New research by Central England Co-operative reveals Halloween is no longer just for the kids
Posted by stephanie forrester | Published: 11/10/2018
New research from Central England Co-operative has offered surprising insights into the buying habits of shoppers who are preparing for Halloween.
Based on data gathered from sales across the retailer’s 240 Food Stores, the most unexpected results related to Halloween partying, which showed that beer, cider, lager, wines and spirits are consistently the biggest sellers, followed by crisps, snacks and nuts.
A 9% rise in these sales over the Halloween period in 2017, alongside growing demand for party accessories, suggests that Halloween has become a reason for adults to have some fun and organise a spooky-themed get-together. People between the ages of 18 and 34 are now most likely to take part in Halloween festivities.
The general growth in the popularity of Halloween has long been acknowledged, but it may come as a surprise to learn that 84% of families plan to celebrate Halloween in some way, according to the Society’s figures.
Pumpkins are without doubt the hallmark of Halloween with Central England Co-operative’s sales rising 9% year on year. Pumpkin purchases rise steadily in the week before 31 October and reach their peak around the 29 October, despite the fact that they can keep for eight weeks after picking. So if anyone would like to get hold of the perfect pumpkin, there’s no reason not to pop in store early and get the pick of the bunch, priced at £2.
This latest research also revealed that Halloween purchases are often made on a whim, with shoppers’ looking for inspiration while keeping value for money in mind.
Figures from 2017 showed that 42% of those who treated themselves to Halloween products spent less than £10. Central England Co-operative is also expecting to see even more interest in themed confectionery this year including a brand-new range featuring Co-op Zombie Mummy Eyeballs (130g, £1), Co-op Monster Brains (130g, £1) and Co-op Oozy Eyeballs (100g, £1) which are made with Fairtrade milk chocolate and filled with a yoghurt and strawberry filling.
Further fun is provided by a new range featuring Co-op’s very own spooky characters including gingerbread Freaky Frankies, which the kids will love to decorate with a choice of sprinkles and icing (171g, £2).
Martin Hill, Head of Product & Category at Central England Co-operative, said: “We constantly monitor what our customers want and this Halloween we have some great deals on beers, wines and spirits for the adults and a great range of novel confectionery.
“Meeting the demands of our customers is particularly important this year as Halloween falls in the middle of the week, providing opportunities for festivities on two weekends. As always, Central England Co-operative Food Stores are on hand to keep ghouls and goblins at bay with a wide variety of spook-tacular treats for everyone.”
All the deals for Halloween can be found at https://www.centralengland.coop/deals/
Notes to editors
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK.
It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, and property investment.
Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2018.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility. It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence. The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop