The Marketing of Halloween

Newswise — Robert Miller, an auathaority on retailing trends and a member of the Central Michigan University marketing faculty, offers the following observations about the marketing of Halloween.

• “Retailers have transformed Halloween from a one-evening event into a month-long shopping spree. The Halloween season is a way to bridge the gap between the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons. Several retailers are carving out quit a niche for their businesses in the Halloween market. Mass merchandisers and discount department stores represent 69 percent of the sales for Halloween products.”

• “The National Retail Federation 2004 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Action Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found that Halloween spending this year is estimated to reach $3.12 billion, up from $2.96 billion last year. It can be said that Halloween generates a ‘spooktacular’ cash flow.”

• “Halloween is the third largest party occasion, after New Year's and the Super Bowl.”

• “Halloween continues to be the second-biggest holiday for decorating next to the winter holiday. For many consumers, Halloween, not Thanksgiving, now marks the beginning of the decorating season. Consumers will spend $1.5 billion to decorate both the inside and outside of their homes.”

• “Halloween is becoming as much a holiday for adults as it is for children. Halloween marketing began to shift toward adults in the 1970s. By 1980, a quarter of adults ages 18 to 40 wore costumes; by 1986, it was around 60 percent. Today the number is 66 percent. Because of dual incomes and fewer children there is more disposable income available for Halloween.”

• “Halloween is a one-night festival of fantasy. People who are stressed and/or emotionally restrained have the opportunity to let loose. They get spooky, scary, naughty and even sexy without being judged.”

• “The essentially American holiday is now spreading to other countries. Canada, England, Australia and Japan are adopting trick-or-treating, costume parties and other fun activities.”