As Halloween approaches, retailers across the UK are witnessing a significant uptick in consumer spending, with many shops reporting their busiest year yet. Charlotte Brennan, who runs a popular gift shop and café, has noted a marked increase in sales and customer engagement. “It’s been our busiest year yet for Halloween,” she stated, reflecting the broader trend seen in the retail industry.
According to the most recent Kantar data, British supermarkets made more than £100 million in sugar confectionery sales in the four weeks ending on October 5th. This figure represents a record 5% increase over the same period last year. This increased spending has seen total Halloween spending rise to £2 billion just two years ago. Experts are predicting even greater growth this year.
Vikash Kaansili, senior retail analyst at Kantar, puts this year’s shift in Halloween spending in focus. Americans spend a ton of money on everything from elaborate costumes to carved pumpkins to home decorations. “Halloween is no longer just for kids. The growth in sales of pyjamas and candles suggests adults are embracing Halloween as an opportunity for a night in at home, not just for children’s trick-or-treating,” he said.
And the numbers back her up—sales of pyjamas and candles increased almost 20% over last Halloween. Even with high cost-of-living pressures still weighing on consumers, Halloween spending continues to hold strong. Shoppers are clearly making more trips — Kaanisili noticed that consumer shopping frequency spiked in the two weeks leading up to Halloween. They overspent by 16%—driving home that the holiday has become a “cannot miss” event for many consumers.
Brennan’s shop has experienced an uptick in customers buying reusable seasonal decorative items. “Many of my customers bought one or two reusable decorative items for the season to build a collection, as they do for Christmas,” she explained. This transition to eco-friendly holiday ornaments serves as an example of shifting consumer priorities.
Besides candy and décor, pumpkin sales have jumped through the roof. By early October, more than a million pumpkin spice-flavored consumers stormed grocery store pumpkin patches. In the four weeks leading up to that moment, sales had reached a whopping £1.4 million. Pumpkin spending more than doubled compared with average four-week levels, in the run-up to 29 September 2024. The 62 percent increase over the same timeframe last year is remarkable!
Andy Owens has been operating his pumpkin patch since he started it the year of the pandemic in 2021. Since then, his business has more than tripled in size! He remarked on the cultural shift regarding Halloween, stating, “Halloween in this country has grown massively. When I was growing up there was barely trick-or-treating; there was just The Simpsons Halloween special on TV. Now it’s everywhere.”
The boost from Halloween is more than just retail. Fiona Eastwood, the boss of Merlin Entertainment, stated that the lead-up to Halloween now rivals peak summer seasons in driving profits at various sites. She added that attractions such as Thorpe Park, which regularly generate millions from large Halloween-themed events. “Take Thorpe Park: increasingly Halloween is almost half of its annual profit because we have special rides in the dark, you have mazes, and that whole thrill that we’re tapping into,” Brennan added.
This year, adults are looking to get back into the spooky spirit. They’re making collections and experiences like none other that reflect their artistic and scholarly impulses. Brennan observed that customer enthusiasm has been palpable this year: “People have been asking for pumpkin spiced lattes since August, so I feel like it’s getting earlier.”