It does take one to know one. When it comes to Halloween consumers, I’m definitely one of the two-thirds of all Americans who took part in Halloween 2014 celebrations (according to the National Retail Federation). I’m also one of the average participants who spent $77.52 on Halloween products, bringing the total projected spending for 2014 to $7.4 billion.
I believe that the growth in sales of Halloween products each year has much to do with the fact that this holiday increasingly spans all ages. Of course, kids continue to love it, whether they trick-or-treat from house to house or throughout a shopping mall. They appreciate the lack of childhood myths around Halloween, meaning that no one is ever going to ruin it by finally revealing that there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny. So while those kids may ultimately outgrow collecting candy, they don’t have to outgrow the holiday itself. They simply evolve the way they celebrate.
Today’s adults and young adults are redefining Halloween by crafting new kinds of events by adding layers of creativity that were not there even five years ago. These celebrations can take the form of full-blown costume parties, scary-movie marathons, bonfire block parties or, my personal favorite: the Halloween supper with a small circle of friends. My penchant for this latter type of celebration makes me an avid consumer of autumn tableware, centerpieces, linens and interior decorations, with an assemblage to date that already rivals most other people’s Christmas collections!
When thinking about developing your Halloween assortments, it’s important to keep in mind that the true Halloween aficionado (have you already guessed that this is my choice demographic?) already has quite a supply of the traditional décor: witches, ghosts, Jack-o’-lanterns, hissing black cats and candy corn made of everything from metal to wax to craft paper. And they want more. But this repeat shopper will only buy such iconic items when they have been given a truly new spin. That’s what The Trend Curve delivers in each annual Haute Halloween and Fall color-and-trend forecast.
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- Spin Ceramics’ Zisha Teapot
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- Riviera Maison
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- MN Landscape Arboretum
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- Beau & Bein
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- Graham & Brown: Spellbound
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- Van Asch Printed Lacy Skull
We were, after all, the first and are still the only décor forecast company to offer a yearly package of upcoming Halloween trends that includes not only the freshest colors, but also the newest looks to inspire your product development and visual display!
Lastly, true Halloween fans invariably love autumn, so designing your product line to span September to Thanksgiving is also key. The Halloween witches and goblins you create should look just as at-home amidst a background of trendy fall foliage as a Thanksgiving turkey will at the end of the season.
