By Nicole Matsen
Students will have sticky fingers this week as the BYU Bookstore cleans up in candy sales.
“We plan a year in advance for the holidays,” said Carole Barber, the candy buyer supervisor for the BYU Bookstore.
While the Bookstore officials are unable to discuss specific amount of candy sales, Barber said the stores sells more candy during holidays than during any other time of the year, and approximately 40 percent of the holiday specialty candy is sold during the week of the holiday.
Candy is hard to avoid during Halloween, said Katie Barrett, 19, a sophomore majoring in early childhood education from Hamburg, Iowa.
“It is just around, candy is given out wherever you go,” Barrett said. “Halloween is kind of an excuse to give away candy. You eat a little bit at a time, but in the end all the candy adds up.”
Ashley Curnow said candy is a major part of Halloween.
“Candy defines the Halloween season,” said Curnow, 21, a sophomore with an open major from Vancouver, Wash. “During Halloween all the specialty candy becomes available. It is the only time when I can get Tootsie Rolls in bulk.”
Curnow also said candy sale prices encourage her to buy her candy early for trick-or-treaters, yet the longer the candy lingers, the more likely it will be consumed by roommates and her.
“You don”t want the candy to go bad for the trick-or-treaters,” Curnow said. “So you eat the candy and figure you can always buy more.”
Cheryl Cox, a BYU Bookstore candy counter clerk said she notices more candy sales during Halloween than any other time.
“Students and faculty buy a lot of the specialty Halloween candy,” said Cheryl Cox, 18, a freshman from Provo, with a special education major.
Cox said the displays of the pre-packaged Halloween candy draw in sales from students.
“Pre-packaged candy is a big seller among students,” Cox said. “Students will buy one to two packages, mostly two.”
However, Jay Glasmann, 23, a senior from Philomath, Ore., majoring in international politics, said he eats more candy only because people always bring it to his apartment.
“I don”t go out and buy any candy during Halloween,” Glasmann said. “If I really want something I will go out and buy it. My opinion of it doesn”t change just because it is Halloween.”
