summerween has jumped 63% since last year, and their overall participation is more than double the general population. Gen Z Summerween interests include baking Halloween treats (74%), hosting themed parties (69%) and decorating their homes (65%) in peak summer.

Beyond Summerween festivities, Mars thinks about Halloween year-round. And clearly, we’re not the only ones. Long before the summer fades, consumer anticipation for Halloween is already well underway. According to our 2026 “Mars Tricks, Treats and Trends” report , the holiday has morphed into a cultural movement that transcends the calendar.

Halloween is officially becoming America’s longest retail shopping season. A full 66% of U.S. adults and a staggering 76% of Gen Z would purchase Halloween candy year-round. To put the opportunity in perspective, in the U.S., Halloween is a $13 billion holiday ; nearly a third of that spending is on candy. Now, we’re seeing the Halloween shopping window expand, presenting an opportunity to capitalize.

Many younger generations discover Halloween trends and treats online. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are particularly popular for Gen Z and Millennials, with more than half (53%) of Gen Z and 39% of Millennials finding out about new candy trends on TikTok.

But make no mistake: the majority of these final transactions happen in physical stores, with 50% of Millennials and 43% of Gen Z purchasing Halloween treats at large-format retailers and 48% of Millennials and 41% of Gen Z purchasing at supermarkets or grocery stores.

And with Gen Z and Millennials most likely to plan and shop for Halloween in advance , we must win in both worlds: inspiring consumers on their social feeds and executing flawlessly in-store.

The candy bowl is more than a delicious treat. More than 70% of adults believe their candy selection reflects their identity as a host. It’s no surprise that today's shoppers demand more from their treating moments, aiming to earn “best house on the block” status.

In fact, 71% of adults want texture in their treats, while nearly 60% are looking for “extreme” flavors. Mars is answering this call with new items like the crisp, airy SKITTLES ® POP’D Creepy Crunch and on-trend seasonal flavors like M&M’S ® Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie.

Chocolate dominates the nation as a go-to favorite for the season, with M&M’S ® notably ranking as the #1 Halloween candy brand among those surveyed. But candy preferences also vary by region. In the South, gummies are surging, while the Western U.S. has a strong affinity for Halloween-themed treats, like spooky shapes (enter, TWIX ® Skulls). Wherever we are, candy is certainly the heart of Halloween.

Together with our retail partners, Mars is making sure America has the most exciting Halloween season yet, from the first signs of Summerween through the final trick-or-treat.

We live and breathe Halloween 365 days a year, but our strategic planning cycles start a full two years out. And by anticipating cultural shifts like Summerween and online product discovery, we are equipped to drive treating at optimal moments.

The extended Halloween season isn’t just something we hear about from loyal fans; it is proven by our own data. You’ll find some of these insights in our 2026 “Mars Tricks, Treats and Trends” report— the ultimate pulse on how Americans are celebrating, sharing and rewriting the rules of Halloween.

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The DTC footwear brand may have overestimated its customers’ appreciation for sustainability, and underappreciated their desire for fashion.

The lines between apparel, activewear and everything in between have only continued to blur. That isn’t a problem, except if the customer says it is.

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