46% of retailers added Halloween collections this year

New research commissioned by Perfetti Van Melle, one of the world’s largest producers and distributors of confectionery and chewing gum, shows retailers are increasing their product ranges, allocated space and store focus for this year’s Halloween , the last Halloween not affected by the three high food safety regulations .

The survey, conducted by KAM Media, interviewed 200 retailers and 300 consumers.After a quiet 2020, trick-or-treating is back on the agenda for many families.

58% of shoppers with children under 12 plan to participate, and 61% will buy treats to ensure they are ready for potential little guests. This represents a strong sales opportunity, with 90% of retailers planning to actively participate in Halloween in their stores.

With 54% of retailers paying more attention to cleanliness and hygiene before selecting Halloween food and drink, a staggering two-thirds (67%) of shoppers also say they are more concerned about cleanliness and hygiene from a hygiene perspective. Meanwhile, independent field research conducted by Confectioners.com revealed that more than 80% of independent retailers said they had removed unwrapped candy following the outbreak.

More than half of retailers (52%) start preparing for Halloween two to four weeks before the event. With nearly a third (30%) of shoppers planning to purchase themed collections eight weeks in advance, PVM recommends ordering stock and POS early.

When it comes to the preferred range, shop owners are looking for more packaged sweets , larger bags , new formats and healthier sweets. Seasonally themed items are just as important as items from the year-round range in the list of must-have items.

Jas Ghag, senior director of category and insights at Perfetti Van Melle, said: “Before the HFSS regulations come into effect in April next year, we will be interested to see what retailers and consumers are looking to do around Halloween and whether they plan to make their HFSS campaigns bigger and bolder this year.”

“ In the coming weeks we’ll be announcing our new Halloween range for 2021, including tried and tested favourites as well as popular new additions . ”

Halloween

Retailers

2021