Canadians are planning to spend as much or more on Halloween this year, according to the Retail Council of Canada, but plans to celebrate could be disrupted by inflation and supply chain issues, one expert says.
“We know that there is a crisis across several industries where people aren’t able to just get the workers in, to ramp up manufacturing, to ramp up shipping, and do all of those things because of disruptions that happened during the pandemic,” said Tandy Thomas, an associate professor of marketing at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.
And since the manufacturing capacity isn’t there right now, Thomas said there won’t be as much Halloween candy, costumes, or decor on the shelves compared to previous years.
“(Companies) are having to prioritize. Do we spend our manufacturing resources on our regular supplies? Or do we pull away from that and risk running out of our normal products and just build Halloween candy? And so there are trade-offs that these companies are making,” Thomas said.
Nearly one out of two Canadians (44 per cent) prepare for Halloween, and a majority of Canadians will be celebrating this year by making purchases, according to a report published by the Retail Council of Canada in September.
The report said that 86 per cent of Canadians who celebrate Halloween plan to make either the same or more purchases compared to last year.
The council also states that 16 per cent of Canadians are making purchases up to four weeks ahead of Halloween, but Thomas said even though it’s a good idea to shop early amid supply disruption, prices have gone up due to inflation that cannot be avoided.
“Inflation is going to hit people in a way where they won’t be able to celebrate Halloween the way they used to do it, with the big costumes, the big bowls of candy, and doing so at a time when things cost a lot more is going to put a pinch on people,” Thomas said.
According to the Retail Council of Canada report, 54 per cent of Canadians are planning to spend more than $50 this year, which is an increase of 5.6 per cent compared with 2021.
This is followed by 31 per cent of Canadians with the intention to spend between $51 and $100, and 12.2 per cent spending between $101 and $150.
Despite these numbers, Thomas said “some households will have to opt out when prices get high” or try and have less elaborate costumes.
“Going back to how things were before may not necessarily be the best way for us to be going forward in the future,” Thomas said. “(Consumers have to be) more flexible, more creative, maybe reuse costumes from previous years … if they’re not able to get the one they wanted.”
- RCMP arrests alleged hitmen accused of killing B.C. Sikh leader
- Fall COVID-19 vaccine guidelines are out. Here’s what NACI recommends
- Some 2019 candidates ‘appeared willing’ to engage with foreign interference: Hogue inquiry
- Thousands of Canada’s rail workers have a strike mandate. What happens now?
This year, one family has decided to go all out for Halloween.
Crystal Westland in Toronto said she and her family “did get an early start” when it came to having the Halloween essentials like decor and costumes.
“We just happened to be prepared, so the shelves were stocked,” Westland said. “I know that’s not always the case, but I feel like getting an early start, you find some good deals out there.”
In 2020 and 2021, Halloween was scaled down due to COVID-19 and more precautions were taken by parents and children during trick or treating such as wearing a mask.
“We want to go all out,” Westland said. “Now that we have this freedom, all of a sudden it feels like we want to just enjoy it all. … We can get more kids coming out to our street and it’s going to make Halloween that much more fun.”
Another resident who’s planning to celebrate Halloween, Karyn Klaire Koski, says she expects people to go back to more fun this year.
“I think the kids deserve it,” Koski said.
“My husband and myself, we sit out on the porch for the entire time and greet all the children we’ve watched grow up. We’ve been here for 20 years. Our kids are grown and gone and the other ones seem like our grandchildren now.”
She said it’s not “necessarily a bad thing” that some families aren’t planning or shopping for Halloween essentials ahead of time even if maybe things won’t be available in big quantities.
“I think we buy what we can. … And it’s not about the amount of candy,” Koski said.
“I think it’s all about the camaraderie and the joy and the wonder that the children feel and the ambiance and the parents. It’s tradition.”
Comments