Hershey warns Americans squeezed by gas prices are buying less candy—and Halloween’s final days are ‘really critical’

Spooky costumes and decorations aren’t the only frightening things this Halloween. For America’s biggest chocolate maker, the scarier sight may be the shoppers who aren’t showing up. On Hershey’s third-quarter earnings call Thursday, executives said candy sales at convenience stores fell 5% in September across the category, and that the slump has continued into October as high gas prices and stubborn inflation squeeze household budgets. Hershey CFO Dave Hulays said consumers are “more cautious on inflation,” pointing to gas prices and interest rates as sources of household strain.

Source: Fortune Crypto