The approach of Halloween has resulted in increased activity in the confectionery category.

It has overtaken soft drinks to lie in sixth position in the overall branded share chart, only 1% behind household, with treat-size, fun-size and multipacks all on offer.

Cadbury's was leading the way. It has offers on its products at all five retailers. Asda and Morrisons have 2 for £3 offers on 9-packs of Cadbury's Crunchie, Dairy Milk, Flake, Twirl and Cadbury's Treat Size Bars.

Many Asda stores are displaying the products on pallets under the "Happy Hallowe'en" banner .

Somerfield is promoting boxed collections of Cadbury's Heroes 450g and Roses tins with 25% extra free and save offers, respectively.

Tesco has £1.96 buy-one-get-one-free offers on packs of funsize Cadbury's Buttons, Crunchie, Dairy Milk, Twirl and treatsize bars.

Mars Treatsize and Funsize Maltesers, Mars bars, MilkyWay and Twix packs, displayed on pallets, were on offer for 2 for £3.

Sainsbury's has the same products on offer at 3 for £4. Its offer included Bounty funsize packs.

Somerfield had 200g Mars bags on offer at 2 for £2.20.

Nestlé was available in Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco, which were being sold using the x for y

mechanic.

Kit Kat 2-finger 9-packs and Nestlé Quality Street 480g were on offer in Asda stores.

Morrisons also had Quality Street 900g packs with a save mechanic.

Nestlé products in Sainsbury included Kit Kat 4-finger four-pack, Chunky Kit Kat four-pack, Nestlé Smarties 4-pack, all at two for £1.80, and Nestlé Quality Street Tins on ­offer at two for £9.

Tesco had Yorkie Boulders six-packs, Quality Street 1.3kg tins and Smarties Mini Bites six-packs.

Other brands on offer in the

confectionery category included

Candy Creations Spooky Mix,

Bassetts, Bendicks, Terry's and Thorntons.