LAC LA BICHE - With the night of ghosts, goblins and devilish excitement about to take place again for another year, candy sales in the community have been getting monster-sized, say local retailers.
Bill Britton, the owner of Your Independent Grocer, said sales of Halloween candy have been strong in the lead up to the Oct. 31 night of tricks and treats. He told the Lac La Biche Post newsroom on Oct. 22 that management of the community grocery store ordered three times the amount they normally do for occasion, and even with that, the store was nearly out of chips and only a minimal selection of chocolate remains on the shelves.
According to Britton, many folks get an early start on purchasing snacks for Halloween night, as early as the back-to-school shopping trips
“We get the Halloween candy in September, late August, early September, and it starts selling then,” he explained, adding that the big sales start coming a couple of weeks prior to Halloween night.
As for what specific kinds of candy are flying off the shelves, Britton says large variety packs of small chocolate bars from popular brands, that come in packs of 100, 90, or other large numbers are the top picks.
Potato chips are also a hot item for Halloween, and Britton says the store has been through 11 pallets of chips.
Concerning whether food inflation has impacted sales of Halloween treats, Britton said from a dollar value perspective it has. However, from an item transaction point, sales are booming.
“We’re selling more than we ever have,” he said.
Khalil Abougouche of the AG foods Abougouche Brothers in downtown Lac La Biche said sales of Halloween candy have been steady so far this year, with the most popular items being multi-pack chocolate bars.
According to Abougouche, while there is usually a push on from people to buy boxes of sugary goodies and other seasonal items a week or so before Halloween night, quite a few folks wait until the eleventh hour to make their purchases, when they often find little selection on the shelves.
“Some people wait until the last minute until we have nothing left”, he said.
Downtown opens early
Speaking of last minute, Lac La Biche County officials are still expected to have the downtown Main Street construction zone opened up for Halloween night. The construction project, which is part of the $32.5 million Main St. Revitalization, has been ongoing since May. The downtown business area is a favourite haunt of youngsters during the late afternoon hours of Halloween, collecting treats from the local businesses.
Doreen Kozakevich, store manager of Value Drug Mart in Lac La Biche, said sales of Halloween candy have been steady. Like other businesses in the community, Value Drug Mart starts receiving supplies of Halloween candy in late August.
“We don’t carry large amounts, but it’s been good,” she said, explaining that the store carries a variety of candies, chocolate bars and other treats.
