A new survey breaks down how Canadians decide what to buy for trick-or-treaters

With Halloween weekend days away, a new Dalhousie University survey is breaking down how Canadians decide what to hand out to trick-or-treaters.

The data points to over 60 per cent of Canadians buying their favourite sweets at the grocery store to hand out on Halloween night.

The survey also says an overwhelming 67 per cent plan on eating the leftovers with less than five per cent anticipating throwing their candy away.

“It is interesting to see that most Canadians want to give candy they would eat themselves,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

“Having leftover candy after Halloween is likely something Canadians have in mind when purchasing for trick-or-treaters, so having leftovers is not necessarily seen as a burden, or an issue.”

Just over half of the participants say cutting costs is the most important factor, leading them to pull cheaper options off the shelves.

Nearly 30 per cent say giving out allergy-free treats is the top concern while only 12 per cent opt for healthier snacks.

The survey also says 37 per cent of Canadians are expecting more trick-or-treaters this year.

“Expectations are high, despite the fact that Halloween falls on a Monday this year,” said Janet Music, research associate at the Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

“This is likely since it is the first Halloween in three years with limited public health restrictions. Most Canadians are expecting a somewhat normal Halloween when anticipating trick-or-treating traffic.”

When it comes to sorting the candy haul at the end of the night, the numbers show that roughly 85 per cent of parents will go through their kid’s candy to make sure it’s safe.

Almost 60 per cent of parents will remove homemade items and just under half will discard produce.

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