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Economy spooks Halloween haunt

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 13, 2009

TAMPA - Witches and vampires will continue to roam the streets this Halloween, but the down economy is expected to spook consumers into spending less for the haunting holiday.

The National Retail Federation recently released results from its 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, which showed total Halloween spending is expected to fall 18 percent to $4.8 billion, down from $5.8 billion last year.

The number of adults planning to dress up is expected to drop slightly from 35 percent last year to 33 percent this year.
Witches and vampires top the list for adult costumes this year, likely sparked by the "Twilight" books and the "True Blood" HBO series.

Princess, witch and Spider-Man costumes top the list for children this season.

Customers can find the most popular costumes in a range of prices at local retailers. For example, the starting price for a witch is $9.99 at Walmart and can go up depending on the type of costume and added accessories.
Michele Sager

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