Dominique Peckett, director of Smiffys, shares how Halloween 2024 went for the company.
So, how was Halloween 2024 for you, commercially?
Dominique: This year felt like a very welcome return to Halloween from the good old days for retailers, eclipsing the performance of last year and surpassing our budgets and expectations for this year, so we are delighted.
How did sales trends look this year, early, late, or a mix?
Dominique: At Smiffys, sales for Halloween began early with the majority of trade customers taking in stock from July. We saw this trend across the market, with retailers stocking Halloween products and décor back in the summer.
This year, the peak of Halloween was spread over a two week period. We saw celebrations and events both the weekend before and after Halloween, meaning the last minute sales were less condensed and (slightly!) more manageable than previous seasons. This, combined with the early start, meant Halloween celebrations lasted longer than usual this year.
From that, did you get a sense of retailers’ optimism, fear or hope for this year?
Dominique: As Halloween creeps closer to the weekend, there was a sense of optimism and hope around the season this year and it delivered. With next year’s Friday Halloween, we’re excited to see how this impacts retailers and helps customers order with confidence.
Did you spot any trends and what was the product that surprised you the most, sales wise?
Dominique: Unsurprisingly, our Beetlejuice range was like gold dust! Not only did the iconic monochrome striped styles fly off the shelves, the new movie release also boosted the classic characters such as Lydia’s Bride Dress.
The Warner Brothers Horror range was another hit, with videos all over social media showing the iconic characters up to no good and strutting their stuff through spooky dance routines. An unexpected trend that we’ve seen this year is Day of the Dead. This is a classic range for us, but our unisex cape style soared to the top of our best sellers list this year.
