Where can I buy cheap Halloween candy in Sacramento? Here are 5 deals at discount stores

Brianna Taylor
·4 min read
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Spooky season can get expensive fast — all for a single night in late October — from intricate costumes to buckets of candy.

Halloween spending across the U.S. is on track to surpass pre-pandemic levels with a record total of $12.2 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey. The world’s biggest retail trade association predicts trick-or-treating will be the most popular way people will celebrate the holiday with a projected $3.6 billion spent on candy alone.

Filling your candy dish can be pricey, but there are ways around high costs.

The Sacramento Bee price-checked Halloween candy at five Sacramento supermarkets — only those considered “discount stores” — during the second week of October. Our list includes Costco, Walmart, Grocery Outlet, Smart & Final and Foods Co.

Prices and availability could vary depending on your location.

Here’s what we found:

Grocery Outlet

Noted as the nation’s largest “extreme value retailer,” Grocery Outlet offers customers name brand groceries and “fresh” produce at an affordable cost, according to its website.

The chain’s Halloween candy selection is extensive — and the cheapest on this list. If you plan to only pass out sweets to a few people and you’re not a stickler for variety packs, the 11-ounce bag of mini Twix chocolate bars is $3.99 and a bag of 40 fun-sized packs of Sour Patch Kids is $2.99.

Here are some of the other options:

  • $4.79 for each 10-ounce bag of fun-sized M&M’s, Snickers and 3 Musketeers

  • $14.99 for 135 packs of fun-sized M&M’s, Snickers, Twix, and Milky Way

  • $19.99 for 300 packs of fun-sized Life Savers, Skittles and Starburst.

You can sign up to receive emails from Grocery Outlets and save $3 off a $25 purchase. Sometimes, the grocer offers store coupons to its members.

Walmart

Walmart is a retail, supermarket and discount store with deals on pretty much everything, from technology to groceries.

You’ll find a variety of miniature and full-sized Halloween candy with options as low as $6 for 35 packs of Snickers, Twix, 3 Musketeers and Milky Way. The most expensive option on its website is a five-pound bag of bubble gum, Smarties, fruity chews and rolls for $34.99.

Here are some of the other bulk options:

  • $9.94 for 80 packs of party-sized Life Savers, Skittles and Starburst

  • $12.56 for 125 packs of party-sized Snickers, Twix, Musketeers and Milky Way

  • $16.98 for 155 packs of party-sized Reese’s, Kit Kat, Whoppers and Hershey’s

The company does not offer coupons, according to its website. Those who buy a Walmart+ membership gain access to free delivery and shipping and cheaper gas among other perks.

Smart & Final

Smart & Final — a California-based warehouse-style grocery and supply chain — offers the most expensive Halloween candy on the list.

The same bag of 40 fun-sized packs of Sour Patch Kids at Grocery Outlet costs $3 more at Smart & Final. But if you’re looking for unique sweets, you’ll find them there.

An aisle at Smart & Final grocery store at 2431 28th St., Sacramento, has a variety of Halloween candy on display. on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. The Sacramento Bee priced seasonal candy at five discounted supermarkets.
An aisle at Smart & Final grocery store at 2431 28th St., Sacramento, has a variety of Halloween candy on display. on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. The Sacramento Bee priced seasonal candy at five discounted supermarkets.

Here are some of the options:

  • $7.99 for 40 pieces of Krabby Patties gummy candy

  • $22.99 for 250 pieces of Now and Later chews, Lemonheads, Gobstopper jawbreakers and Chuckles jellies

  • $34.99 for 405 pieces of Haribo Goldbears, Hershey’s, Reese’s, Jolly Rancher lollipops, Kit Kats and Twizzlers.

Members gain access to weekly savings and digital coupons when they sign up for a new account.

Costco

Disclaimer: Costco Wholesale is a member-only bulk warehouse.

If you’re looking for full-sized packs of chocolate and candy at an affordable price, Costco has it.

The bulk warehouse is selling 30 packs of full-sized M&M’s, Snickers, Twix and Milky Way for $23.79. The variety pack is roughly $5 cheaper than its original price ($28.99) through October, according to Costco’s website. Boxes are limited to two per customer.

Here are some of the other options:

  • $11.49 for a 54-ounce jar of individually wrapped Starburst

  • $29.99 for 30 packs of full-sized Skittles and Starburst

  • $49.99 for 48 packs of full-sized Snickers or M&M’s

Foods Co.

California supermarket chain Foods Co. has competitive deals on staple products, but its Halloween candy is not the cheapest option in Sacramento.

A bag of 275 pieces of candy costs $21.99, compared to 300 pieces for $19.99 at Grocery Outlet. The deals are still cheaper than those at Smart & Final.

Here are some of the bulk options:

  • $15.99 for 185 fun-sized packs of Hershey’s, Kit Kat, Reese’s, Roto, Milk Duds and Whoppers

  • $11.99 for 80 fun-sized packs of Life Savers, Skittles and Starburst

  • $11.99 for a 2-pound bag of individually wrapped packs of Sour Patch Kids

Foods Co.’s rewards program has limited perks including access to exclusive savings. But the supermarket chain also has digital coupons that can be redeemed both in-store and online and its weekly sales are available to all shoppers.

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