The last few years have seen a significant rise in the UK’s Halloween spend, with figures rising as high as £300m in 2015. This year also looks set to be a thriller, if the number of high street stores and supermarkets throwing their (witches) hat into the ring is anything to go by.
The rise of Halloween as a legitimate event in the UK has been swift in recent years, partly as a result of the globalising force of the internet and the undeniable influence of the American market – which is also continuing to grow.
According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey, total US spending for Halloween reached $8.4 billion last year and is set to reach a record $9.1 billion in 2017 ($4.3 billion of which is predicted to be spent on costumes and $2.7 billion on decorations).
Historically, the UK market grows in line with the US, and this year looks to be no different, as a cursory glance at most high streets will confirm.
Crucially, supermarkets and high street stores appear to be unphased by last year’s ‘blip’ in Halloween’s impressive growth trend and are banking on 2017 being a bumper year for the holiday. Asda, for example, is predicting a significant boost in pumpkin sales, with 2.2 million of them expected to be sold this year – 61% more than the 1.35 million that were sold in 2015.
