Halloween used to be one night. Now, according to Mars, it's the longest shopping season in America—and it starts in the summer.
To kick off the 100-day countdown to Halloween, Mars—the self-declared "authority on Halloween"—released its 2026 Mars Tricks, Treats and Trends report on July 23, 2026. The headline finding: 57% of U.S. adults say Halloween is no longer a single day, but a full season. For food, beverage and hospitality operators, that's not a fun fact. It's a calendar shift with real revenue implications.
Culture, Not the Calendar, Is Driving Demand
The report, based on a Morning Consult survey of 3,001 U.S. adults who plan to celebrate Halloween, paints a picture of a holiday that has broken free of October 31. Two-thirds of Americans wish they could buy their favorite Halloween candy year-round—and that jumps to 76% among Gen Z.
Enter "Summerween." Nearly 60% of Gen Z is either aware of or has participated in the trend of celebrating spooky season months early. It's a consumer-led movement, and Mars is leaning in by releasing its full 2026 Halloween portfolio nationwide starting in July.
"Culture, not the calendar, is defining the seasons and our strategy. This year's annual trends report shows that Halloween is becoming America's longest retail season, marked by Summerween gatherings, early decorating and themed snacking," said Tim LeBel, Chief Halloween Officer and Chief Customer Officer at Mars Snacking North America. "The momentum behind earlier Halloween celebrations is building, and Mars is helping everyone get in the spirit by ensuring our seasonal candy icons and innovations are available to meet the moment."
Candy as Social Currency
The humble candy bowl has become a reputation play. According to the report, 75% of U.S. adults agree a shared candy bowl builds community, and 71% believe the candy they hand out says something about them.
To help consumers claim "best house on the block" status, Mars is rolling out new items alongside returning favorites:
- New: TWIX Skulls, SNICKERS Pumpkins Fun Size, and SKITTLES POP'D Creepy Crunch
- Returning classics: SNICKERS Ghoulish Green and M&M'S Halloween Blend—with M&M'S ranking as the #1 Halloween candy brand among those surveyed
All of these are hitting shelves nationwide now to meet Summerween demand.
Social Media Sets the List, Stores Close the Sale
For operators watching the modern path to purchase, the report offers a clean case study in digital-to-physical behavior. Discovery is increasingly virtual—especially for Gen Z:
- 53% of Gen Z spot Halloween trends on TikTok
- 49% on YouTube
- 48% on Instagram
But the transaction still happens in real life. Among Gen Z, 43% shop for Halloween treats at large-format retailers and 41% at grocery stores. Inspiration is virtual; the purchase remains tangible.
Shoppers Want Bold, Multi-Sensory Treats
With 3 in 4 U.S. adults viewing candy as an essential daily pleasure, novelty is the ask. The report found 71% want texture in their treats and nearly 60% are seeking "extreme" flavors. Mars is answering with the crisp, airy SKITTLES POP'D Creepy Crunch and seasonal flavors like M&M'S Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie.
Chocolate still reigns nationally, but regional preferences add nuance: the West shows the strongest pull toward Halloween-themed treats (48%), while the South leans into gummies (46%).
Why It Matters
For restaurant operators, foodservice executives and procurement directors, the practical takeaway is timing. If more than half of consumers treat Halloween as a season rather than a day—and two-thirds want spooky-season products earlier and longer—then menu specials, LTOs, retail merchandising and event programming built around late October are leaving money on the table.
Here's how to act on the data:
- Move your seasonal calendar earlier. Summerween gives QSRs, cafés, bars and hotels a reason to launch themed desserts, cocktails and snacks weeks ahead of the traditional window—capturing demand competitors haven't tapped yet.
- Design for texture and "extreme" flavor. With 71% craving texture and 60% chasing bold flavors, menu innovation that plays up crunch, contrast and novelty aligns directly with what consumers say they want.
- Merchandise for discovery-to-purchase. Gen Z finds inspiration on TikTok and YouTube but buys in person. That's an argument for social-forward, shareable presentations that translate into in-venue and on-shelf conversion.
- Localize the assortment. Regional preferences (themed treats out West, gummies in the South) suggest multi-unit operators should tailor seasonal offerings by market rather than defaulting to a national template.
The bigger signal: seasonal occasions are becoming consumer-defined, elastic and social-media-fueled. The operators who win are the ones who show up early, program for shareability and treat "spooky season" as a monetizable, months-long window.
Want more on how operators are rethinking seasonal menus and beverage strategy? Explore our coverage of how hospitality operators are reengineering beverage programs for scale and how brands like Kinder Joy are leveraging pop-culture, limited-edition treats. You can read the full 2026 Mars "Tricks, Treats and Trends" report for the complete data set.
Is your operation ready to cash in on the Summerween shift? Tell us how you're programming for a longer Halloween season in the comments.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
