Why food retailers need to take notice of Halloween

Love it or loathe it, when the ‘spooky season’ comes around, there’s no ignoring the excitement Halloween conjures amongst today’s shoppers.

As more and more customers (especially Millennial parents tapping into the nostalgia of a childhood spent watching American Halloween celebrations in the 90s) sit up and take notice of the season, it has, for many in retail, become a key calendar event. In fact several retailers have told Speciality Food it’s become one of their most lucrative times of the year, filling the gap between the busy summer holidays and Christmas, and giving families, especially, an extra reason to visit.

From pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and scary tractor rides, to themed menus and products, there are loads of ways to thrill your customers this October.

Is it worth putting time into Halloween plans?

In a word, yes. According to Finder, last year a predicted £776 million was spent on Halloween in the UK, with 58% of Brits saying they planned to make a purchase. The average spend was £25 per person, rising to £43 for Millennials, though Gen-Z (who crave Instagrammable experiences) are most engaged with this time of year.

Why has Halloween become so popular?

The answer to this is twofold. Firstly, the drive towards more eating at home occasions continues to strengthen, and consumers are looking for different ways to ‘jazz up’ and theme their dinner parties and get-togethers. Secondly, Halloween events and products are seen as an affordable, permissible treat. A themed farm trail, for example, will set families back far less cash than a trip to a big-name attraction during October half term.

What are other businesses doing?

There’s a lot going on. Foxes Farm Produce in Essex has its own pumpkin patch and maize maze, with daytime and evening experiences tapping into a variety of demographics. Cattows Farm in Leicestershire grows around 100,000 pumpkins per year, and from humble beginnings, now hosts a month-long Halloween festival, filled with activities and special food and drink. And Millets Farm Centre in Oxfordshire is planning pumpkin picking, spooky discos and a circus of tricks.

A trailblazer in farm-based Halloween fun is Suffolk’s Hollow Trees Farm. Co-founder, Sally Bendall, says the first event took place almost 30 years ago when the Spice Girls were at their height of fame. The team dressed life-sized dolls as the quintet, complete with pumpkin heads, and put them on display along the farm trail with their music on loop. “We sold out of pumpkins because we were doing something quite different,” Sally says.

Today, the farm still grows pumpkins, but they’ve become secondary to what is now a huge part of the year for the business, enticing families from far and wide to enjoy the themed farm trail, Halloweeny food in the cafe, barrel train rides and sledges. “We always like to have a spooky barn or house and it’s never in the same place – it’s a surprise each year. This year the theme is monster bugs!”

Sally says, commercially, Halloween is the biggest event for Hollow Trees “if the weather is right”. This is absolutely key. “Being on heavy clay, if it rains we’re up to our eyes in mud. Otherwise, it’s brilliant. We have lots of regulars, and people who don’t visit on a regular basis, but always make a point of coming for October half term.” You could, if you execute your plans well, earn yourself a whole new fan base, and clinch extra sales in store with this captive audience.

Should I be growing pumpkins?

Authenticity matters to today’s consumers, who aren’t being hoodwinked by ‘faux farms’ which buy in pumpkins for them to ‘pick’.

If you have space to grow your own, offering attractive photo opportunities, good facilities, and tailored onsite catering, you could be onto a winner says Geoff Barton of Canalside Farm in Stafford. The PYO farm and farm shop (renowned for berries) added pumpkins to its fields nearly a decade ago and hasn’t looked back. October is now the second-best month for overall sales, he reveals. “It was definitely worth it and, with our 3D maize maze field, has become a real family attraction. It basically takes everything that works for us in summer, and translocates it into autumn.”

What’s trending for Halloween?

Asda’s most recent Halloween trends report showed an upwards trajectory for themed food and drink during October. But this goes beyond sweets and chocolate. Consumers are looking for Halloween-themed cakes and baked goods (the strongest growing category), and the British appetite for ‘picky teas’ means Halloween parties and suppers are becoming commonplace too. Now’s the time to start experimenting with products in those foodservice and cafe kitchens. 

Any tips for success this year?

Sally says you should always have a Plan B for bad weather. “We were inspired by Halloween celebrations we saw on trips to America, but we’re not as fortunate to have such sunny days here in October.”

Thinking about staffing is key as well, she adds. “Remember that the university students who have been so helpful during the summer months don’t get that time off later in the year, and schools and colleges can change their half terms. Know when these are and plan your labour well in advance.”

If you’ve bought in seasonal stock, don’t forget to shout about it on social media daily. Again, now is the moment to look at your plans, and to plot in captivating, engaging content that promotes your Halloween events, while shining a light on any themed items you need to sell before Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, make sure those order books are open, and use Halloween as a ‘hook’ for showcasing hampers and gifts, and sampling out festive products.

Are there any Halloween-themed products you recommend?

There’s a fine line in speciality retail between kitsch and naff. We recommend leaving the overtly themed products to the multiples (who can shift them at hugely discounted prices in early November) and instead sourcing food and drink that celebrates the season but can be marketed as ‘Halloweeny’. Mulled ciders and apple juices. Anything with pumpkin spice. Chai. We like Bird & Blend’s Bonfire Toffee Tea, Walker’s Nonsuch Toffees, and Parkin from Lottie Shaw’s.