No Tricks, Just Treats: Meijer Study Reveals Key Halloween Trends Across the Midwest

Midwest retailer has everything families need for their favorite Halloween traditions at an unbeatable value

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Midwesterners are looking forward to Halloween — but one in four say value will be especially important this year, according to a new survey of more than 1,000 adults conducted by Meijer and Harris Poll. The findings point to a season of familiar traditions on tighter budgets, from costumed pets to chocolate-heavy candy bowls, and Meijer is stocked and ready with everything families need at an unbeatable value.

In the survey, more than 1,000 Midwesterners across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin shared how they plan to approach Halloween this year:

• Furry friends get in on fright-night: One in three Midwesterners (33%) plan to dress up their pets for Halloween this year. Meijer has expanded its variety of pet costumes so customers and their four-legged friends can win best dressed.
• Chocolate casts the sweetest spell: Most Midwesterners (91%) plan to purchase candy for Halloween, with chocolate candy (78%) topping the list. Fruit-flavored candy follows as the next most popular choice, with 53% planning to purchase it. Assorted bags of chocolate candies, including 9.6-ounce bags of Reese's Pumpkins, are priced at $5.79 per bag at Meijer stores, and 20-ounce bags of Brach's Classic Candy Corn are on sale for $4.99 each.
• Quick bites before frights: Nearly half of Midwesterners (49%) say they typically eat something easy and quick, like pizza, for dinner on Halloween.
• Homes get haunted, too: Seven in ten Midwesterners (70%) plan to decorate their home or yard for Halloween.
• Value will rule the night: One in four Midwesterners (25%) plan to spend less on Halloween this year. With Midwesterners focused on value, more than half of Meijer's décor items are priced at $10 or less, and most costumes and accessories for people and pets are priced at $25 or less.

"Halloween is a holiday rooted in childhood tradition and fun, and we want to help ensure our customers can continue to make those special memories with their families," said Don Sanderson, Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer at Meijer. "Our stores are stocked and ready to help our customers celebrate the season at a great value without sacrificing joy or quality."

Other great deals at Meijer this fall include Midwest-grown pumpkins for $4.99, perfect for carving with the family. Customers can find all Halloween deals at meijer.com.

About Meijer: Meijer is a privately owned, family-operated retailer that serves customers at more than 500 supercenters, grocery stores, neighborhood markets, and express locations throughout the Midwest. As the pioneer of the one-stop shopping concept, more than 70,000 Meijer team members work hard to deliver a friendly, seamless in-store and online shopping experience featuring an assortment of fresh foods, high-quality apparel, household essentials, and health and wellness products and services. Meijer is consistently recognized as a Great Place to Work and annually donates at least 6 percent of its profit to strengthen its communities. Additional information on the company can be found by visiting newsroom.meijer.com. 

Survey Method:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Meijer from August 24-26, 2026, among 1,003 adults ages 18 who live in the Midwest (i.e., Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin). The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Meijer.

SOURCE Meijer