Retailers pushing Halloween in September

APPLETON - With kids barely back to school, rulers are making way for reapers, as glue sticks give way to ghouls.

Though its more than 50 days away, retailers are already pushing Halloween.

"We're thinking about Halloween all year and a lot of our customers are thinking of halloween all year, cause they're decorating their front yards, they're having some big parties," Todd Cloutier with Halloween Express said.

Cloutier says it's the third largest party day of the year, behind the Superbowl and New Years. That means big business for stores.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers spent $4.75 billion on Halloween last year. On average, $56 per family.

It falls behind Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentines, Easter and Father's Day however, because shoppers don't usually buy big ticket items.

Retailers say people spend on costumes and decorations, but candy is the real money maker for Halloween.

Just ask Dennis Bucholtz of Weyauwega and his son.

"We do a lot of candy and take him out trick or treating and all the neighbor kids," Bucholtz said as he browsed store aisles.

But shops aren't the only ones rushing the season, area haunted houses have been prepping since summer.

"It's never too early," YouthGo Executive Director Kelly Hicks said. "They're ready as soon as haunted house ends, they're already talking about ideas for next year."

The haunted halls going up in Neenah, will support programming for the youth center's middle and high schoolers. Leaders of the non-profit say it's crunch time for their biggest fundraiser.

"Really there is so much that has to get done, that it's pretty much go time.," Hicks said.

Spooky or not, Halloween preparations aren't limited to October.

YouthGo's haunted house is open the last four weekends in October.  Tickets benefit the organization and are $10.