How early is too early? It’s still the heart of summertime, yet many Iowa grocery stores are already offering spooky Halloween decorations and big bags of trick-or-treat candy. Some stores had the orange-and-black boxes of sweets on display in July. Professor Peggy Stover, who directs the University of Iowa’s Marketing Institute and spent 25 years in the grocery industry, says stores are looking for any angle they can find to scare up profits.
Back-to-school sales started at some Iowa retailers in June, and Stover says she wouldn’t be too surprised if we saw Christmas ornaments appear on the shelves soon.
Some Iowans might buy Christmas gifts early and hide them until December, but Stover says nobody’s buying Halloween candy in mid-August who’s intent on saving it until late October.
Consumers may be mystified when they run across holiday items so far out of context, but she doubts few would actually file a complaint with the manager, not that it would likely have much impact — or would it?
She says the best way for Iowans to send a message about Halloween in summer sales is to resist buying the products.
