Halloween popularity in UK opens 'new opportunities' for farmers

The two weeks before Halloween this year saw a £90.5m increase in spend, in particular on pumpkins
The two weeks before Halloween this year saw a £90.5m increase in spend, in particular on pumpkins

The growing popularity of Halloween could open up new opportunities for the red meat, potatoes and dairy sectors.

With Christmas round the corner, the UK’s food and farming sectors are braced for a spending bonanza.

However, there are growth opportunities in smaller festivities in the calendar, a new report highlights.

According to Kantar Worldpanel, the two weeks before Halloween this year saw a £90.5m increase in spend on pumpkins, sweets, chocolate and bakery, showing a trend towards bigger celebrations that other food sectors could exploit.

Despite being viewed as a family event, 73 per cent of sales in the run up to Halloween came from households with no children and under 28s showed the greatest uplift in spending, having a positive halo effect on alcohol as they prepared to party.

And with Bonfire Night falling a week later, there is double the chance to put meat and dairy products on the menu.

With consumers splashing out, there’s an opportunity for the industry to position its products as part of the party, the report, by AHDB, says.

'Great opportunity'

It is the first time AHDB has looked in detail at the Halloween occasion and what opportunities it could offer for various farming sectors.

Kim Malley, AHDB Senior Retail Analyst, who authored the report said: “Halloween has really taken off in recent years and there’s a great opportunity for the industry to capitalise on this through new product development or retailer activity to place meat, potatoes and dairy at the heart of the celebrations.

“Our marketplace continues to be dynamic and we’re always trying to add value to our categories. This analysis of Halloween and Bonfire Night demonstrates that with the right pricing, positioning and packaging we can look to boost our presence in these smaller annual events, instead of solely relying on Christmas and Easter.”

Similar reports will be released over the coming year looking at Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, alongside Christmas and Easter retail performance.