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Fun-Size Candies Will Be Popular This Halloween

Posted on: Friday, 28 October 2005, 00:00 CDT

By Portsia Smith, The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va.

Oct. 27--AMI HARRIS went on a sweet treat shopping spree Tuesday afternoon.

Snickers, Tootsie Rolls, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and other fun-sized goodies filled her shopping cart at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Central Park.

Her candy collection has made Harris popular in her Ashleigh Park subdivision in Spotsylvania County, where she is known as the Halloween Lady by trick-or-treaters.

"My house is where the kids come and get handfuls of candy," she said.

Harris isn't sure how much she will spend on candy this year, but she said she didn't mind shelling out a lot of cash for her favorite holiday.

According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend $1.16 billion on Halloween treats this year. That's up 9 percent, with the average person planning to spend about $18.

But Harris doesn't just stop at the sweets.

On Halloween Day, her house will be covered in cobwebs and she will greet trick-or-treaters in costume as a spider lady rocking in a white rocking chair.

Other than candy, Halloween enthusiasts will spend an additional $2.13 billion on decorations, costumes and greeting cards, the study predicted.

That makes Halloween the sixth-largest spending holiday of the year.

Recently, candy sales have been keeping area stores busy restocking shelves.

Doug Good, executive team leader of hard lines at Target in Stafford Marketplace, said the most popular candy at his store are the individually wrapped chocolates, such as Snickers and M&M's.

"We always get a rush for those before the last few days of Halloween," he said.

The biggest seller at Factory Card and Party Outlet in Greenbrier Shopping Center on State Route 3 is candy corn.

"We're completely sold out," said assistant manager Michelle Nichols. "We start putting them out in August and at the end of September they start buying."

Dameron's Hallmark in Park & Shop on the U.S. 1 Bypass hasn't made a killing with candy, but their Spellbook candy container has been a hit.

The $10 container resembles a Harry Potter book, and when opened, it says "Have some candy" or "Oh! You look so scary."

Stafford resident Deena Bise stocked up on Reese's Cups, Dum Dum pops and fruit snacks for Halloween treats. "I get the kind of candy that looks safe," the mother of five said. "I don't like to give anything too loose for fear of tampering."

Shirley Ogle of Orange County has traveled all around to find her favorite holiday treat, miniature Tootsie Roll pops.

"But I can't find them anywhere," she said disappointedly.

Leigh Burnley of Spotsylvania County said her house is the most popular spot in Summer's Landing subdivision every Halloween. That's because she knows the trick of the trick-or-treat trade.

"I buy whatever is on sale," she said.

That plan works for her son, 7-year-old Jared, who had his taste buds set on Fruit Roll-ups and Skittles.

Maggie Castagnola spent big bucks on a pumpkin, candy, decorations and costumes for this Halloween, but she said she and her 11-year-old daughter, Bianca, won't be spending it at their Lake of the Woods home. They'll go camping instead.

"The campgrounds have different things to do for the kids," she said, "like trick-or-treating, haunted houses and a pumpkin carving contest."

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va.

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Source: The Free Lance-Star

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