Halloween Shopping

Market Overview

According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey, consumer spending on Halloween-related items is expected to reach an all-time high of $10.14 billion, up from $8.05 billion in 2020. The study revealed more than half Americans (65%) intend to celebrate Halloween or participate in Halloween activities this season. This is up from 58% in 2020 and comparable to the 68% in during 2019. Not surprising, households with children are much more likely to celebrate Halloween (82%) than those without (55%).

Consumers are planning to celebrate the holiday in a number of ways including handing out candy (66%), decorating their home or yard (52%), dressing in costumes (46%), carving a pumpkin (44%), and hosting or attending a party (25%).  In-store shopping continues to be strong this Halloween season with 71% of consumers planning to visit a brick-and-mortar location. Discount Stores (40%) are the number one location of choice, followed by Specialty Halloween/Customer Stores (35%), and Supermarkets (26%).[i]

Shopper Insights

According to the Inmar Intelligence, 2021 Halloween Trends Guide, consumers are planning to spend an average of $92.12 on Halloween supplies this year. While October is still the key month for shopping for supplies, 34% of women and 40% of men plan to shop prior to October, with some people beginning as early as August.[ii]

Merchandising Strategies

Online inspiration leads the way this holiday season as holiday plans this year will vary from a night out to an evening in with a scary movie. Marketers have the opportunities to reach all audiences with the right message across social channels activated with the right timing. Marketers should link online campaign messaging with in-store merchandising. To drive purchases of Halloween essentials, campaigns should begin to activate in August, when searches are beginning to climb, and sales will follow with an increase through the fall.

 Here are three ways to reach shoppers this holiday season.[iii]

Movie Night

  • Use movie themes and TV shows as a key part of messaging to create a cult following for the brand as big as the cult following for holiday movies and TV.
  • 31% of the Halloween movie conversation comes from 25-34 year-olds. Target this group with messaging for a spooky night in.

Killer Cocktails

  • Searches for Halloween Cocktails and Spooky drinks are near 379k across social channels every year and begin rising in September as consumers prepare for the occasion.
  • Seasonal flavors inspire the name, taste and appearance of killer cocktails and each year the trending flavor takes Pumpkin Spice’s place. This year there is a 4.5% growth for Honey, providing the warm, natural flavor consumers crave in their seasonal drinks.
  • 59.7% of consumers became at- home mixologists with stay-at-home orders during Covid-19. These skills will come in handy again as consumers mix it up this holiday season. Help shoppers create those creepy concoctions by merchandising specialty drinks ingredients together.

Trick or Treat without the Sweets

  • Slime has been mentioned over 57K times as a Halloween treat. Capitalize on the trend by merchandising products for a DIY or buy pre-made slime in seasonal colors.
  • Safety is one of the trending topics with over 145k mentions during October and one way to stay safe and well illuminated while out on a spooky night is with glow sticks. Promote packages of glow sticks in the Halloween aisle to keep them top of mind.
  • With savings and promotion being one of the top priorities of Halloween shoppers, they will be shopping the local dollar stores. Merchandise small erasers, pencils, and playdough together to help shoppers create customized trick or treat goody bags.

Finally, reaching shoppers this Halloween season is easy with visually appealing displays and signage. As demand for precious display space grows, so do expectations for performance. There are many benefits to using displays.

1) Provides Additional Advertising

Not only are POP Displays attention-grabbing, but they are a cost-effective way to provide additional product information and advertise your brand.

2) Strategically Locate Your Products

POP Displays allow for better in-store visibility, enabling brands to place products where they will get noticed the most.

3) Stand Out from Competitors

POP Displays can provide an advantage in a highly competitive category or retail space.

4) Target Impulse Buyers

In-store purchases are often unplanned, meaning that effective point of purchase marketing can have a profound effect on your sales. POP Displays excel at targeting impulse buyers.

Sources:
[i] NRF. Retail Holiday and Seasonal Trends: Halloween. https://nrf.com/topics/holiday-and-seasonal-trends/halloween
[ii] Inmar Intelligence. 2021 Halloween Treat Guide. www.inmar.com/blog/thought-leadership/not-so-scary-2021-halloween-insights-guide
[iii] Inmar Intelligence. 2021 Halloween Treat Guide. www.inmar.com/blog/thought-leadership/not-so-scary-2021-halloween-insights-guide