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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: You’ve probably spent money on costumes for your children and candy for the trick -or-treaters. Halloween sales add up to $5 billion for the nation’s retailers, but Rachel Dornhelm says not all the sweet stuff is being eaten by kids.

RACHEL DORNHELM: Even if you bypass the costumes and lawn decor, you’ve still got to have something on hand tonight when . . .

[ Doorbell ding-dong ]

The National Retail Federation’s Ellen Davis says despite trends towards healthier treats, 95 percent of Americans bought Halloween candy this year.

ELLEN DAVIS: More people are buying candy and they are spending more on candy, but at the same time fewer people plan on handing out candy to trick-or-treaters so you kind of wonder where all that candy is going.

Still candy alone doesn’t account for the $1.5 billion dollar surge in holiday sales expected this year.

Davis says that’s largely from Halloween growing up. 85 percent of 18-to-24 year olds say they’ll celebrate this year and they have the bucks to back it up.

I’m Rachel Dornhelm for Marketplace.