Halloween spending expected to reach $13.5 billion

Halloween has become a major retail season, with U.S. spending forecast at $13.5 billion as consumers buy decorations, costumes and candy and retailers host events to draw shoppers. Communities are also marking the holiday with in-person festivities: a Tyler bookstore is holding an evening of local vendors, costume photos and spooky activities, while a Massachusetts trick-or-treat event at the Basketball Hall of Fame handed out more than 30,000 pieces of candy. In Petersfield, England, a bookshop’s expanded Halloween walk is raising money for two charities, with organizers adding a night and extending the route after strong interest last year.