• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

2

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

3

China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation

1

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

2

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

3

China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
RetailHome Depot

Home Depot Just Pulled This Unsettling Halloween Decoration From Its Stores

By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 28, 2016, 10:04 AM ET
Photograph From Home Depot
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This story has been updated to reflect comment from Scary Peeper.

The “Scary Creeper Peeper” Halloween decoration sold at Home Depot was a bit too realistic for one woman in the Toronto area.

The Halloween window decoration, which is meant to represent a “peeping Tom,” is “perfect for scaring friends and family during Halloween or any other time of the year,” according to its description on Home Depot’s website.

The decoration has suction cups for mounting on a window, and costs $29. It features a creepy looking, hooded man peering through a window with furrowed brows, and a full-sized head, face, and hands. The decoration is meant to look realistic.

But after Breanne Hunt-Wells spotted the Scary Creeper Peeper decoration in a Home Depot in Markham, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto, she told CBC News that she felt the decoration “makes light of predatory behavior against women.”

Hunt-Wells, who is a mother of two, told CBC that she feels the decoration downplays the severity of voyeurism, which can often lead to sexual assault or rape. She also said that she “failed to see the humor” in the decoration.

“It makes light of a very serious crime,” she said. “Voyeurism is a crime in Canada.”

After the issue was brought to Home Depot’s (HD) attention, the home improvement giant agreed the decor was inappropriate and subsequently removed it from its stores in Canada.

 

“We agree that this is not in line with our core values, and when we heard, took immediate action and are currently in the process of removing this product from our assortment,” a Home Depot spokesperson first told CBC. “We’ve reached out to advise the customer of our actions and apologize. We’re sorry for any offense that was caused.”

Scary Peeper, a company based in North Carolina that created the decorations, reached out to Hunt-Wells to apologize, according to a press release.

“We at Scary Peeper would never, ever, condone any type of violence,” the owners told Fortune in a prepared statement. “Our intention for this product is for it to be used as a fun-spirited prank. We offer our sincerest apologies to anyone who has been offended by our products, and certainly, to those who have been victimized by voyeurs.”

According to the Washington Post, the product is to remain in U.S. stores as well as being offered online.

“I would say to people that say ‘it’s just a joke’ there are a lot of things in our society that have been just a joke over time,” Hunt-Wells said. “Racial jokes, cultural jokes. It takes some talking and thinking to realize that maybe we need to be more sensitive. The people that commit this crime are not harmless people.”

Fortune has reached out to Home Depot and will update the story if it responds.

About the Author
By Madeline Farber
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

Chinese tea chain’s $1.5 million trademark infringement loss to Louis Vuitton sparks fight over who owns a flower pattern
AsiaChina
Chinese tea chain’s $1.5 million trademark infringement loss to Louis Vuitton sparks fight over who owns a flower pattern
By The Associated Press and Chan Ho-HimJuly 7, 2026
11 hours ago
Swimmer bitten in suspected shark attack at Jones Beach, prompting brief closure as the U.S. battles record-breaking heat
North AmericaNew York
Swimmer bitten in suspected shark attack at Jones Beach, prompting brief closure as the U.S. battles record-breaking heat
By The Associated PressJuly 7, 2026
11 hours ago
‘Sometimes you get along with the toughest people’: Trump moves to lift Turkey sanctions, clearing the country’s path back to F-35s
PoliticsNATO
‘Sometimes you get along with the toughest people’: Trump moves to lift Turkey sanctions, clearing the country’s path back to F-35s
By The Associated Press, Lorne Cook, Suzan Fraser, Abby Sewell and Seung Min KimJuly 7, 2026
11 hours ago
Landline phone orders spiked 277% this summer. Blame your smartphone bill
Retailsmartphones and mobile devices
Landline phone orders spiked 277% this summer. Blame your smartphone bill
By Vidhi Choudhary and Retail BrewJuly 7, 2026
12 hours ago
Trump said Walmart cut prices at his request, but the company didn’t credit the president in its decision as Trump fights off inflation backlash
RetailDonald Trump
Trump said Walmart cut prices at his request, but the company didn’t credit the president in its decision as Trump fights off inflation backlash
By The Associated Press and Josh BoakJuly 7, 2026
13 hours ago
heat
Commentaryclimate change
McKinsey Global Institute: Climate planning has prioritized floods. Heat demands equal attention
By Sylvain Johansson, Mekala Krishnan, Kanmani Chockalingam and Annabel FarrJuly 7, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
1 day ago
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
3 days ago
China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
Asia
China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
By Nicholas GordonJuly 7, 2026
19 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 6, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 6, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 6, 2026
2 days ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
4 days ago
The man who ran Bernie's campaign says Democrats are still making the same mistakes with Democratic Socialists, and they should laud Mamdani's win
Politics
The man who ran Bernie's campaign says Democrats are still making the same mistakes with Democratic Socialists, and they should laud Mamdani's win
By Catherina GioinoJuly 6, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.