A charity shop in New Hamburg wants to make Halloween a little more affordable, especially as the cost of living continues to climb. A good price point is key at the Mennonite Central Committee’s New Hamburg thrift center. “We work really hard to keep the pricing down, particularly on kids’ items,” said general manager Mark Patfield. “We want kids and families to have a really great holiday season, whether that’s Halloween or Christmas, and we want to make sure that everybody gets that opportunity to participate.” According to one retail analyst, Halloween is catching up to Christmas when it comes to spending. “[Halloween is] about a $1.6-billion industry in Canada,” Bruce Winder told CTV News. “The average Canadian household will spend about $70 on Halloween.” Shoppers seem to appreciate the bargain buys at the MCC’s thrift shop. “I always stop here first before I go to the store because I know all the money goes back to a good cause, and it keeps things out of the landfill, and it’s usually more cost effective too,” explained one. Renae, a volunteer at the MCC, said shopping for second-hand goods is the best way to make the holiday more inclusive. “It’s nice that the kids can come in and they get so excited. The accessories are $1, $2, $3, because we really just want people to have fun with Halloween.” Since the MCC accepts donations all year long, the merchandise is always changing. Staff said shoppers should circle back in a few times to make sure they’re not missing the good stuff. “There’s always something new coming out,” said Patfield. “Between now, all the way through Christmas itself, we’ll have new inventory.” While browsing the racks, you might even be able to cross off some of the names on your Christmas shopping list.
