Area businesses that rely on Halloween retail sales aren't easily spooked. Despite ghastly predictions about retail sales, businesses said they expect to be able to scare up enough shoppers to see a profit this year.

"We're not worried," said David Vaughn, store manager of Hobby Lobby in Cape Girardeau. "More and more people are decorating for Halloween, and we're expecting an increase in sales because more people are involved."

So far, Hobby Lobby has sold all 200 scarecrows it ordered and is seeing brisk sales of frightfully fun items like Halloween decorations and candy.

It's also become less expensive for people to decorate for Halloween, Vaughn said.

"Before it was mainly for people with a lot of disposable income," he said. "But it's not that way anymore. Even with the economy down, we really haven't seen much of a downturn."

National forecast is flat

If local businesses do see a profit, it won't be in alignment with what experts nationally expect. A survey released last week by the National Retail Federation forecasts U.S. sales of candy, costumes and decorations would be flat compared with last year, at about $6.9 billion.

"Halloween kind of went in a slump," said NRF spokesman Scott Krugman. "It might take a year or two, but we expect it to recover."

Through 2001, Halloween sales had nearly tripled from about $2.5 billion in 1995, as the holiday expanded beyond its traditional Oct. 31 date into more comprehensive autumn celebrations throughout September and October.

This year, the survey says, consumers plan to spend about $44 per household on candy, costumes and decorations for the holiday season, down slightly from $45 last year, the NRF predicts.

That's not the case for Rob Younghouse of Younghouse Distributing Co., who said sales have been going well so far. Younghouse sells Halloween costumes and decorations.

"The month of September is actually up quite a bit," Younghouse said. "I wouldn't say sales have been booming, but it's been brisk."

Younghouse said that last year he saw fewer sales, and some attributed that to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

"I'm expecting to get back to a normal year this year," he said. "Halloween's our biggest time of the year."

Sunny Hill Gardens has added promotions to draw attention to their products, which include pumpkins, straw bales, corn stalks, Halloween flags and other autumn decorations.

"We're doing fine," said owner Paul Schnare. "I'm pleased with the way sales are going so far."

On a national level, a reduction in spending momentum could be felt harder by candy makers that depend on robust Halloween candy sales like Hershey Foods Corp., Kraft Foods Inc. and Nestle, analysts said.

Depending on the number of children per household, candy sales make up one-third to one-half of all dollars spent on Halloween, the NRF said.

U.S. candy sales in the four weeks ending Sept. 7, the most recent period available, were down 1.5 percent compared with the same period in 2001, according to data tracking firm ACNielsen. That is on top of a slim 1.5 percent gain in August.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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