Make a killing

Ensure your Halloween offer is on point and you’ll leave your customers spellbound.

By Sarah Britton

Spooky season has certainly got its claws into UK consumers, with a fifth now counting Halloween as their favourite annual holiday, a 2023 study from immersive attractions owners, The Dungeons, has revealed.

Indeed, Halloween has turned into an absolute monster of an event in recent years, topping £1bn spend in 2023 [Mintel Halloween and Bonfire Night Market Report 2023].

Just less than half (47%) of Scots were planning to spend on last Halloween, according to a survey from comparison platform Finder.com. The average planned Halloween spend per Brit was £36 per person, the research revealed. However, Gen Z were planning to spend an average of £46 each, while Millennials were planning to spend an average of £41 each.

Mintel agrees that younger generations are spending more. “A record Halloween and Bonfire Night in 2023 was driven by younger shoppers who were happy to use both events as an excuse to socialise and treat themselves,” says Mintel Retail Analyst Emily Viberg.

The firm advises retailers to leverage the emotional connection younger shoppers have with both events by invoking positive memories with nostalgic products.

What’s more, it highlights that awareness of the throwaway nature of many products during Halloween provides an opportunity for retailers and brands to engage with consumers who are concerned about the environmental impact and are looking for more sustainable options.

Sustainability is a key focus for Perfetti Van Melle. “For shoppers, Fruit-tella and Chupa Chups are now synonymous with Halloween and as such this period is one of the most important in the calendar year,” claims Perfetti Van Melle Trade Marketing Controller Derek Baker. “Both brands are undergoing developments to ensure they are as sustainable as possible with regards to packaging, and there is a broad range of SKUs that appeal to all shoppers.

“Fruit-tella and Chupa Chups can assist retailers make the most of the Halloween occasion as both brands offer portionable and wrapped SKUs, perfect for trick or treating bowls.”

The company also has some frightfully fun ‘The Creeps’ POS.

“Creating an eye-catching Halloween display plays a significant role in driving seasonal sales,” says Gemma Allanson, National Field Sales Manager at World of Sweets. “Grouping together all your Halloween lines into one big, attractive display provides optimum visibility and easier in-store navigation. Impulse-buy products can be placed near tills to encourage unplanned purchases.”

The company’s seasonal POS makes it even easier to create a fangtastic display. “We’re offering great seasonal merchandising solutions that capture the attention of shoppers within a busy retail environment,” Allanson adds. “Shelf edge strips are a popular and low-cost option and Bonds of London offers beautifully designed, colourful Halloween 1m shelf edge labels.”