Halloween Big Business in the United Kingdom
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The Halloween industry in the United Kingdom is big business and is now worth more than £300m – which puts it just behind Christmas and Easter as a lucrative festival.
But the increasing commercialization of today’s event has attracted criticism from parenting groups, with one describing it as “an excuse to sell overpriced tat”.
Retail analysts have forecast UK sales for Halloween will have risen by 12.5% this year, increasing the overall spend to £315m.
Just a decade ago, consumer spending on Halloween constituted just £12m.
The American-influenced festival is now the third most significant event in the retail calendar after Christmas and Easter and bigger than Valentine’s Day.
Much of its popularity can be attributed to the influence of popular occult television series and films such as Twilight, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, and the Harry Potter films.
It seems cash-strapped consumers, who have continued to cut back over the past month according to a survey by business body CBI, were willing to loosen their purse strings to embrace the Halloween spirit.
But the co-founder of the parents messaging forum Mumsnet was less enthusiastic about the festivities, calling it was an “excuse to sell overpriced tat that will inevitably be landfill fodder”.
Asda, the sister chain of US superstore Walmart, has an estimated 50% market share of Halloween retail sales in the UK and expects to sell more than one million pumpkins this year.
As in previous years, the supermarket is offering exclusive Halloween-themed tie-ups with brand manufacturers, including several products with Cadbury.
Lisa Byfield-Green, retail analyst at Planet Retail, said: “Supermarkets such as Asda have increased their price focus on Halloween items this year and we expect more consumers to be looking for bargains in discount stores. Many people may look to update costumes with new accessories rather than buying new ones. We expect people to continue to spend on confectionery and party items.”
The rate of Halloween sales growth is expected to be 12.5%, slightly less than last year’s 19.1% due to the current economic climate, although the total spend will still be higher.
She said: “I think it’s one of these celebrations which people tend to do at home and it doesn’t cost very much, and it’s a lot of fun. It does brighten up an otherwise dull season. Sainsbury’s told us adult costume sales are selling better.
“The biggest spend is on confectionery, the second biggest is pumpkins and then it’s party food and costumes.”
Ms Byfield-Green added: “I think the increase in spending is partly due to more people celebrating it.
“With half term, people tend to hold parties with children, but I do think there are a lot of adults celebrating it as well.”
Justine Roberts, CEO and co-founder of Mumsnet, said: “It’s fair to say that for many parents Halloween is an endurance rather than the fun it’s cracked up to be. We’ve gone way beyond the traditions of our childhood – sheets with holes cut out, apple bobbing, pumpkin carving – to an excuse to sell overpriced tat that will inevitably be landfill fodder. Coupled with the trick or treating sugar fest, it’s not surprising that around three-quarters of Mumsnetters would rather call the whole Halloween thing off.”
Henry Enos, consumer behaviour specialist at the University of Glamorgan, said Halloween had been “commercially exploited to a great effect”, partly because it occupies a “perfect” position between the long haul of summer and Christmas.
He said: “There used to be a more classic seasonal calendar. After Christmas, the next major moment would be Valentine’s Day, then classically Easter, then the long haul of summer. Halloween fits perfectly between summer and the major retail season at Christmas.
“Although Halloween is part of an ancient culture, the Celtic tradition of Samhain, the commercial part of it has been adapted from the American concept.
“Traditionally we would whittle a turnip in the UK and this has been developed with the American pumpkin, which is part of their national dish. We used to do bobbing apples, we didn’t used to dress up in formal costumes, you would just create one out of some sheets.
“With films and series like The Corpse Bride and Twilight, each one of these allows children to recreate some of the things they see on TV, there are costumes they can buy to look like them. Food retailers provide everything from cookies to pre-packed snacks. You can go to joke and hire shops for costumes, you have card shops selling decorations, stationery, party supplies with decorated party plates and cups, you can even purchase bottled blood.
“Previously it was just a candle, a pumpkin and a bedsheet.”
Many thanks to Walesonline for their contributions to this story.
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It is really odd that you mention that Halloween is an American inspired festival when most the origins of Halloween can be traced back to England. However, it took America to commercialize it to point it is today.
This might help Bill: Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter. Thx to History.com 🙂
Very good Mike. You are right on the nose. (History Channel) It was transported to America even though it was considered a pagan ceremony.
I love the quote: “previously it was just a candle, a pumpkin and a bed sheet.” This reminds me of my sentimental post from Sunday on this site called “Halloween-The Way it Was”. Thanks for this post. I enjoyed the international perspective.