Mars Offers Free, Expedited Candy Fulfillment in Support of Halloween Rush
For Halloween fanatics, there’s one thing that’s really frightening, and it doesn’t have to do with scary costumes. Running out of candy is a top concern, and Mars is helping prevent this by deploying an M&M’s Halloween Rescue Squad.
Beginning at 3 p.m. on October 31, Mars’ Squad will be delivering free candy across the U.S. to participating locations, while supplies last. The company is working in partnership with Gopuff to offer expedited fulfillment: candy to homes in 30-60 minutes.
To place an order, consumers can call the Squad by visiting mmshalloweenrescuesquad.com to see if their location is available (wherever typically Gopuff delivers).
Mars launched the initiative in response to a recent survey it commissioned that found nearly half of all Americans who celebrate Halloween worry about running out of candy, with 89% laying part of the blame on themselves for eating some of the candy prior to Halloween night.
The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual Halloween consumer survey, conducted in partnership with Prosper Insights & Analytics, found that total Halloween spending in 2023 is expected to reach a record $12.2 billion, exceeding last year’s record of $10.6 billion.
"The Halloween season is expanding, and enthusiasm is driving consumers to shop earlier and more frequently," said Tim LeBel, president of sales and chief halloween officer at Mars Wrigley, in a statement.
"As the authority on Halloween, we plan for the season years in advance to ensure we satisfy shoppers' needs. From our first-ever M&M'S Halloween Rescue Squad to new product innovations, we're doing everything we can to inspire more moments of everyday happiness this season," added LeBel.
To incentivize stocking up on Mars’ candy ahead of the Halloween frenzy, the company is offering 3 months of Peacock premium free (while supplies last) for consumers who purchase $13-$30 worth of candy by October 31 and upload their receipts here.
Fright Night Drives Sales
Candy companies have been increasingly strategic about their Halloween approach, as the seasonal event drives about $6 billion in confectionery retail sales every year, according to the National Confectioners Association.
Mars Wrigley invested in voice commerce during the 2021 Halloween season to grow brand engagement. Meanwhile, Lynn Hemans, VP of consumer intelligence and analytics at Hershey, previously told CGT that it was using social listening as one of the primary tools to determine how much trick or treating there would be in a given year and what types of precautions consumers were taking during COVID, which severely impacted Halloween trends.
