Halloween is practically a summer activity over the last few years, as retailers, brands, and consumers begin their seasonal activity as early as August for candy, costumes, decorations, and other eerily themed products long before the leaves change color.
This phenomenon of the "Halloween Shopping Season" starting earlier and earlier is not just a figment of retailers’ and shoppers' imaginations. It's a cycle: a complex web of consumer behavior drives competitive pressure, which retailers and marketers respond to with calculated moves that feed into and amplify broader holiday shopping trends; the cycle continues and grows.
One might say there’s a snowball effect … but wouldn’t that be ahead of season? Not anymore, it seems.
Data from Attain’s newest report on Halloween consumer spending finds that 42% of consumers plan to start purchasing Halloween items before October even begins. This early-bird approach is not lost on retailers and marketers. Allen Adamson, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Metaforce, explains the rationale on retailers’ and brands’ part by noting how much more intense competitive pressures are. By opening up a constrained period in the lead up to Oct. 31, retailers and consumers release some of that tension.
Besides, as long as consumers are willing to buy Halloween goods, retailers and brands are more than willing to satisfy that need. “There are only so many consumers, and the early bird sometimes gets the worm." Adamson says. He points out that being first in line when people decide it's time to get their Halloween costumes can be crucial for retailers.
The earlier start to Halloween shopping isn't happening in isolation. Adamson describes a "domino effect" where the shifts that push earlier holidays days ahead on the calendar, create pressure to move the other later holidays ahead as well. "Since Christmas used to start on Black Friday but now can start much earlier, and Thanksgiving starts earlier now, it's putting pressure on Halloween to get out of the fall and get in the summer," Adamson says.
This sentiment is echoed by Anna Rice, AMD Research Strategy at buying and planning agency True Media. "Christmas shopping follows a similar trend as we see 50% of consumers complete their holiday purchase within September and October,” Rice says.
While Attain data confirms that a sizable amount of consumers have started their Halloweeen shopping earlier than ever, Attain’s survey also shows that 50% intend to spend less this year due to rising costs. Still, 35% plan to maintain their spending levels, while 15% expect to spend more this season.
Big-box retailers are the top destination for Halloween shoppers, with 34% planning to make purchases there. Overall, consumers plan to spend an average of $50 per transaction at big boxes across five different shopping trips during the season, resulting in an average total spend of $250.
Online retailers, while seeing slightly lower per-transaction amounts at $34, benefit from high purchase frequency (4 times), leading to an average total spend of $135. Party supply and craft stores, despite lower frequency (1.5 times) and average transaction amounts ($33), still capture a notable $52 in average total spend.
When it comes to candy preferences, some consumer habits are less time-dependent. For example, chocolate reigns supreme from the start through the end of the season. Over half (52%) of the people in Attain’s survey opt for chocolate bars. Gummy and chewy candies are the second most popular choice at 24%, followed by hard candies at 14%.
Among chocolate brands, Reese's dominates with 32% of transactions, followed by Hershey's at 21%. Snickers, Kit Kat, and M&M's round out the top five. In the gummy and chewy category, Haribo and Skittles tie for the lead at 17% each, closely followed by Sour Patch (15%), Nerds (14%), and Airheads (10%).
The typical Halloween candy buyer profile skews heavily female, with women making up 72% of purchasers, Attain’s numbers say.
The largest age group is 35-54 years old, accounting for 43% of buyers. Interestingly, Halloween candy purchasing appears to be a universal indulgence across income brackets, with an almost even distribution among household incomes: 32% earning $50,000 or less, 35% in the $50,000-$100,000 range, and 32% earning over $100,000.
Still, if there’s one overarching feature that influences all Halloween shopping, it’s social media.
Kelly Fisher, SVP Strategy and Rice’s colleague at True Media, points to the role of consumer behavior and social media in driving these early-bird marketing and shopping tendencies:
"An earlier Halloween shopping [window]still remains to be a trend as consumers get a start ahead of the holiday season,” Fisher says. “Although we see heavy inflation and consumers being more selective with discretionary spending, they continue to splurge on holiday-related expenses."
Fisher also notes the influence of social media: "Pair that with an influx of Fall-related content across social platforms after 'back to school' fades away, we're seeing that demand for early Halloween shopping."
Still, extending the shopping season might seem like a win-win for retailers and eager consumers, Adamson warns of potential backlash. "If Thanksgiving gets earlier, not that big a deal, Christmas is sort of expected. But I think the result is that Halloween gets pushed into summer and that's sort of like a red line," Adamson says.
He further cautions that seeing Halloween merchandise while still in summer mode "can make the brand look a little desperate to try to get sales."
“As the Halloween shopping season continues to creep earlier, retailers and marketers will need to balance the desire to capture early sales with the risk of consumer fatigue,” Adamson says. “The key may lie in developing marketing strategies that build anticipation without feeling out of place or premature.”
