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Halloween could be haunted by supply chain shortages

Experts say Halloween costumes, candy and decorations are loaded up at U.S. ports, but a shortage of truck drivers means they may not get to stores in time.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Halloween is quickly creeping up, and even though there's a whole month before the spookiest night of the year, experts say the scariest thing you'll see might be empty shelves in stores. 

Halloween's just over a month away and you might be thinking there's plenty of time. Experts say this is the year to plan your perfect costume far in advance. 

Could the holiday be haunted by shortage? 

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SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES

Halloween supplies and decorations are being impacted by the same supply chain issues we've seen for months. All the decorations, candy and costumes are loaded up at ports around the U.S. but there simply aren't enough truck drivers to deliver them to stores. 

HARD TO FIND IN STORES

That backlog means some popular items may be hard to find. An executive with Spirit Halloween said they expected to be fully stocked by Oct. 31, but in the meantime, there could be delays. 

The products that are hardest to find right now are decorations. Spirit says anything animatronic goes almost immediately and there won't be many chances to restock this year. 

And at Home Depot, yard decorations have been selling out since August, meaning your dreams of scaring trick-or-treaters with a 12-foot skeleton may have to wait until next Halloween. 

Contact Ben Thompson at bthompson@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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