New research by Central England Co-op reveals Halloween is no longer just for kids

Posted by james brindle | Published: 18/10/2019


New research from Central England Co-operative has revealed its customers' shopping habits when it comes to Halloween and reveals that more and more of us are choosing to mark the event – not just the kids.

Based on data gathered from sales across the retailer’s 244 food stores, there is a clear movement in recent years to Halloween becoming a chance to hold parties and gatherings to mark the occasion.

Beer, cider, lager, wines and spirits are consistently the biggest sellers in Halloween week and sales continue to grow year-on-year according to the data.

The figures show a 12% rise in these sales over the Halloween period in 2018 compared to 2016, with 7,000 more products sold.

This rise in sales, 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 growing popularity of celebrating Halloween is also highlighted in the sales data for pumpkins in Central England Co-op stores.

In 2018, there was a 10% jump in the sales of pumpkins – around 3,000 extra pumpkins purchased. The data also suggested shoppers increasingly leave their preparations until the last minute, with a sharp rise in pumpkin purchases on October 30 making it the most popular sales day – and a 56% rise in pumpkin sales on October 31 itself compared to the year before.

Sita Chauhan, Customer Experience and Insights Manager at Central England Co-op, said: “Halloween is increasingly a busy time of year for our food stores and the popularity of the event with people of all ages is really highlighted in this research.

“As well as looking to us for those last minute trick or treating goodies, this research shows how our customers also shop with us to really make their Halloween parties and family gatherings even more special.

“We constantly monitor what our customers want and as a convenience retailer we endeavour to ensure we can offer a range of great deals, delicious treats and spooky accessories to make sure those Halloween festivities go off with a bang.”

Among the delicious Halloween-themed sweets and treats available in Central England Co-op stores are Co-op Strawberry Zombie Mummy Eyeballs (130g, £1), Co-op Gummy Spiders (140g, £1) and Co-op Halloween Chocolate lollies (30g, £1).

There is also a Co-op Halloween Gingerbread DIY Kit (200g, £2), which gives kids and grown-ups the chance to decorate their own monster gingerbread pumpkin heads with a choice of sprinkles and icing.

Central England Co-op stores are also stocking a fantastic range of gifts and accessories to make Halloween celebrations truly spooky, from masks and costumes to decorations and pumpkin carving kits.

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, travel shops, 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 2019.

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 and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390

Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop