Halloween and Bonfire Night kick off the busiest shopping season of the year, followed by Black Friday and Christmas and lasting until New Year.
Estimated UK consumer spending for Halloween products has quadrupled in the last ten years.
Last year the estimated spending was over one billion pounds which is a significant jump from previous years (Statista).
“Wholesalers should take advantage of the seasonal opportunity to drive sales. Confectionery performs especially well during this spooky holiday, as shoppers will be looking for Halloween-themed sweets for trick or treaters and Halloween parties,” comments Kathryn Hague, Head of Marketing at Hancocks.
“Bonfire Night may not be as big of an occasion as Halloween, however there will still be lots of shoppers looking for treats to enjoy while watching a firework show or celebrating at home.”
The cost of living crisis has had a big impact on consumer habits, resulting in a “lipstick effect”. It means that affordable luxuries are on the rise, as other product sales struggle.
Many households see confectionery as an affordable way to treat themselves, so wholesalers should make sure to be stocked up on chocolate and sweets and highlight their value offerings in store to attract budget-conscious customers.
For Halloween confectionery, kids’ novelty treats, candy cups and pick n mix are the most popular categories.
Bonds of London stocks Halloween-themed candy cups which perform very well every year. The Dracula Teeth Candy Cup 220g RRP £2.50 is filled to the brim with strawberry-flavoured spooky sweeties. The Spooky Mix Candy Cup 330g RRP £3.50 is filled with mallow pumpkins, giant jelly spiders and candy skulls. Candy Cups are a fantastic alternative to traditional pick and mix stands, as they’re pre-packaged, offering portion control and better hygiene.
Hancocks’ best-selling kids’ novelty products are from the popular Crazy Candy Factory and Candy Realms brands. Crazy Candy Factory’s Bone Breaker RRP £1.00 is a fruity candy puzzle in the shape of a skeleton. Another popular product from the brand is the Zombie Brain RRP £1.29 which is a strawberry-flavoured gummy brain in candy liquid.
Best-selling Halloween products from the Candy Realms range include Pumpkin Light Up Pop, Skull Mallow Pops RRP and Spooky Candy Tubes, all retailed for £1.29 or less.
The most popular choices from the pick n mix selection are the Kingsway Gummy Pumpkins and Monsters, with an RRP of £1.49 per 100g.
Customers’ favourites are extra large and tasty vanilla-flavoured Mega Marshmallows 550g, RRP £3.20 which are perfect for roasting or making s’mores.
Walkers Nonsuch is one of Britain’s oldest makers of traditional toffee and their treacle-flavoured Toffee Bars 100g RRP £0.89 and Toffee Bags RRP £1.79 will definitely be a hit during Bonfire Night celebrations. The Walkers Nonsuch toffees can also be purchased in 2.5kg bulk bags for £13.49 – the sweets are individually wrapped so they’re ideal additions to pick-and-mix displays.
A new addition to the Candy Realms Halloween range is the Petrifying Pumpkins Candy Cup 230g RRP £1.99. The cup is filled with delicious pumpkin mallows and jelly pumpkins and it’s great for Halloween parties or gifting during the spooky season. The cup is resealable so it’s perfect for portion control and it’s also made from 30% recycled material and is kerbside recyclable.
A great value novelty product that is eye-catching on the shelf is the Candy Realms Mallow Stacker which is 27cm tall and retailed for just a pound. This strawberry-flavoured marshmallow pop is in the shape of classic Halloween characters – pumpkin, ghost, monster and a bat.
Another fun novelty product from Candy Realms is the Alien Balloons with Popping Candy RRP £1.00. The pack contains four sachets of strawberry popping candy and two alien balloons which last over a week once inflated.
Clare Newton, Trade Marketing Manager at Swizzels, comments: “The Halloween and Bonfire Night seasons represent a significant opportunity in the retail calendar, offering substantial opportunities across various categories. In fact, Halloween sugar confectionery has grown by 18.4% in the market, outperforming chocolate confectionery at 10.4% (Circana), further cementing the importance of the occasion.”
These seasons drive considerable consumer spending. Halloween, in particular, has evolved into a major event for consumers, with spending on sugar confectionery seeing significant growth year-on-year and Halloween-themed products outperforming the total sugar confectionery category growing at 34.4% vs 13.3% (Circana). For retailers, this translates into a surge in foot traffic and sales, as shoppers look to celebrate these occasions with Halloween-themed products.
Halloween is a prime opportunity to boost sales, with several key categories reaping the benefits. Confectionery, of course, stands out as the top performer. Halloween-themed sweets see a significant surge in demand as consumers stock up for trick-or-treaters and parties. For example, Swizzels’ popular Mummy Mix grew by 41% in the market (Circana).
One of Swizzels’ top-selling items during the Halloween period is the Variety Packs range (Luscious Lollies, Scrumptious Sweets, and Curious Chews). These best-selling hanging bags feature some of the nation’s favourite individually wrapped treats, making them perfect for trick-or-treaters. Additionally, the Sweet Shop Favourites Tubs are always incredibly popular, thanks to their wide variety of options catering to different preferences. Overall, Swizzels’ Halloween products grew by +26% outperforming total sugar confectionery at +18.4% (Circana).
Swizzels is launching new multi-flavoured Skeleton-shaped Squashies ahead of Halloween to help retailers drive seasonal sales this year.
Alongside its usual range of popular sweets, Swizzels has introduced new foam Squashies Squeletons in three unique skeleton shapes, available in three popular flavours: Sour Apple, Strawberry, and Orange. The limited-edition 120g Squashies Squeletons are now available for purchase in cases of 12 (RRP: £1.15).
To support the launch, Swizzels will provide retailers with both physical and digital Halloween-themed POS assets to enhance their promotions and in-store displays.
Mark Roberts, Marketing & Trade Marketing Director at Perfetti Van Melle, comments: “The total UK sugar confectionery market is worth £1.6Bn (IRI) with Perfetti Van Melle now positioned as the world’s second-leading confectionery manufacturer (Euromonitor) with their portfolio of household brands including Mentos, Fruit-tella, Chupa Chups, and Smint being worth over £100 million.
“Confectionery is one of the top five categories purchased on impulse in convenience stores. Offering a full range that supports the government’s HFSS guidelines of under 150kcal per pack – something most manufacturers can’t – gives Perfetti the opportunity to be closer to these impulse purchases.”
Family favourite and top ten candy brand, Fruit-tella’s best-selling chews have transitioned to a fully vegan recipe, meaning that the brand can now deliver fruity joy to an even bigger audience of consumers. The switch to vegan will be implemented across the full range of chews including the Fruit-tella favourite Simply Strawberry, the moreish Fruit-tella Duo Stix, and the more recent edition of Fruit-tella Berries & Cherries – now available in a convenient stick format.
The delectable chews will still contain real fruit juice and be made with all-natural colourings and flavours. All Fruit-tella sharing bag sweets are individually wrapped, and as such they are a treat that promotes hygiene and portion control. This makes them the perfect portable snack for families – be that on a long car journey, to pop in a bag for on-the-go pick me up, or to have in the cupboard for when trick or treaters come by.
Fresh from its Product of the Year 2024 victory, Fruit-tella’s innovative and interactive jellies offering: Fruit-tella Curiosities returns with a Halloween twist. The themed packs allow shoppers to explore one of four far-flung and fantastic worlds. In ‘By the Sea’ the marine life is totally tropical, and the Antarctic creatures of ‘In the Snow’ are berry delicious, whilst ‘Out in Space’ will take consumers on an out-of-this-world journey, and ‘On a Safari’ transports tastebuds to the heart of the Serengeti. All new, spookily-themed ‘Out at Night’ welcomes jellies fans to a world where creatures of the dark – bats, owls and spiders – are orange, blackberry and apple flavoured.
Now available to buy in store at £1.50 per pack, the HFSS-compliant jellies are made with 30% reduced sugar, real fruit juice, and natural colourings and flavours – all the attributes that make the core Fruit-tella range a family favourite. ‘Out at Night’, will also be available in a bag-in-bag multipack format making it easy for parents to provide fun, safe and tasty treats for children, which are sure to be a grocery aisle staple this Halloween. The HFSS-compliant jellies contain the same natural goodness, fruity taste, interactive, scannable back-of-pack, and quirky charm that consumers have grown to know and love, and now have the added bonus of being perfectly portioned into individual bags that are ideal for on-the-go, as well as sharing, with major seasonal appeal.
Mentos Candy is now worth £38.2 million, with growth being driven thanks to continuous innovation from Perfetti Van Melle captivating customers – exemplified by the exciting new launch of Mentos Discovery, which offers a category-first 14 different flavour sweets in one roll. Mixed fruit flavours dominate the Hard Chews Sweets category, worth £71m in L52w, with recent research proving there is a burgeoning appetite among sweet eaters for exotic flavours (Innova and Mintel). Mentos Discovery is primed to break new ground in the category with 14 flavours including passion fruit, lychee, blueberry, blackcurrant, lime, strawberry, raspberry, orange, lemon, watermelon, banana, grape, cherry and pineapple.
Bebeto, the leading confectionery challenger brand, is launching the ultimate super sour NPD to help retailers achieve scarily good sales during the spookiest season of the year, Halloween 2024.
New Super Sour Scary Skulls 150g bags are deliciously sour, skull shaped gummy sweets which contain six exciting tongue twisting, fizzy flavours – strawberry, cola, blackcurrant, pineapple, raspberry, and cherry. What’s even better, there are no added flavours or colours and they’re Halal certified.
Phil Hulme, Commercial Director at Kervan Gida UK, says: “Halloween remains a key focus for Bebeto, with our range consistently performing well year after year. We’re seeing a growing trend of consumers choosing sugar confectionery over chocolate, and we’re thrilled to expand our Halloween offering for 2024. By introducing the new Super Sour Scary Skulls, we are also tapping into the popular and growing sour confectionery trend, where we are seeing nearly a third of UK confectionery consumers (29%) keen to try sour flavours in a new product. With an RSP of £1, these competitively priced treats are perfect for driving Halloween sales and meeting various consumer needs, from trick-or-treating to family sharing.”
Whether it’s adults hankering some Halloween nostalgia or wanting to make sure the kids have a memorable time, the candy that’s chosen at Halloween is, quite possibly, a shopper’s most important decision. The festivities wouldn’t be the same without some sweet treats especially for the children brandishing buckets on a tour of their local neighbourhood. Halloween has become more important than ever for sugar confectionery sales and this year Rose Marketing has a petrifyingly comprehensive collection of spook-tacular sweets as well as some eek-citing new treats.
For 2024, Rose has developed three new Candy Castle Crew Halloween-themed treat bags: Fizzy Freaky Mix, Fizzy Gummy Brains and Fizzy Gummy Pumpkins. The affordable 90g grab-bags have been carefully priced at £1 per bag.
The Fizzy Freaky Mix includes six spooky figures including a skull, owl, ghost, bat, witch’s hat and pumpkin making it devilishly delicious. For those brave enough to try something seriously fizzy, then the Fizzy Gummy Brains are the one to choose, whilst for those with more tender tastebuds should try the cute Gummy Pumpkins of different cute-coloured pumpkin heads. All the fruit-flavoured sweet bags are presented in shelf-ready counter display boxes with 18 packs in each.
These new halal-friendly price-marked packs join the existing Halloween collection that includes the tastebud-challenging and cheek-contracting Candy Castle Crew Sour Mutations range of Venom Gunk, Sour Skulls, Hard Candy, Funkee Dip and Squeezies, alongside particularly ghoulish rotten teeth and chocolate foil eyeballs. There are also several lines from confectionery favourites SLUSH PUPPiE including a Trick-or-Treat Chew Mix, Mega Chew Mix and Painter Pops. The ever-popular kids favourite Tongue Painters from Tango, which leave a vibrant blue hue on your tongue, are essential stock items too.
The entire devilishly delightful Halloween collection is chillingly cost-conscious, which will benefit current price-sensitive budgets as there is a wide selection of items suitable for pocket-money purses or larger store cupboard purchases for visiting trick-or-treaters.
Steven Watt, CEO of Rose Marketing, comments: “Our range is more inclusive with Halloween themed bags through to fan-favourite brands. Although total UK Halloween-related sales topped £1 billion in 2023, we expect an even bigger trading period this year, especially as sweets rank top in the Halloween spending category.
“It’s therefore vital that retailers and wholesalers make the most of the occasion and to encourage much-needed incremental sales, they stock a range of best-sellers and well-known brands, as 44% of candy shoppers are looking for Halloween-specific confectionery options related to taste, shape and packaging. The current economy has led to a greater desire for affordable treats, which in turn brings sugar confectionery as one of the most popular categories with more consumers opting for sweets primarily during this season and 93% of consumers consider candy to be the biggest contributor to a positive Halloween experience.
“Halloween displays should be finalised and on sale in good time as research suggests that most Halloween shopping purchases are made in the first week of October, some starting even earlier. Continued growth in the market will be dependent on influencing the emotional connection that shoppers have for this occasion and relating back to popular nostalgic activities such as trick-or-treating or pumpkin carving.”
Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), comments: “During the Halloween season, shoppers will be on the lookout for soft drinks to enhance gatherings at home, whether it’s hosting Halloween parties or enjoying scary movie nights with family and friends. This is why retailers should prioritise stocking top brands that are synonymous with the spooky season.“
In 2023, flavoured carbonates contributed 12.5% to the growth of the soft drinks category during Halloween (Nielsen). Fanta led the way, accounting for one in every four flavoured carbonate sales (Nielsen) during the Halloween period, with Fanta Zero growing ahead of the regular Fanta variants (Nielsen).
Fanta – the number one flavoured carbonate brand in GB (Nielsen) – is a popular choice to accompany the scary season thanks to its longstanding association with Halloween, driven by engaging campaigns and on-pack activity.
In 2023, Fanta’s biggest-ever Halloween on-pack promotion featured limited-edition packs, cash prizes, home entertainment systems, and supplies for scary movie nights. Even non-winners received digital ‘scary surprises’ to share. The campaign, which included the Haunted Mansion experiential activity and consumer adverts boosted Fanta sales by £1m (Nielsen) in the four weeks leading up to Halloween (Nielsen).
For Halloween 2024, Fanta plans will start even earlier with eye-catching activities, including limited edition packs, in-store activation, and a new multi-million-pound consumer campaign. This will help retailers create an exciting, theatrical in-store experience for the spooky season.
“Retailers should also think about displaying different complimentary categories together to make it easier for shoppers to find everything they need for Halloween parties and scary nights in,” adds Burgess. “Research shows merchandising food and drink together can double shopper engagement and increase sales by up to 32% (Connecta), so placing soft drinks like Fanta alongside seasonal snacks can be a simple way for retailers to drive incremental sales.”
Alexander Wilson, Category & Commercial Strategy Director, at HEINEKEN, comments: “Halloween is a fantastic event for retailers and wholesalers to get involved and have fun with, as adults up and down the country will be looking to celebrate by attending parties and hosting gatherings. In fact, in previous years, sales of beer and cider reached £127m in the total off trade during Halloween week, cementing itself as the biggest trading week during the autumn season (Nielsen) – after the sunny weather has gone, and before the build up to Christmas festivities – demonstrating the importance of the event.”
In 2023, Halloween week saw a 4.6% increase in sales versus the previous week (Nielsen), and this year is set to follow suit. When it comes to the brands people are purchasing, this is overall very similar to the rest of the year, so retailers and wholesalers don’t necessarily have to worry about stocking limited-editions lines and dead stock after the event has passed, but instead focus on how they display beer and cider in store and having full availability of bestsellers, such as Cruzcampo® and Birra Moretti Sale di Mare. It is also worth thinking about how to facilitate trade up – for example, giving brands like Old Mout and Cruzcampo®, which caters to those watching their spend but still wanting something special, top shelf space.
“When it comes to in-store theatre, convenience retailers should consider utilising any themed PoS available and creating their own display near the front of the store which signals Halloween-themed promotions – for example, a multipack of beer with snacks like crisps and nuts, to help inspire customers to purchase multiple items, and to get everything they need from one store,” adds Wilson.
As tastes change and evolve, more customers, across all demographics, are keen to explore new styles of beer, including a growing interest in world lagers. This is where innovation from familiar brands comes into play, as people are gravitating towards NPD from brands they are familiar with – such as Birra Moretti’s new Sale di Mare variant. While classic lager remains a core category for retailers to focus on, and drives purchase, introducing new sub-brands into the mix presents a clear trading up opportunity.
In fact, research has identified an opportunity to offer curious drinkers seeking more flavourful and interesting taste profiles, with an accessible premium twist (Heineken).
In cider, HEINEKEN UK has identified that apple cider is growing ahead of flavoured cider, with premium options also doing exceptionally well, even in times of economic hardship, when people don’t have as much disposable income to hand. This should signal to retailers that despite customers cutting corners in other categories, cider is potentially where they are willing to trade up.
Innovation across the market is predominantly coming from flavoured ciders, designed to drive penetration among younger consumers, and this has pushed excitement back into the category.
Mindful consumption is also shaping trends in the cider category, and low- and no-alcohol options, such as Old Mout 0.0, which is available in Pineapple & Raspberry and Berries & Cherries flavours, is helping to drive this.
Matt Collins, Sales Director at KP Snacks, comments: “As autumn approaches, Halloween and Bonfire Night represent a key opportunity for retailers to drive sales and footfall. In the lead-up to both events, consumers seek out their favourite snacks for movie nights at home and get-togethers with family and friends, making Crisps, Snacks and Nuts (CSN) a critical category to capitalise on.”
To capitalise on Bonfire Night and Halloween and the strength of the Sharing segment, retailers should stock a range of Sharing CSN products. Worth £1.74 billion, Sharing is the largest segment in CSN and is growing strongly at +7.6% (Nielsen IQ).
Worth £99m RSV and growing +2.7% (Nielsen IQ), the KP Nuts portfolio offers delicious flavours and a range of formats. Nuts are naturally packed with protein and fibre delivering on both taste and health, and have therefore been excluded from HFSS legislation. Nuts are a higher value purchase compared to other CSN products, where consumers are willing to spend more, helping to drive basket spend for retailers.
Bringing big, bold flavours to evening sharing, the largest occasion within both nuts and sharing (Kantar), the KP Nuts Flavour Kravers range was recently expanded with the launch of two new coated variants: Crunchy Coated Aromatic Thai Chilli and Crunchy Coated Katsu Curry. Designed to attract new shoppers to the Nuts segment, the new KP Nuts Flavour Kravers products deliver innovative flavours and a satisfyingly crunchy and crispy texture.
The importance of the popcorn category shouldn’t be underestimated within the sharing occasion. Ideal for cosy family nights in spent watching films or casual family get-togethers, Butterkist is the nation’s favourite popcorn brand, with a 35.4% (Nielsen IQ) market share. With popcorn-sharing occasions growing +21% and 85% of popcorn consumed at a sharing occasion (Kantar), Butterkist is a delicious treat for quality time with family and friends.
When stocking up for these Big Night In occasions, healthier sharing options should not be ignored. popchips is rated as the number one ‘Better for You’ bagged snack brand in the sharing pack format. Coming in at under 100 calories per serving and with a third less fat than the market leader, popchips provides a more permissible snack option without compromising on big flavour – perfect for consumers who are looking for a tasty healthier product to share when having an evening in.
Louise Reynard, Customer Development Director, UK at St Pierre Groupe comments on behalf of the Baker Street brand: “It’s easy to assume that Halloween and Bonfire Night is a relatively short-lived sales opportunity that only impacts a small range of sectors, but over the past few years, the rise of the ‘big night in’ peaks around these occasions have created a sales opportunity across the retail landscape – and in categories not immediately associated with the season, such as bakery.”
Halloween and bonfire season are the peak of ‘big night in’ each year and consumers are looking for ways to make the most of at-home events, with a particular focus on handheld eating. Typically, the Rolls category grows each year in the two weeks to Bonfire Night when compared with the previous two weeks, adding value to the sector, and Baker Street sales demonstrate a similar sales spike over the same period.
“The past few years have taught consumers how to make the most of at-home events and as the difficult economic situation continues, it’s all about ‘levelling up,’ taking hosting to new levels with products that deliver affordable indulgence. Wholesalers should empower their retailer customers to win by offering shoppers an exciting range of take-home options for Halloween and Bonfire Night,” adds Reynard.
Food waste remains a big topic in these difficult times, and with the Halloween and Big Night In season spanning several weeks, it’s a challenge for wholesalers, retailers and consumers alike. People are looking to buy more longer-life food and drink products to help combat this. Baker Street is cleverly packed to stay fresher for longer and guarantees a minimum life of 35 days from delivery to depot, helping wholesalers ensure on-shelf availability and reducing the risk of wastage. This is a benefit for customers who are looking for food items with a generous shelf-life to help cater to impromptu entertaining during these occasions.
“We advise wholesalers to start building their Halloween and Bonfire Night displays a month before October 31st. Wholesalers need to be wary of waste with short-life products, but Baker Street guarantees a minimum life of 35 days from delivery to depot,” says Reynard.
There are several trends related to the ‘big night in’ peaks around these occasions that wholesalers should be aware of. First is that consumers are staying in rather than going out; next, an appetite for affordable indulgence and willingness to trade up to premium products; and, in these difficult times, concern about food waste.
Louise Reynard, Customer Development Director, UK at St Pierre Groupe comments on behalf of the St Pierre brand: “Halloween and bonfire night offer a key opportunity for retailers every year and whilst it may not seem like an obvious season for bakery, St Pierre has experienced an uplift in sales around Halloween for the last three years. The message is clear that retailers shouldn’t forget about bakery to drive sales during the Halloween and bonfire season – particularly as family favourites and easily-served winter warmers such as hot dogs and burgers are perfect menu items for entertaining.”
The cost of living has given the Halloween/Bonfire Night occasion a major boost, with shoppers deciding to stay at home and have their own parties, to save on the costs of dining out after trick-or-treating outings and public firework events.
That doesn’t mean, however, that shoppers will settle for less by way of quality. Brands like St Pierre that offer an upgrade to their standard burger bun or hot dog have proved consistently popular. Shoppers have learnt how to treat themselves well at home during the pandemic and since then in the cost-of-living crisis. So, even if they’re feeling the pinch when these events come around again this year, they won’t compromise on quality – if anything, it’s made shoppers more discerning. That’s why it’s key for wholesalers to enable their retailers to offer good, better and best ranges – in bakery and elsewhere – to drive sales in a key period.
“Premiumisation is a growing trend and shoppers’ desire for affordable indulgence and willingness to pay a bit more for it continues to grow, so wholesalers should enable retailers to provide a broad range of good, better, and best options across the categories, to suit every pocket,” adds Reynard.
When people are hosting a celebration abound Halloween or Bonfire Night, they want the food they serve to impress. Retailers can maximise this opportunity for increased sales by offering an upgrade to standard bakery – such as through St Pierre brioche, which provides an ideal base for enhancing burger and hot dog recipes.
Consumers are spending more wisely, but that doesn’t always mean they’re spending less. The St Pierre brand communicates quality and authenticity at every touchpoint – and the perceived value attached to doing so must not be under-estimated. Consumers know that consistent quality that elevates a meal to restaurant-quality is worth it, especially when the additional cost is a pound or less.
A further trend affecting purchases for celebrations is that shoppers are increasingly concerned about food waste and sustainability. The Halloween and Bonfire Night season spans two weekends, and St Pierre’s range benefits from a longer shelf life, which safeguards shoppers from watching unused food going to waste in between times.
Family-oriented seasonal events, such as Halloween and Bonfire Night, provide one of the best opportunities of the year for convenience retailers to ignite sales of matches and lighters.
Republic Technologies (UK) Ltd says retailers can easily capitalise on the surge in consumer demand for these high-margin products by giving more in-store focus to what they should view as must-have seasonal lines and siting them amongst seasonal displays.
“It’s the time of year when people want to make the most of family celebrations. Millions of households are in need of a lighter or a box of matches, whether it’s to light a candle to bring a scary pumpkin to life, or to enjoy a fireworks display in the garden,” says Gavin Anderson, Sales and Marketing Director at Republic Technologies (UK) Ltd.
“We also know that many households look to their local convenience store to provide the items they need to really make the most of Halloween and Bonfire Night. This is an ideal opportunity for stores to boost basket spend by promoting matches and lighters.”
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