Not so Happy Halloween

There's a Halloween store not far from here that pops open each fall. I'm not sure if it's there this year. Even if it is, I don't have much need for Halloween kit. 

On the day itself, I'll put on a black turtleneck, black-cat earrings, and a themed scarf. I probably have a pair of witch or goblin socks around here somewhere. I pull my Red Sox Halloween cap out and wear  it for the month of October. And this year, I've got a couple of Halloween-y masks (orange with black polka dots; candy corn print). 

But I don't have any need for a costume.

My decorations? Those pumpkins you see.

Candy? We never get Trick or Treaters in my building. And I've already gorged on a bag of candy corn-pumpkin mix. (And a package of Halloween, orange-stuffed Oreos. Enough!)

If this were Before Times, I would have stopped into that Halloween store to pick up some containers to collect the bags of candy my gym would have been collecting for Halloween in the City. This year, game called on account of COVID.

And I would have gotten a plastic pumpkin and loaded it up with candy and put it out on the counter of the resource center at St. Francis House, a day shelter where I've been involved for years, and where - in those longed-for Before Times - I volunteered a couple of days a week in the resource center. 

So I'm not all that good for business for the Halloween stores to begin with. No $100 Naughty Nurse or Wonder Woman costumes, no elaborate decorations for me. Still, there's obviously a demand for such things. Or used to be. (C.f., Before Times.)

Costume shops, party stores and seasonal pop-ups that rely on Halloween for the bulk of their profits say they’re bracing for a steep drop-off in sales that could tip them into insolvency. Halloween spending is expected to fall 8 percent, to $8.05 billion, with costume sales accounting for much of the decline, according to the National Retail Federation.

With grown-up celebrations — costume parties, block parties and holiday bar crawls — largely on hold this year because of the pandemic, early sales have mostly been confined to lawn decorations and children’s costumes. Shop owners say that shift is impacting their bottom lines: Adult costumes and accessories, which can easily add up to more than $100, typically bring in the majority of their seasonal revenue and profits. (Source: WaPo)

My inner grump wants to say that maybe it's time for the adults to start adulting anyway, and leave Halloween to the kiddos. Then the inner nicer guy takes control and reminds me that, if there's something that gives people joy - even if I'm not one of those folks - and it doesn't hurt anyone, then they should have at it. 

Costume shops around the country are hanging on by their gory, blood-dripping, monster fingertips. If you're a seasonal business, and that season is Halloween, well, you'll be lucky to survive.

Public officials have cautioned Americans against traditional Halloween activities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising families to avoid trick-or-treating, hayrides and fall festivals this year, while Los Angeles County has banned Halloween parties and haunted houses.

Even Airbnb has gotten into the act. They're not doing one-night bookings on October 31st because they don't want to become the venue for protocol-violating parties. 

My sister Trish lives in Salem, Mass. - Witch City - which is pretty much Halloween Central for the country. Starting in September, traffic in and out of Salem is insane. Halloween itself would have been especially crazy this year, given that it falls on a Saturday. Trish used to live near Salem Common, and they'd get hundreds upon hundreds of trick-or-treaters ringing their bell. And the city has businesses that cater to the Halloween trade, and lots of events during the month of October. Not this year. All the public events have been canceled. Trish reports that the tourists are still flocking into her town - many, oddly enough, maskless (which is how those of us in these here parts can spot tourists). So the Salem businesses that rely on October to make their year aren't being totally devastated. Hopefully, the tourists will be leaving cash, not COVID in their wake. 

In response to the pandemic, retailers are coming up with new offerings. Halloween-themed masks like the ones I got on Etsy. Haz-mat suits and some pretty ghastly COVID mask masks. "Bags on a stick so trick-or-treaters can collect candy from an arm’s length away."

Still, it will be tough for the little guys to survive. 

Boo to that!