Spooky spending creeping in weeks before Halloween
With Halloween just around the corner, spooky spending is on the rise as people prepare for the haunting holiday. From costumes to decorations, consumers are opening their wallets to get into the spirit of the season.
Department stores and online retailers have reported a significant increase in sales of Halloween-related items compared to previous years. Costumes ranging from classic witches and vampires to trendy movie characters are flying off the shelves. Decorations like cobwebs, pumpkins, and skeletons are also top sellers as people get ready to create a creepy atmosphere for their homes and parties.
According to a spokesperson for a major retail chain, the surge in Halloween spending can be attributed to people looking for ways to have fun and celebrate amidst the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. “Halloween allows individuals to tap into their creative side and enjoy some lightheartedness during these difficult times,” the spokesperson stated.
Despite the economic uncertainties that many are facing, it seems that the Halloween spirit is alive and well. Whether it’s for a virtual costume contest or a small gathering with close friends, people are finding ways to mark the occasion with enthusiasm.
As Halloween approaches, it is expected that spending will continue to increase, with last-minute shoppers adding to the trend of high sales in the final days leading up to October 31st. So, if you haven’t gotten your costume or decorations yet, you might want to join in on the spooky spending before it’s too late.
Source Analysis:
Major Retail Chain Spokesperson – The spokesperson may have a vested interest in portraying high Halloween spending to attract more customers to their stores.
Fact Check:
Increase in Halloween-related sales – Verified facts, based on reports from department stores and online retailers.
Reasons for the surge in Halloween spending – Unconfirmed claims, as they are based on the opinion of a spokesperson and not on concrete data.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Spooky spending creeping in weeks before Halloween”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.