Right behind the Holiday season, Halloween is the second-biggest retail event of the year in the United States, and this year, key performance indicators are pointing to a big comeback.
All Hail the Return of Spooky Season!
According to the National Retail Federation, participation in Halloween-related activities will return to pre-pandemic levels, with 69% of consumers planning to celebrate the holiday this year, up from 65% in 2021 and comparable to 68% in 2019.
With that being said, it’s more important than ever for marketers to recapture their share of the market. To be successful, marketers will need to deploy a multichannel, targeted strategy that can help swiftly respond to consumer shopping needs in real-time.
Here are some important consumer buying insights that can help you and your marketing team have a successful Halloween season.
Halloween Shoppers will be shopping for sweet deals this season
According to PayPal data, the cost of Halloween sweets are increasing and inflation is to blame.
The cost of Halloween sweets will rise a whopping 34% compared to last year, but that won’t be stopping candy buyers. They will just be working harder to find the best deals.
Higher prices aren’t detering trick or treaters from buying, but rather reconsidering the candy brands they normally purchase. With rising costs, brands can expect to win this year.
U.S. consumers spend significant sums of money celebrating the Halloween season. Year over year, most of the spending goes towards costumes, home décor, and candy. Traditionally, spending on decorations takes the lead, and candy and costume purchases not far behind.
October is the right time to do Halloween marketing
When is the right timing to kick-off your marketing campaigns? With continued supply chain issues and rising prices, starting your marketing now and promoting deals can help drive sales earlier in the season.
Recently, brands like Hershey have sounded the alarm that they won’t be able to meet demand this Halloween season. With in-store visits increasing at the end of September/early October, it’s not too late to kick-start your messaging, heavying up through the final days leading up to Halloween.
Halloween Shoppers love their pets and crafts
Halloween shoppers are 137% more likely to overlap with GroundTruth’s Pet Lovers Audience. There is a huge opportunity to reach this audience segment in the weeks leading up to the holiday. Pet Stores saw an 8% increase in foot traffic in October 2021 compared to the month prior.
Halloween shoppers are also 55% more likely to overlap with GroundTruth’s DIYers Audience. Let’s break this down. We observed a 17% increase in foot traffic to Craft Stores and a 16% uptick in visitation to Thrift Stores in October 2021 compared to the month prior highlighting the excitement to create a memorable celebration.
Location Marketing Solutions Brings Your Halloween Creatives to Life
It’s important to remember that consumers represent more than their online behavior. The offline places people go to shop are truer indicators of habits and intent than a visit to a website. The marketers who take a strategic approach to this year’s Halloween will get a strong jump to reaching holiday shoppers as well. With this in mind, be sure to leverage real-world behavior to build unique audiences and targeting solutions that help you reach Halloween shoppers at the right place, right time.
Want more? Download the Halloween Strategy Guide. In this guide, we’ll dive into historical and projected Halloween trends, highlight key opportunities to focus on specific audiences by location and behavior, and provide recommendations on Halloween targeting tactics.
