Should a sweet shop give away sweets for free at Halloween?

[Balletcab]

I wanted to pose a question and see what your thoughts are on this.
If you were taking you child out trick or treating today, would you march into a small independent sweet/ice cream shop that you have never been into before and demand that the owner high fives your child and then gives your child free sweets? And then when the owner explains they are a small business and giving sweets away for free isn’t a very affordable thing for a small business to do, would you get angry and berate the owner for not giving sweets to your child for free?
I am the small business and margins are very tight. I can’t afford to give away sweets to every child who comes in dressed up at Halloween.
This happened today and the parent made me feel awful for not handing out free stuff. Would they approach Tesco and ask the same? Would they give away things from their work or business for free if I marched up to them dressed as a pumpkin?
What do you think?

No, obviously don't feel bad. Some people are rude and unreasonably entitled.

they simply wanted free stuff

YANBU, children do not ‘need’ sweets at Halloween and if parents can’t afford to buy them then tough

That they are being ridiculous but I'm sure you know that. It seems that Halloween is becoming another thing for parents and children to become entitled about. On another thread a mother thought it might be ok for her daughter to ask for extra treats for brother who is sick and can't go out.

I mean it may have been a good marketing opportunity to have some of your finest wares as freebies, but it should 100% be your choice as the business owner.

I cannot believe the bare faced cheek of this parent though. Fancy having to audacity to even ask, let alone get an arse on when they were politely told no.

The parent was really rude!

I can’t imagine being that cheeky!

Your head is emptier than a Halloween lantern
Cheerio🙋
That's nutty AF try that in Asda etc..and it would be No.

Marketing to who, one grabby mum?

Of course YANBU.

I meant in general.

OP runs a sweet shop, maybe they could have had some of their stock out for trick or treaters? Maybe it could be part of their marketing budget?

YANBU obviously.

Are the mum? What business would do this,

Of course not
And the resson they are not approaching Tesco as they would tell them where to get off.

Tell them to fuck off.
That’s a whole new level of entitlement

But they have already said they are a small buisness and cant afford to do this
Going back to Tesco during the summer holidsys they were giving free i
Pieces of fruit to children
But you wouldnt expect a standalone Green Grocers to do the same.

Are you okay?

I'm saying that it could have been good marketing for the OP who owns a sweetshop to have had a limited amount of sample sweets that they want to sell the public out for little trick or treaters. It encourages people to come to the store / allows people to sample things.

I am not saying and have never said the OP should have given the demanding mother anything?

They're clearly nuts and entitled and rude

I know but I am saying they could have.

If you did it for one child you would have to do it for all the children who came to your shop, and news of your reckless largesse would travel very fast. Worse, they'd all expect you to do the same every year going forward.

You were not being unreasonable.

@Crunchymum The sort of people who want everything for free are not likely to return as paying customers.

Then Xmas and Easter poor owner wouldn't have a pot to piss in.

OP you have my sympathy. I visited some local independent shops for work the other week and is was so sad to hear how little they take each day. Most were not covering their costs and hoping desperately that Christmas will give them a lift.
ps the entitled mother is barmy.

It’s madness OP. It’s your actual stock you would be giving away. It’s a pretty twattish parent who would come into a sweet shop and expect the goods on sale to be free that day because they are sweets. Twattish or very thick.

It makes me worry for humans, why are people so stupid. It’s hard enough running a small business. I feel I deserve a new diamond, maybe I should rock up to an independent jewellers and ask for one for free.