Hasta La Creative!

Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to batter 18 states with wind, rain and even snow, may extinguish Halloween plans for millions of consumers, but she has arrived too late to hurt retail sales for Halloween.

The National Retail Federation predicted Halloween spending would reach $8 billion, with the average person doling out about $80 on decorations, costumes and candy. A record seven in 10 Americans reported that they plan to participate in Halloween activities. While the storm could affect the number of children celebrating the holiday on Wednesday, the vast majority of retail sales have already taken place, said Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the NRF.

“Even with last-minute shoppers, the majority of shoppers likely shopped this weekend before the storm was around,” Ms. Grannis said. “It will likely have an impact on small retailers who are specifically in the business of Halloween . . . and bars and restaurants who were planning Halloween events. If they don’t have locations across the country, they’ll likely feel the pinch. For large retailers and chain stores, this is not going to impact their bottom line.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com