Halloween is expected to look different across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, with health officials advising against traditional trick-or-treating.
Lowe’s is among other retailers engaging with Halloween consumers in new ways this year. The holiday is going to be different for many companies, including Party City, where Halloween accounts for around 20% of its domestic sales.
But some national chains, including Lowe’s, plan to offer alternatives.
The home improvement retailer announced Monday it will have “drive-through curbside trick-or-treating” at Lowe’s stores nationwide Oct. 22 and 29 from 6 to 7 p.m. where families “can drive up to receive candy and a small pumpkin at no cost to take home.”
Space is limited, but starting Saturday, Oct. 10, families can reserve a spot for the early Halloween events at Lowes.com/DIY, Lowe’s said in a news release, adding costumes are encouraged but not required.
“We know that customers still want to celebrate Halloween, even if the holiday may look different for us this year,” Joe McFarland, Lowe’s executive vice president of stores, said in the release. “While the pandemic has changed many elements of everyday life, the tradition of trick-or-treating doesn’t have to be one of them.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is suggesting lower-risk activities such as Halloween-themed scavenger hunts at home or placing pre-filled treat bags at the end of driveways for kids to pick up.
Among the riskiest Halloween activities when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19 are door-to-door trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treating – “where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots” – and indoor parties or haunted houses, the CDC says.
