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Making the Most of Halloween & Bonfire Night in Your Store

Making the Most of Halloween & Bonfire Night in Your Store - Halloween Bonfire Sales Intro Image

Nearly one in two UK consumers (47%) plan to celebrate Halloween this year.

When asked what they are looking forward to the most, shoppers say the social media posts of the season (27%) and sweet treats (24%) are their biggest highlights.

Both present key in-store and online opportunities for retailers when planning their Halloween festivities this year.

Stocking the Right Products

Retailers who are short on space often combine both Halloween and Bonfire Night into one display as they happen in the same week. Therefore, many stores focus on a core range as opposed to Halloween-themed products.

“We don’t have the highest demand for Halloween or Bonfire Night, so we focus on everyday products, but we do have a special section online,” says Justin Whittaker, of MJ’s Premier Store in Royton, Greater Manchester.

Sharing packs, like fun-size bags of confectionery, will be popular during the Halloween and Bonfire Night seasons, as shoppers host social events. They are also great product options for trick-or-treaters.

“Of course, we’ll have a display in store, but we’re tied to Booker, so our range will be mixed with Christmas stock, as there’s quite a bit of crossover,” Whittaker adds.

Trudy Davies, from Woosnam & Davies News in Llanidloes, Powys, however, is focusing on party supplies for both Halloween and Bonfire Night.

“We’ll use our range and decorations to post on social media, including any costumes we wear in-store,” she says.

Use the Right Wholesaler

Being prepared is the most important thing, which comes from using different wholesalers to maintain high availability and offer a point of difference.

Halloween is synonymous with indulgence, but that doesn’t mean that consumers are any less likely to care about the sustainability and quality of their products. Similarly, vegan and vegetarian options ensure you are offering something for everyone.

This is where we can help. Some highlights from our range include:

  • Candy Kittens: A 100% vegan brand that launched in 2012. Retailers can purchase 10 different varieties and flavours, from Sour Shox to Eton Mess.
  • Jealous Sweets: An international plant-powered confectionery brand that was founded in 2011. Our range of Jealous Sweets includes Fizzy Friends, Tropical Wonder, Grizzly Bears and Tangy Worms. The entire range is gluten-free.
  • Savvy Sweets: A range of sweets low in sugar and calories, enriched with prebiotics and made from natural, plant-based ingredients.
Making the Most of Halloween & Bonfire Night in Your Store - Halloween Bonfire Sales Mid Blog

Consider Decorating for Multiple Seasons

You may be used to using social media to promote your range, but have you ever used it to find inspiration for decorating your store?

Whittaker has, and found stores using Christmas trees to decorate for Halloween.

“One of the ideas we came across is coating a Christmas tree with Halloween decorations where people have pouches hanging on the branches that contain either free sweets for shoppers or slime. It’s all good fun.”

If you’re looking for a less messy option, some consumers and businesses use a white sheet to place over the tree to create a ghost. Others simply place bunting around the store.

For Bonfire Night, you can then use the tree to hold snacks commonly bought for fireworks celebrations, like sharing confectionery or crisps.

There are loads of great examples of creative solutions that you can pinch on sites such as Pinterest. Decorating in this way can create a buzz in your local community and drive footfall towards your store.

Community Involvement

Of course, Halloween is a key season for retailers to expand beyond their four walls by getting involved in the community.

Davies, for example, prints out Halloween-themed drawings and delivers them to local nurseries and schools for the kids to colour in. She then displays each one in her store.

“We filled the whole window last year, but this year, we plan to hang them around the store,” she explains. “It’s low-cost and the community loves it.”

Her reasons behind the event are two-fold. “The first is for the community engagement, particularly for our smaller children ­– it puts a smile on their faces. The second is that it brightens up our high street,” Davies adds.

It also expands beyond Halloween, with Davies using the technique for Christmas and Easter.

“One playgroup couldn’t colour as they were too young, so they collected leaves from their playground and glued them on the drawing within the lines. It was so creative, and people loved it,” she continues.

It also brings parents to the store as children drop off their drawings, and most of the time, they’ll buy Halloween-themed products, increasing her store’s spend.

Davies similarly gets involved with organised bonfires in the local area. “We don’t sell fireworks as we believe they should be part of an organised display,” she says.

“Therefore, we donate drinks and snacks to the Rotary Club, which hosts the display each year. We do it for free because we’re grateful they’re putting on events for the community.”

With Halloween right around the corner, there’s still time to drive those final sales with a great range of core-range favourites and speciality lines. Get in touch to find out how we can help you drive your sales this Halloween and Bonfire season.

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