If you've strolled down the aisles of any CBS or Walgreens in August, then you've probably

encountered shelves bursting with Halloween candy and decorations.

And perhaps you're in the camp of people who want to shout, no, it's too early.

It's still summer.

Or maybe you say, bring it on.

Either way, the candy is likely not going anywhere, and if anything, its debut is showing

up earlier and earlier each year.

And that's because for these retailers, whether big business, American consumers spent

$3.1 billion on Halloween candy in 2022, that according to the research platforms to

TISTAP.

In our upcoming series, we explore the rise of CBS and Walgreens from humble pharmacies

to retail giants and major rivals.

And part of what's driven their economic dominance is the way they've started to look both

like healthcare clinics and a kind of big box store, a store where a customer may come

in for a pack of band-aids and leave with packages of many Snickers bars and M&Ms.

Or during spooky season, a pumpkin-shaped Reese's peanut buttercup.

You know the ones.

Well, today we're going to dig into that trend and take a bite out of what's new in the

world of sugary treats.

Here to talk about all that and more, comedian Max Fine and New York Times reporter Jordan

Coleman, stick around for the best of business wars daily.

What happens now?

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