I went Halloween shopping at Walmart and Target. Walmart's smaller seasonal section won me over with lower prices.
Talia Lakritz
- I went shopping at Target and Walmart stores in New Jersey to compare their Halloween sections.
- Walmart's Halloween section was smaller than Target's, but most of its prices were lower.
My first stop for Halloween shopping was a Walmart store in Garfield, New Jersey.
The Walmart I visited was a Supercenter, meaning it has a full-size supermarket and other offerings like a vision center.
I immediately spotted large bins of pumpkins out front, which seemed promising.
The regular pumpkins retailed for $5.48 each. Decorative gourds ranged from $2.98 to $6.48 depending on the size and type.
Upon walking inside, I was greeted with an assortment of spooky cookies and cupcakes.
A 12-pack of mini cupcakes cost $2.97.
It took a few minutes of wandering through the store for me to find the aisles dedicated exclusively to Halloween.
The Halloween section consisted of three aisles of costumes, makeup, decor, and baking supplies, plus a separate corner of candy. All of the Halloween items were located near the checkout counters and exit, so I didn't notice them when I first walked in.
There, I found a pumpkin carving kit with all of the necessary tools to create a jack-o'-lantern.
The kit contained carving tools as well as stencils to create the pumpkin's face.
A variety pack of 125 mini candy bars cost $10.98 at Walmart — around 8.8 cents per piece of candy.
Walmart had seemingly endless configurations of assorted candies. Twix, Milky Way, and 3 Musketeers are among my personal favorites.
I was also impressed by the wide selection of baking supplies.
Half of an entire aisle was dedicated to cookie decorating kits, Halloween-themed sprinkles, and fun embellishments like edible eyeball gummies.
I found everything I'd need to throw a Halloween party, including spooky table settings and jack-o'-lantern garlands.
A pack of 10 dessert plates printed with cartoon vampires and ghosts sold for 99 cents, and 30 plates cost $2.62.
Walmart also stocked decorative Halloween wreaths and centerpieces.
I particularly loved the rainbow pumpkin wreath for its more colorful take on the classic black-and-orange Halloween decor.
What I found most impressive about Walmart's Halloween section was its wide array of costumes.
The Halloween section offered dozens of wig and mask options.
I've never seen so much costume makeup and hair dye in one place.
It seemed like anything you might need to complete a Halloween transformation was available there. The prices were reasonable as well. Most items cost between two and five dollars, with the larger makeup kits selling for eight dollars.
Most of the costumes Walmart stocked were for children, but there were also some adult and group costumes.
The costume choices included whimsical options like mermaids as well as the murderous clown from Stephen King's "It." I chuckled when I came across a chips and salsa couples costume.
I was surprised to find that the Christmas section was already bigger than the Halloween area, even though I visited in the first week of October.
Walmart's lawn and garden section already featured Christmas trees and strings of lights.
Next, I went to Target in the nearby town of Clifton, New Jersey.
Unlike Walmart, there were no pumpkins out in front of the store.
Pumpkin and fall-themed treats were on display at the store's entrance.
I recognized the boxes of Libby's pumpkin bread mix that I taste tested last year.
Target's Halloween cookies ranged from $3.99 to $4.99 — more expensive than Walmart's.
Walmart's package of 10 sugar cookies cost $2.97. Target's package of 10 similarly-sized sugar cookies cost $4.49.
I also came across a bin of pumpkins in the store's grocery section.
Regular pumpkins at Target were priced at $5.99, which was a little more expensive than the $5.48 pumpkins at Walmart.
Though the Halloween section was towards the back of the store, it was easy to spot.
An inflatable arch reading "Welcome mortals" framed a singing animatronic skeleton holding a ukulele. It was hard to miss.
Target's Halloween section was much bigger than the Walmart's I visited, spanning eight aisles.
The Halloween area was divided into two sections, costumes and treats, each with their own sign hanging from the ceiling.
Target's variety packs of candy were slightly more expensive than Walmart — 135 mini candy bars cost $14.99.
Target's candy variety pack cost around 11 cents per piece, as opposed to Walmart's 8.8 cents per piece.
Like Walmart, Target also sold a pumpkin carving tool set.
Target's pumpkin carving set was 18 cents cheaper than Walmart's.
Target didn't have as much Halloween makeup as Walmart did, but it had all of the basics.
Target also didn't have as many masks or wigs as Walmart.
Same with the costumes. Target had a good selection, but not as many as I saw at Walmart.
Both stores carried many Marvel character costumes.
Target did have more Halloween party supplies, though they were a bit more expensive than the items I saw at Walmart.
At Walmart, a pack of 10 paper Halloween dessert plates cost 99 cents. At Target, 20 Halloween plates retailed for the steeper price of three dollars.
I loved that Target stocked a line of housewares for Día de Muertos (The Day of the Dead) created by Mexican illustrator Flavia Zoriilla Drago.
Día de Muertos is a Mexican celebration of the deceased that begins at midnight on October 31 and lasts until November 2.
Overall, I preferred Walmart's lower prices and larger selections of costume and baking supplies, but I liked Target's Halloween decor better.
Even though Target's Halloween section was double the size of Walmart's, Walmart's low prices won me over. I also thought that Walmart's baking and costume supplies were more extensive than Target's.
I did prefer Target's more unique Halloween decor, and the inflatable displays made for a more user-friendly and festive shopping experience.
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