Inflation is scaring up Halloween costs : NPR

Halloween sweet is getting slightly scarier this yr – about 13% scarier.

Those that want deal with over trick will probably be paying 13.1% greater than final yr, in response to the newest inflation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

It is the biggest yearly soar in sweet costs the CPI has ever recorded. (For comparability, it took 9 years — from 1997 to 2006 — for sweet costs to rise 13%.)

And the value of sweet (together with chewing gum, which is in the identical class) has risen 2% since August, one of many largest month-to-month will increase of any meals within the report.

Sweets of every kind are costlier than final yr, pushed by main will increase within the costs of sugar and flour. Sugar is up over 17% since final September. Provide chain disruptions and a poor beet sugar manufacturing yr have all helped contribute. Flour costs have risen much more at 24%.

That is helped drive up the prices of muffins, cupcakes and cookies by 16% since final September. Frozen and refrigerated baked items are up greater than 20%.

Individuals collectively are anticipated to spend about $3.1 billion on sweet this season, in response to the Nationwide Retail Federation, an business commerce group.

On a $15 bag of various Halloween-sized candies, a 13% enhance comes out to about $2.

Costumes, too, could really feel dearer than traditional.

Whereas the CPI report doesn’t particularly observe costumes, the value of clothes has jumped 5.5% since final yr. These artful sufficient to make handmade costumes will really feel the pinch much more: Stitching machines, cloth and provides are up 11% since final September.

Inflation general has remained stubbornly excessive. Costs rose 8.2% for the 12 months ending in September, down barely from final month however nonetheless a lot greater than the Federal Reserve’s goal of two%.