Canadians plan to spend the same or more on Halloween this year, according to the Retail Council of Canada (RCDC), but inflation and supply issues might disrupt consumer plans, an expert says.
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“We know there’s a crisis in several industries where people just can’t get workers to come in, to ramp up manufacturing, to ramp up shipping. […] due to the disruptions that occurred during the pandemic”, mentioned, in an interview with Global News, Tandy Thomas, associate professor of marketing at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.
So, as there are production slowdowns, there won’t be as many sweets, costumes and sets on the shelves as in years past, Thomas said.
«[Les entreprises] must prioritise. Should we spend our crafting resources on our regular supplies? Or should we move away from that and risk running out of our normal products to just make Halloween candy? And so, there are compromises that these companies have to make,” explained the professor of marketing.
According to a RCC report, nearly one in two Canadians (44%) are preparing for October 31. We also note that 86% of Canadians plan to spend as much or more than last year on their Halloween purchases.
The CCCD study also revealed that 16% of people take it up to four weeks before October 31st. While it’s a good idea to shop ahead, Tandy Thomas says consumers may face higher prices due to inflation.
“Inflation is going to hit people so they won’t be able to celebrate like they’re used to with the big suits and the big bowls of candy,” he said, adding that it comes at a time when everything costs more, which “is going to put a strain on people.
Although Canadians expect to spend more this year, some households will need to be creative due to higher prices. Some may have to reuse their costumes from years past, Professor Thomas believes.
