Since 2013, estimated Halloween spending across the UK has risen steadily, averaging at £474 million by 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic meant Halloween plans for 2020 were put on hold and many spent the event inside. Now that restrictions are lifted, we wanted to know how UK adults are planning to celebrate Halloween and what they will be buying, compared to Halloween last year.
The UK is divided when thinking about Halloween this year
Like last year, many UK adults are feeling excited for Halloween this October. However, 1 in 10 are also feeling indifferent towards the event. This drop in excitement levels could be the result of being out of lockdown (people were looking forward to the event last year as there wasn’t much else to do).
We have found that the UK feels relatively neutral about Halloween this year, with emotions such as apathy, boredom, and ambivalent cropping up. This emphasises the need for brands to boost excitement, whether that is through their in-store, online or through marketing comms channels.
Halloween will be more sociable this year compared to last
Last year, only 36% of UK adults celebrated Halloween. This has increased to 43%, with more than twice as many people planning to attend Halloween parties this year (13% in 2020, 29% in 2021), suggesting that Halloween is going to be a more sociable event this year compared to last.
We also found that as restrictions are lifted, more are planning to purchase decorations and costumes whereas less will buy alcohol, suggesting this Halloween will be more of a social event.
Most UK adults already know what they will buy for Halloween this year
UK adults are organised with their purchasing plans for Halloween this year as nearly a quarter already know what they will buy and another 42% will decide weeks before the event, so retailers should start promotions now to help the nation plan ahead.
Is Covid having an impact on Halloween plans this year?
Of those celebrating Halloween this year, just 18% have had their Halloween plans highly impacted by COVID – suggesting COVID is becoming less of an issue for seasonal events. However, this threat is not completely obsolete. As almost 2 in 5 still consider it to impact their plans, this suggests that COVID safety measures are still important.
How can you help?
From our Mood of the Nation report, we know that more UK adults will be celebrating Halloween this year compared to last and it will be more sociable this year with twice as many people attending Halloween parties compared to 2020. Retailers can facilitate this increase in socialising by providing Halloween costumes and Halloween themed party food and accessories. However, there are still a large number of UK adults who are feeling indifferent towards the event so retailers should aim to increase excitement by making in-store displays stand out.
How can we help?
At Spark Emotions, we are experts at understanding emotions and how people really feel about something, whether that is a product, a cultural event or an experience. We can help you gain a deeper understanding of your consumers than ever before through our Mood of the ation. If you would be interested to learn how we can help answer your specific questions about the UK every month, get in touch using our contact form below.
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Written by Evie Harris-Jenkins, Research Executive at Spark Emotions.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Evie via email evie.harris-jenkins@sparkemotions.com or connect on LinkedIn
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