Halloween - Meijer Newsroom

Halloween
Fact Sheet
Halloween is on a Friday this year – something that won’t happen again until 2025. That means consumers will be
making the most of the holiday weekend, making this year the year of the party. Meijer will have plenty of spooky
party decorations, indoor décor, animated accessories and creepy costumes for Halloween parties all weekend
long. As a result, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer expects Halloween early and often this year. Here are
some other Meijer trends:
MORE PARENTS DECORATING HOMES
Weekend parties and more trick-or-treating means that moms and dads are looking for ways to decorate their
homes inside and out. Halloween is the No. 1 season at Meijer in yard décor items. Inside the home, popular items
like gargoyles, bats, scarecrows and pumpkins continue to be a favorite. New this year are animated décor items,
including candy bowls. Meijer expects to sell 25 percent more Halloween décor this year.
COSTUMES LET YOUR PERSONALITY SHINE
Parents are getting into the holiday spirit this year with 30 percent more dressing up this year. “Mommy and me” and
family costume sets continue to grow in popularity, especially assorted critters - like Foxes, Kitties and Snow
Leopards - for moms and daughters, and Bacon and Hot Dog costumes for dads and boys.
Source: Meijer
Halloween
Fact Sheet
Other top costume trends this year include:
Licensed: Nearly 40 percent of all costumes at Meijer
are licensed
Boys: Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles and superhero
muscle costumes are most popular. About 70 percent of
all boys costumes are licensed products
Girls: Monster High continues to be popular, but Anna
and Elsa from Frozen will be top costume choices for
girls and toddlers
Quick and easy costumes: Step-in or “bagged”
costumes will provide customers with “no muss-no fuss”
solutions this Halloween. Novelty costumes like Sharks,
Bacon, Penguins, Bananas and Footballs are everpopular for adults.
Do-It-Yourself costumes: DIY has grown in popularity
beyond the Meijer craft aisles. More and more adults
are piecing together their Halloween costumes, which is
why Meijer continues to offer wide assortment of wigs
and individual costume accessories. Meijer sells more
black nail polish and novelty make-up during Halloween
than any other time throughout the year
Source: Meijer
Pets: With more and more consumers treating their
pets as members of the family, Meijer anticipates selling
50 percent more pet costumes than in 2013. Costumes
are trending toward cute and comical, with an expanded
assortment for small, medium and large dogs. The most
popular dog costume this year is the Shark, and other
favorites include Owl, Turtle, Taco, Cupcake and
Whale. Cat head pieces are also increasing in
popularity, so don’t be surprised to find kitties dressed
as Pigs, Pirates, Angels, Cupcakes, Devils and Bats.
Halloween
Fact Sheet
THEMED CANDY BAGS
Candy bags are becoming a must-have accessory for trick-or-treating. Over the last 3 years, bags that
compliment child costumes have steadily grown in popularity, and are featuring licensed characters
like Super Mario Brothers, Doc McStuffins and Spiderman.
SAFETY IS KEY
Meijer expanded its assortment of safety items this year because Halloween is on a Friday. More trickor-treating and evening parties mean many parents will stock up on safety items like glow sticks,
necklaces, flashlights and reflective tape.
CANDY THIEVERY IS ON THE RISE
More than 80 percent of parents admit to taking candy from
their children. With 90 million pounds of candy sold during
the week of Halloween in the United States, bite-sized
chocolate and hard candies are still top sellers. But candy
manufacturers are also responding to growing demand for
nut-free goodies with a wider variety of candies safe for
children with food allergies.
LOCALLY GROWN PUMPKINS
The retailer purchases pumpkins – large Jack-O-Lanterns
and small pie pumpkins – from growers in Michigan, Indiana,
Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin. Meijer expects to sell more than
1 million pumpkins of various sizes and varieties this year.
DON’T WAIT TOO LONG
While 70 percent of consumers shop the final week of October, many customers miss out not only on
sales, but also on their favorite costume due to the last-minute rush of shoppers.
Source: Meijer