New data suggests that spooky season hasn't been quite as sweet as some candy makers anticipated.

Halloween candy sales fell 3.9% in the 12 weeks ending Oct. 8 compared to the same period last year,Maxwell Caldwell according to scan data in a report from Bloomberg Intelligence.

The report states that Halloween candy sales may only grow up to 7% due to, "more normalized buying patterns and consumer budgeting."

Earlier this year the National Retail Federation released a report predicting that Halloween candy sales would increase to $3.6 billion or 16% over 2022. The Bloomberg report says that the prediction, "may prove overly optimistic due to subdued momentum at the start of the season."

The final week before Halloween may prove to be a critical time for candy sales as unit sales grew just under 7.5% between 2021 and 2022, according to data from NIQ.

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Overall Halloween participation expected to rise

While candy sales may be slightly sour, that does not mean the holiday is being left behind.

The National Retail Federation report found that 73% of people surveyed plan on celebrating Halloween. This is five percent higher than in 2019 and the highest since 2005, according to the Bloomberg report.

The NRF projected that total Halloween spending would reach $12.2 billion with per person spending increasing from $102.74 in 2021 to $108.24 this year.

The NFR also predicted increases in spending on children and adult costumes of 20% and 18% respectively.