More trick than treat for retailers this Halloween

Retailers in the US are prepared for a weak Halloween this

year, as a recent survey by the National Retail Federation unveiled that nearly 9 in 10 consumers plan to spend less on candy, costumes and decorations this Halloween season compared with last year.

Total spending on the holiday is expected to reach the 6.9 billion dollars nationwide this year, behind last year's average spend per person of 79.82 dollars.

"Halloween is one of the most popular holidays of the year, and while we are expecting people to cut back on their spending a bit this Halloween, there's no sense it will be a bust," said Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation.

For retailers, Halloween is a key floating line between back-to-school and Christmas shopping seasons.

"Unemployment has improved, but not at a solid rate that we would normally see when a recession ends. Consumer confidence has trended downward, so it's a slow improvement," said George John, associate dean and marketing professor at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.

"Sales for big retailers year-over-year are negative or marginally positive," John added.