Rising costs provide a fright to Halloween fans

Halloween, a holiday celebrated with great joy by many, is becoming a source of concern for some as the price of costumes and candy continues to climb, mirroring the overall increase in living and food costs.

Ottawa resident Andrew Emery loves Halloween but he keeps an eye on the bottom line.

"We go at the end of the year when everything is 50 per cent off, and then we don't get to use it, we wait a whole year, and then it's a surprise when we go down to the basement to see what we bought last year," says Emery.

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Candy and chocolate bars for Halloween have been on store shelves for weeks, and shoppers have noticed that the price of candy boxes has risen noticeably.

"In my head, candy should be like $10, $20 or something I thought I'd be handing out,” says Emery. “But you can get up to $50."

For example, a box of mini chocolate bars from Costco, which was priced at $14.89 last October, is now listed at $18.49 this year, marking a 24 per cent increase in just one year.

Callum Macleod, another Ottawa resident, acknowledges the rising costs but believes that candy is a relatively small expense.

"Prices for everything are going up, but I think candy is a pretty small price to pay, especially if you buy it in bulk,” says Macleod. “As for costumes, we need to get more creative, trying to make things work with what we have."

Inflation is also affecting the prices of Halloween decorations and costumes, as noted by Joelle Desjardins, a manager at Spirit Halloween.

"I’ve noticed in a lot of places, prices have gone up. The animatronics, yes, those are pretty popular, and they have become quite pricey," says Desjardins.

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The increased cost of Halloween this year is partly driven by a worldwide sugar shortage, as explained by Sandra Marsden, President of the Canadian Sugar Institute.

"It's really a supply and demand situation. Globally, there is a slight deficit in terms of supply versus consumption. A lot of factors go into the price of confectionery and other products. Sugar in Canada is still priced well below most markets and about 30 to 40 per cent below U.S. prices. So Canada is a very competitive location for candy production."

Despite rising costs, some Halloween enthusiasts, like Andrew Emery, are choosing to invest in decorations that can be displayed for years to come.

"I do think candy is the most expensive thing. It's 50 bucks for something you'll never see again. But at least decorations can accumulate," says Emery.