From what I have seen locally, Halloween shopping was not quite so energetic this year. Stores still looked almost fully stocked today going into the first of two weekends of Halloween parties. This is in contrast to the past few years when I remember seeing half-empty racks and shelves at this point in the season.
Perhaps this reflects a cautious attitude from consumers, but that is not the same as being strapped for cash. I have seen shoppers make multiple impulse purchases, not Halloween-related, on their Halloween shopping visits. Consumers have money to spend but are holding back on Halloween purchases.
