Halloween is Back, Witches

Oct 31, 20222 min read

By: Kelli Windsor, Director, Digital Communications, FMI | Research Images By: Allison Febrey , Manager, Research & Insights, FMI

Yes, you guess right. I’ve been watching a lot of Hocus Pocus lately—movie one and two. But I’m not alone! The second movie in the series has been a big hit and in more ways than one. It turns out, Halloween is back in a big way this year.

The Witches Are Back

In our recent U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends: Holiday Shopping report two-thirds of shoppers tell us they plan to celebrate Halloween in their “usual” fashion—up nine points from last year. Most households with children (87%) are excited to celebrate the spirited holiday.

87% of households with children are excited to celebrate Halloween

I’ll Put a Spell On You

Shoppers’ fears about COVID-19 have turned to concerns about inflation. For example, 28% of grocery shoppers plan to buy more candy this year, yet a similar 27% plan to spend less. We see a similar trend with spending on costumes with 24% planning to spend more and 26% planning to spend less.

Stay Alive Past Sunrise

When we consider all the upcoming holidays—Halloween, Thanksgiving, December Holidays and New Year’s—will shoppers go all in or Halloween or will they save for some of the other holidays? Nineteen percent of shoppers tell us the plan to celebrate Halloween to the fullest, but 39% plan to celebrate December Holidays to the fullest. With this in mind, food retailers can expect to see elevate Halloween celebrate this year, but don’t put all your pumpkins in one basket—shoppers are gearing up to celebrate other holidays to come.