The following Social Studies event discussion is based on the original news article "Skittles, Reese’s and Other Popular Halloween Candies See Price Hike," by Greg Cannella, published October 26, 2022, on CBS News. The article reports on how the 10 most popular candy brands, plus assortment bags, have seen an average price increase of 13% since 2021—with some sweets jumping more than 30%.

Below you will find the article and some critical thinking questions to pose to your Social Studies students.

Americans have felt the effects of high inflation on groceries, gas, rent and now, as Halloween approaches, candy. According to the National Retail Federation, people are estimated to spend more than $3 billion on Halloween candy this year.

The 10 most popular candy brands, plus assortment bags, have seen an average price increase of 13% since 2021—with some sweets jumping more than 30%, according to the Datasembly Grocery Price Index.

The highest price increases were Skittles at 42% and Starburst at 35%. Other candies with high price hikes included M&M’s, with an increase of 14%, and Reese’s, with an increase of 13%, Datasembly found.

“If you have a busy house with lots of people trick-or-treating, you’re definitely going to spend more,” smart shopping expert Trae Bodge told CBS Los Angeles.

She said Halloween will be one of the most expensive holidays this year as families also deal with shrinkflation—the process where consumer items shrink in size while prices remain the same or even increase. 

However, when it came to the lowest percent change, Nestle Crunch and Butterfinger came in at 6% and 7%, according to Datasembly. 

Here is Datasembly’s full list of major candies’ price increases from 2021 to 2022:

• Skittles: $3.13 to $4.43, a 42% increase
• Starburst: $2.98 to $4.01, a 35% increase
• M&M’s: $4.07 to $4.63, a 14% increase
• Snickers: $6.18 to $7.07, a 14% increase
• Twix: $5.01 to $5.65, a 13% increase
• Reese’s: $6.01 to $6.81, a 13% increase
• Sour Patch Kids: $4.23 to $4.75, a 12% increase
• Kit Kat: $4.86 to $5.42, an 11% increase
• Assorted: $11.63 to $12.59, an 8% increase
• Butterfinger: $3.57 to $3.83, a 7% increase
• Nestle Crunch: $4.53 to $4.82, a 6% increase

1. The first section of an article should answer the questions “Who?” “What?” “When?” and “Where?” Identify the four W’s of this article. NOTE: The rest of the article provides details on the why and/or how.
2. Does this article have any bias? Why or why not?
3. How much will Americans spend on Halloween candy this year?
4. How much has the price of the 10 most popular candy brands increased?
5. Which candies had the highest price increases? Which candies had the lowest price increases?
6. What is “shrinkflation”? Define it in your own words.
7. Find your favorite candy from the list in the article. How much does it cost, and by what percentage did its price increase?
8. Do you think people will scale back this holiday season or celebrate as usual? Explain your reasoning.