Business

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Trick or trickier? 10/5/09   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, October 5, 2009 Trick-or-treat bags may be lighter this year By Michelle Dunlop Herald Writer EVERETT — Your little ghost or goblin might see fewer treats this Halloween night, according to a recent retail report. Consumers will scale back on their Halloween shopping this year, including axing their candy budgets, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation. Americans will spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween this year, down from $66.54 last year. “The economy has caught up to Halloween,” said Tracy Mullin, president of the retail group. Retailers don’t want to send consumers running scared from high prices. Instead, expect to see “creative costume and decorating ideas in every price point imaginable,” Mullin said. The Everett Mall hopes to lure in consumers with a “mystery” gift card promotion. For every $50 gift card purchased, the shopper receives an additional gift card of a mystery amount, ranging from $5 to $100, said Julie Tennyson, marketing director for the mall. Just a few days into the promotion, Tennyson has been surprised at how well it’s done. “It’s exceeded everyone’s expectations so far,” she said. Instead of free promotional gifts, consumers tend to want cash incentives. And the gift card promotion helps shoppers stretch their dollars, Tennyson said. Nearly 1 in 3 consumers who participated in the national retail survey say the state of the U.S. economy will affect their Halloween spending plans. About 88 percent said they’ll spend less overall while 46.5 percent said they’ll buy less candy. Using last year’s decorations or last year’s costume also were popular ways Americans plan to cut back. Young adults, who were last year’s big Halloween spenders, will scale back dramatically this year. According to the survey, the average 18- to 24-year-old will spend $68.56 on the holiday, compared with $86.59 last year and $81.91 in 2007. “With part-time jobs more scarce and parents unable to help out financially, many young adults have been impacted substantially by the economy,” said Phil Rist, vice president with BIGresearch, which conducts the annual survey. About 26 percent of people participating in the survey said they’ll opt out of fall festivals and haunted houses as a way to pare down their Halloween spending. But the operators of Haunted Hollow in the Everett Mall hope that’s not the case. The store opened in the former Steve & Barry’s location in late September. Besides Halloween costumes and decorations, Haunted Hollow is offering fright-seekers the chance to experience their “Last Ride.” The coffin simulation ride takes you through the sounds, actions and smells of your own funeral and burial. Its cost? $6.66 plus tax. The ride is available through Halloween night. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Early morning gunfire wounds 2 in Everett 2. Father guilty of manslaughter in girl's death 3. ZZ Top fans get Everett buzzing 4. Crash devastating for toddler 5. Snohomish County budget passes, with a caveat 6. Fall 2009 Wesco All-League Teams 7. Laundry fire sparks concerns over smoke detectors 8. Two people injured in Highway 9 collision 9. Northrop: Boeing's 767 ‘no longer commercially viable' 10. Lynnwood police seek hit-and-run driver 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Ruling in the pool • Archbishop Murphy takes title • A season of performing arts • Budget numbers have official fuming • Wildcats move on to 2A semifinals • Holiday Bazaars & Fairs Calendar • Edmonds’ Westgate Chapel serves up hospitality for holiday • Mavericks fall • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million