ONEIDA, N.Y. -- Starting Friday, October 21 all of the Oneida Nation's SavOn Convenience Stores will be passing out trick or treat bags to children, reported the Madison County Courier. If they return with these bags anytime on October 31, the SavOn staff will put Halloween goodies in the bag.
"This is SavOn's way of providing a safe Trick or Treat environment for area children," Sean Jones, SavOn manager of marketing and category development, told the newspaper.
The Nation's 12 SavOn Convenience Stores are located in Verona, Verona Beach, Sherrill, Oneida and Canastota, N.Y.
Meanwhile, more people than ever are expected to partake in traditional festivities this year, according to the National Retail Federation's 2011 Halloween Consumer Intentions & Actions Survey conducted by BIGresearch. It said that seven in 10 Americans (68.6%) plan to celebrate Halloween, up from 63.8% last year and the most in NRF's nine-year survey history. Those celebrating are expected to spend slightly more; the average person will spend $72.31 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $66.28 last year. Total Halloween spending is expected to reach $6.86 billion
The survey found this year's celebrations will be far from tempered as more people plan to dress in costume (43.9% vs. 40.1% in 2010), throw or attend a party (34.3% vs. 33.3% last year) and visit a haunted house (22.9% vs. 20.8% in 2010.) Additionally, half (49.5%) will decorate their home/yard, and 14.7% will dress their pets in costume. Other traditional celebratory activities include handing out candy (73.5%), carving a pumpkin (47.8%) and taking children trick-or-treating (32.9%).
With celebrations increasing, spending is expected to slightly increase across the board as well. The average consumer is expected to spend $26.52 on costumes. This year, Americans will spend $1 billion on children's costumes, up from $840 million last year, and $1.21 billion on adult costumes, up from $990 million last year. Additionally, pet owners will spend $310 million on pint size devils, pumpkins and witch costumes.
When it comes to decorations, more people this year than in the survey's history will buy life-size skeletons, extra large inflatable pumpkins and fake cob webs, spending an average of $19.79. Spending on Halloween decor is second only to spending on Christmas decorations. Festive celebrants will also buy candy ($21.05) and greeting cards ($4.96.)
Consumers aren't completely blowing caution to the wind this year, however. According to the survey, nearly one-third (32.1%) say the state of the U.S. economy will impact their Halloween plans. To compensate, most say they will try to spend less overall (87.1%). Others will make a costume instead of purchasing one (18.9%), use last year's costume (16.6%) and buy less candy (40.2%.)
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