The UK’s Halloween spend in 2017 is predicted to reach an estimated £320million, a 3.2% rise on last year, according to consumer analysts Mintel.
Consumers spent an estimated £310 million on Halloween products in 2016 and that figure is set to rise this year, indicating that Halloween continues to be an increasingly important event in the UK retail calendar, despite a growing concern across the rest of the retail market.
In the consumer research, which was conducted in September 2017, Mintel found that almost half of the consumers it surveyed (46%) had spent money on Halloween last year – a significant rise from 39% in 2015. This highlights the growing interest in Halloween among UK consumers, particularly among the parenting community, who spend significantly more money on the holiday.
Most of those who did spend money on Halloween spent under £25 in 2016, with just one in six spending over £50.
The same research also found that certain demographics are more likely to shop for Halloween, with the percentage of consumers’ spending money on the event significantly higher among parents.
Perhaps predictably, more than a third of UK consumers bought sweets for Halloween last year, making it the biggest Halloween category in terms of volume. The rest of the top five was made up of pumpkins, fancy dress items, decorations and cosmetics, in that order.
Commenting on the predicted rise, Emma Angel, Angels Fancy Dress director, said: “In just over 20 years, Halloween has grown from a fringe event celebrated by ex-pat Americans to become established as the UK’s third largest retail season, with only Christmas and Easter scoring a bigger consumer spend.”
She continued: “The British love dressing-up because we relish the opportunity for escapism and to push the limits. Now that Halloween is a fully established consumer festival, we continue to embrace it wholeheartedly. With Mintel forecasting a consumer spend of £320 million on Halloween in 2017, it’s clear how increasingly crucial this period has become within the UK retail calendar.”
