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Is Halloween Selling Creeping Too Early?
Petco moved up the unveiling of its annual “Bootique” collection, featuring a range of pet costumes, toys, accessories, and treats, to Aug. 1 this year from Aug. 31 in 2022, continuing a trend toward Halloween sales arriving earlier and earlier.
The trajectory follows the “Christmas creep” that sees holiday sales arriving in September or earlier, with Halloween assortments likewise arriving several months before October 31.
A Modern Retail article notes how Bath & Body Works, Home Depot, Target, and Michaels all began offering Halloween merchandise this year in July.
The early selling particularly supports the decorating of homes for Halloween, which is the second-most decorated holiday behind Christmas. According to the NRF’s Halloween survey from 2022, 51% of respondents planned to decorate their home or yard in celebration.
Spirit Halloween, which began opening its planned 1,500 temporary stores for 2023 in late July, suggested in a blog entry, “While some people wait until the beginning of October, we recommend starting to decorate earlier. In fact, it’s fun to gradually introduce your Halloween decorations.”
Other ways consumers planned to celebrate Halloween include handing out candy (67%), dressing up in costume (47%), carving a pumpkin (44%), and throwing or attending a Halloween party (28%), according to the NRF’s 2022 survey. Additionally, one in five respondents planned to dress their pet up in a costume.
Similar to recent years, Halloween enthusiasts were once again starting their shopping early, with nearly half (47%) beginning in September or earlier.
Overall, Halloween ranks as the sixth highest-spending commercial holiday, behind Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Easter, although Halloween’s popularity continues to surge. According to the NRF, U.S. spending around Halloween was estimated to have been $10.6 billion in 2022, up 25% from a decade earlier.
The major sales of candy and costumes are expected to happen closer to the event, but even those purchase occasions are happening earlier than in the past. A survey last year conducted on behalf of The Hershey Company found that 60% of Americans (and 70% of parents with children under the age of 18) agree that it is socially acceptable to start celebrating Halloween before October.
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do you see more benefits than drawbacks in stores stocking select Halloween merchandise well before October? Is there a risk of “Halloween fatigue” with an extended Halloween-selling season?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Susan O'Neal
General Manager, Promo Intel & Insights, Numerator
Gary Sankary
Retail Industry Strategy, Esri
Halloween has certainly started earlier this year, at least at some retailers. In a few cases, this is to clear down stock that was left over or packed away from last year. However, in many instances it is to try and stimulate some early sales and grab market share – which is particularly important in a market where consumer activity remains fairly subdued. To be fair to retailers, shoppers are looking to spread the cost of spending on occasions so giving them more time to buy things they need is not necessarily a bad thing. Some sectors, such as crafting, always start the holidays early as crafters need time to make things. However, for others, starting earlier does not always boost total spending. Some categories, like candy, are expandable as people will buy early, eat the treats, and then buy more. However, for most things, like costumes and home decorations, people will only spend a fixed amount no matter how early retailers start selling.
Yes. And No. I’m a busy mom running a household of five and I find that creating the magic of the holidays take a lot of planning and prep… the earlier the better, if I’m honest. There is a point at which if the decorations are not up, they probably aren’t going up at all for that holiday. Perhaps there is also something to the American psychology of always looking forward to the next thing rather than really appreciating and living in the present. Consumers, myself included, like to “tut tut” when we see Halloween merch appearing in August – but what’s on the shelves and in the stores is a reflection of us and what we demand.
During a round of store visits last week I asked about Halloween merchandise. At our local Target I was told Halloween wouldn’t be out until Back to School was completely wrapped up. Home Depot had stacks of the 13′ animated Jack Skellington that has been all over social media, and of course Michaels Halloween season displays were out in force. Makers tend to be big planners and need time to create. Most of the boxes had something Halloween out; independents not as much. Yet.
Instagram and TikTok are loaded with Halloween decor videos. And why not? It’s a fun time of year. Who isn’t itching to put a little pumpkin spice around the house even though it’s still 100 degrees outside?
Retailers are testing the demand for Halloween. The industry has done a really great job turning a nothing holiday it a major event that rivals a lot of other holidays on the calendar in terms of consumer interest and spending. But, in August? Let’s see what happens. For companies like Target and Walmart, this is the peak time for Back To School. Are they willing to give up space for BTS to set Halloween early? I suspect not.
Are retailers really gaining sales or just stretching them out? Isn’t this the same question we have every October about the Christmas season? What does the retailer decide to do with October 15, Halloween or Christmas? Is back to school over on July 30?
When anything is overdone, it loses value. I suggest retailers are teaching shoppers to consider these special periods as nothing special. Maybe even getting numb to the message. Will the shopper think, “Oh, I can buy it anytime.” and lose all sense of urgency to take action?
To me the litmus test is “best use of space”. For any given week during the year, how do I most intelligently invest my space and inventory? Some retailers have space to burn. Easy for grocery stores to start selling candy. Other retailers are at peak Back To School. Would Halloween product make the space more or less productive? Bottom line, where is the ROI? Retailers are managing a portfolio of spaces, constantly rotating into and out of seasonal offerings. Being too early on one offering means another offering is not being maximized.
Outside of items that have a limited shelf, I think consumers are embracing season-less shopping. Christmas Creep started the trend and now whenever shoppers spot seasonal or gift items (especially if they are unique or on sale) they make the purchase.
Depends on where your interests lie. For Holiday enthusiasts (Halloween, Christmas, etc.) who are passionate about their decorations it can never start too early. These individuals spend tremendous amounts of money to create elaborate displays that are months in the making, so they are always on the hunt for the next wow factor. For others who are not as passionate, it can feel rushed, sometimes like we are being pushed on to the next thing in the name of the retailer making a dollar. If I’m a retailer, I would engage with those passionates and make them feel special rather than just putting my assortment out early. As a starting point, you could create online events that they receive an invitation for halfway to the holiday where they can preview and purchase the newest seasonal offerings before anyone else. Understanding that what the Holiday passionates are looking for is that recognition of their efforts from friends, family and neighbors of their hard work. Working with these micro-communities is how you create personalization at scale and build Brand Love whether it’s a Holiday or a hobby like gardening or lawn care.
I am surprised that Christmas and Thanksgiving displays are not out already…. My view-a very bad trend for society and probably an slightly positive one for retail.
I have my own question here: why are Home Depot and Bath & Body Works -?! – having Halloween promotions in the first place ??
It’s August and I have seen Halloween displays in a local Giant Eagle in Cleveland. A friend has already seen a Christmas display in a supermarket in southern California. The latter is called Christmas Creep. As a shopper, I find all of this very annoying. There may be benefits to grocers — and what are they exactly? — but shoppers like me shake our heads in disappointment. Isn’t there a better use of that floor space?