Halloween is just around the corner. By now, most people have their costumes ready and the candy poured into bowls for the trick-or-treaters. This year, people are spending a little more on the holiday and embracing the candy-filled night of fun.
Consumers spending more
Each consumer will spend about $80 on decorations, candy and costumes. That’s up about $8 from last year.
“By the time Halloween rolls around each year it’s safe to say Americans have already spent two months preparing for one of the fastest-growing and most widely-loved holidays of the year,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.
“Retailers know that when it comes to Halloween, new costume ideas for children, adults and pets, and the latest in home and yard décor top people’s shopping lists. We expect retailers to stock their shelves well ahead of time to capture the attention of eager holiday shoppers.”
Halloween, a sugar-infested night
While shoppers may be willing to spend a little more on Halloween candy, it does bring up another question – how healthy should Halloween be?
Let’s be honest, kids know which houses give out the best candy. Their little brains are great at creating a road map through town where the name brand chocolate lurks.
Considering the weight problem facing America’s youth, should Halloween become healthier? One columnist encourages parents not to turn the holiday into a lecture.
“In today’s hyper-sensitive weight culture, parents might feel pressure to skip the sugar on Halloween in favor of healthier options. Some ambitious moms are surely now trolling through Pinterest pictures for ideas for kid-fooling organic fruit and agave nectar lollipops,” Julie Gunlock, director of the Independent Women’s Forum’s Women for Food Freedom Project wrote in a recent article for U.S. News.
“Most reasonable parents, however, understand that Halloween is just one day of tooth decaying revelry, and on November 1, sticky children everywhere go back to their regularly scheduled diets.”
What do you think? Should Halloween be healthier? Tell us your thoughts below.
