CINCINNATI – Halloween is just a week away and if you still need to buy candy for trick-or-treaters, you're not alone.

Many shoppers have been hesitant to buy their candy because they were put off by the price tags this year.

“The price has just gone up exponentially,” said Tracy Singleton, who was shocked by the candy prices while shopping at Kroger in Anderson Township.

Singleton said she knew she would buy candy before Halloween, but she purposely waited until the last minute in hopes that prices would drop.

“I’m still going to wait and see if it goes on sale,” she said. “I think it makes you think about how much candy you're going to give out on Halloween,” Singleton said.

We visited four different stores to see where you can get Halloween candy without the scary price tag.

Here's what we found:

Kroger

Kroger stores across the Tri-State offer a wide selection of candy and most bags are already marked down.

A bag of 125 pieces of assorted Hershey's chocolates is available for $15.99.

WCPO

Want to become the talk of the neighborhood? Nerds gummy bears are a popular product this year. Kroger sells individual packs in a large bag of 90.

Taylor Nimmo

Goal

Target has already started slashing prices on its Halloween candy bags.

We found that Target had a large selection of combo bags that included both candy and chocolate in one bag. This may be your best choice if you're looking for variety.

For example, a 100-piece bag included Gummi Bears, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, KitKat, Reese's and Hershey's for $14.99.

Taylor Nimmo

Walmart

Walmart has huge bags full of candy with very big savings. They have a great selection of big bags, but don't be intimidated by the $19 and $24 prices as each piece is much cheaper overall.

John Matarese

Non-chocolate candy was the best deal at Walmart, like Starburst for just $3.98 a bag. There's nothing scary about that.

John Matarese

Walgreens

Vouchers are the be-all and end-all in drugstores.

At Walgreens, rewards members can currently get two bags for $7 – a great deal.

John Matarese

Members also receive 40% off their second purchase on larger bags.

Why the high chocolate prices?

You may notice that chocolate is more expensive this year. Paul Picton, owner of Maverick Chocolate in Norwood, said cocoa prices had doubled recently due to drought in Africa.

“The price of cocoa beans at the commodity level, meaning from the farms, has skyrocketed,” Picton said.

It gives buyers sticker shock.

“Everything is getting smaller and more expensive,” said one buyer.

This year you can save by opting for big bags and avoiding chocolate.

If you're expecting a lot of trick-or-treaters, consider buying in bulk at stores like Costco or Sam's Club, where prices tend to be cheaper than traditional grocery stores.

Of course, if you want the lowest price, wait until the candy sells out the day after Halloween so you don't waste your money.

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