Stores are putting Halloween-themed products on their shelves earlier than usual, seemingly tricking consumers into spending money.
Retailers like Costco and Home Depot are just two of the chains that began offering items more than two months before this year’s spooky holiday.
Experts say savvy retailers are embracing social media trends (in this case, following the Summerween and Pinkoween TikTok fads) to woo shoppers who have been cutting back on spending.
Laura Champine of Loop Capital Markets visited Costco locations in Los Angeles and New York in March and April and said she saw the same Halloween merchandise in both stores.
“It’s clear that consumers have become more interested in purchasing Halloween products earlier and earlier,” Champine said. CNN this week.
Retailers have begun placing Halloween-themed products on their shelves earlier than usual, seemingly tricking consumers into spending money.
Retailers like Costco and Home Depot are just two of the chains that have started offering spooky holiday items this summer.
According to Joe Feldman, senior retail analyst at Telsey Advisory Group, the goal of stocking up on Halloween pumpkins and scary costumes early is to entice shoppers on the basis that “if they’re not spending in one area, maybe they’ll spend in this.”
Choosing when to put Halloween-themed products on shelves is no longer just a decision up to employees.
Donna Smith, professor and director of Retail Management at Metropolitan University of Toronto’s Ted Rogers School of Management, revealed that retailers can use “AI-powered programs” to decide when Halloween products hit shelves.
“Retailers often (decide what to stock) based on historical numbers and various Internet searches and industry trends and reports,” Smith said. Detroit Free Press in 2023.
“In my opinion, AI is replacing this technology. Holidays like Halloween are big revenue generators for retailers.”
Halloween is a popular holiday and American shoppers were expected to spend more than $12 billion last year on candy and decorations, an all-time record.
“It’s a holiday that combines shopping and entertainment — the ultimate spending combination,” said Jadrian Wooten, a professor of economics at Virginia Tech. Radford News Journal This month.
‘Spending is practically part of this tradition, and retailers are happy to offer shoppers everything from costumes and decorations to spooky-themed snacks.’
Wooten went on to call this spending a “double-edged sword” and that while it can boost consumer confidence and help industries, it can also take away from the importance of financial decisions like saving and investing.
Retailers have also decided to embrace trends like Summerween and Pinkoween, both of which began around the same time that Halloween releases began.
Summerween comes from Gravity Falls, a Disney Channel series about the locals of a fictional town in Oregon who love and celebrate Halloween twice a year.
TikTok user Sheri Wilson is one of many who posted videos of fun-filled Halloween ideas that are good for summer.
His videowhich has racked up more than 5.5 million views, featured orange drinks in pumpkin-shaped glasses and pumpkin-shaped cheeseburgers.
Retailers like HomeGoods and Michaels have also embraced Pinkoween, a trend featuring pink Halloween decorations.
“I love the idea of taking traditionally spooky elements like skulls, bats and ghosts and changing them up with pink hues,” said HomeGoods ambassador Keiko Lynn. USA today.
Lynn, who is also a social media influencer, even posted a tutorial on how to make a ‘secret witch hat‘ with pink and green material a month before Halloween last year.
Halloween is a popular holiday and American shoppers were expected to spend more than $12 billion last year on candy and decorations.
One Reddit user praised Costco’s animated werewolves, while Home Depot’s skeleton dog sales soared after the launch of its Halloween collection last month.
Starbucks brought back its pumpkin spice lattes earlier than in previous years after retailers rolled out their products early on Halloween.
While Home Depot’s online sales of its new skeleton dog soared last month, Costco is selling out of products like Mickey Mouse-shaped pumpkins and animated werewolves.
“I love this year’s new Costco Werewolf. It’s $250 in stores and is outdoor approved. That’s why I decided to buy it,” one Reddit user wrote last month.
Michaels’ chief merchandising officer also stated that its early Halloween launch is exceeding its “internal expectations” when speaking to CNN.
He added that consumer demand is what “drives the launch” of seasonal collections, and that it came “earlier than ever” this year.
Other things consumers can do to celebrate Halloween early include stopping by Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte, or Petco to select from more than 350 items for its annual Bootique.