Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
Around 200 retailers and 300 consumers were interviewed ahead of the last Halloween to not be affected by the HFSS regulations.
The research found that 46% of retailers are set to increase range sizes this year, whilst 90% will have a dedicated themed range in their stores.
It also found that trick or treating is “firmly back on the agenda” for many families; 58% of shoppers with children under 12 are looking to take part and 61% will buy confectionery for children who know on their doors.
This presents a “strong sales opportunity” for the 90% of retailers planning to actively engage with Halloween in their stores.
Hygiene is also a concern ahead of Halloween; 54% of retailers are more concerned about cleanliness when choosing Halloween food and drink and 58% of shoppers want to see a wider range of wrapped sweets available for Halloween.
More than half of retailers are planning on preparing for Halloween two- to four-weeks before the event, but 30% of shoppers plan to shop for themed confectionery up to eight weeks prior.
PVM recommends stocking up on product and POS as early as possible, including wrapped sweets, larger bags, new formats, and healthier sweets.
Jas Ghag, senior category and insights executive at Perfetti Van Melle, said: “Ahead of the HFSS regulations kicking in from April next year, we were really interested to see what retailer and consumer appetites were around Halloween, whether they were looking to make the event bigger and bolder this year.”
“Judging by the responses, PVM are in a real sweet spot to respond to both shopper demand and retailer needs – we have for some time included individually wrapped sweets, sharing bags and seasonal offerings as part of our range, and of course, we remain the UK’s number one ‘better for you’ manufacturer.”
