Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. For kids it is one of the most magical days of the year. They get to dress up in costumes, and for a night become a super hero or princess and run door-to-door filling pillow sacks with pounds of candy.
I remember my daughter’s first Halloween when she was two years old. She had screaming red hair so of course we dressed her up as Pebbles with a homemade orange spotted dress and bone in her hair. When we finished canvassing the neighborhood and returned home, we emptied her bag on the floor. She pushed all of it together into a huge pile that was almost as big as she was, sat on top of it and chanted, “candy, candy, candy”.
My daughter, (though it was many years ago), as well as all of the kids today are stockpiling their sugary riches as part of a holiday where Americans will spend nearly $7 billion a year on Halloween related items… like all of that candy. In fact, each consumer will spend an average of $21 on candy alone. In order to ensure that households have more than enough treats to hand out to the little ghosts, goblins – and Pebbles we must be ready to engage those shoppers and drive sales for our retail partners. Halloween is the unofficial beginning of the busiest time of year for our retail partners, and for us. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the three busiest holidays of the year and they all take place within two months of one another.
In this issue, we have some tricks up our sleeve to help you navigate the busy shopping season, keep your sales up and your service simply spooktacular.
By the way, my daughter is now in her third year of college and way too grown up to trick or treat with Dad. However, every year while I am standing at my door handing out candy to Spiderman and Ariel I remember our first Halloween and how for one night a little Pebbles lit up the world with her red hair, big eyes and contagious smile. May you experience the same excitement this year.
Warm wishes,
Mitch Diehl
Vice President