Halloween: Most Canadians Buy Candy They Would Eat Themselves

Trick-or-treat yourself.

A new poll has found that most Canadians shopping for Halloween candy this year will look for treats they would eat themselves before considering the price.

Researchers at Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analysis Lab surveyed more than 5,000 Canadians and found that 62% of respondents chose candies they themselves would also enjoy. While 52% said they consider the cost of sweets before purchasing.

Provinces west of Quebec indicated that the sweets they really like to eat are the most important criteria when shopping. Those east of Ontario would consider the cost of candy first, with 75% of Newfoundlanders, 59% of Nova Scotians, 58% of Prince Edward Island, 57 % from New Brunswick and 52% from Quebec.

Most Canadians said they prefer to shop at big-box stores like Walmart and Costco, with discount groceries being the third preferred option. Additionally, 67% of respondents said they ate their leftover Halloween candy.

Sylvain Charlebois, director of the agri-food analysis laboratory, says that although food prices have been high in recent months, most Canadians seem optimistic about the holidays ahead, as this is the first year that many have been allowed to celebrate Halloween since the pandemic.

« It’s a unique year because it’s the first weekday Halloween in three years and of course it’s the first Halloween with little to no public health restrictions, » Charlebois told CTVNews.ca during a telephone interview on Tuesday. “It will be interesting to see exactly how many kids come out on tricks or treats, but based on our results, the expectations are pretty high,” he said.

Since 2020, Canadians say they have seen an increase in the number of treatments or treatments as pandemic restrictions have been lifted. In total, 32% of respondents say they expect to see 11 to 30 trick-or-treaters and 31% expect 31 to 75 trick-or-treaters.

Similar reports have revealed that most Canadians will spend the same amount or more on their Halloween candy this year. A report from HelloSafe says Canadians are likely to spend an average of $22.40 on treats, an estimated $486 million nationwide during the month of October. The Retail Council of Canada also reported that 86% of Canadians plan to spend the same or more this year on Halloween festivities, with the average spending a total of $50.

« I don’t think people are too concerned about pricing, » Charlebois told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Tuesday. « If most consumers are driven by the fact that they’d rather buy something they’ll eat themselves, they’re probably looking forward to a very quiet Halloween so they can eat the candy they just bought. »

While supply chain issues were a concern for some retailers earlier in the month, Charlebois says Canadians shouldn’t worry about not finding candy or costumes in time for the big day.

“If you are looking for candy on October 31, there will probably be candy waiting for you at the store. Maybe you’ll have fewer choices, but I don’t think we’re really going to see a shortage of candy.