Halloween has climbed its way up the commercial holiday ladder to the 3rd most celebrated holiday in the UK with consumers spending an estimated £320m, a huge leap since 2001 when UK consumers spent just £12m on the festivities!
With the huge influence of pop culture, Halloween is a great time to attract customers/fans to your business by appealing to their interests.
Gather round for a tale of terror… about the business that was ill-prepared for Halloween!
Add a theme
Many pubs, bars and restaurants go as far as giving a complete overhaul to their decal, with many establishments taking inspiration from Netflix’s “Stranger Things”, Tim Burton Movies and the horror blockbuster of 2017, “IT” to draw in and entice customers. With the popularity of scary TV shows, Halloween is the perfect time for your business to stay ahead of the curve and offer your customers something different!
Recommended theme:
The Upside Down/Grace Byers Living Room (Stranger Things)
Customise your menu
Another fang-tastic theme is a Mexican food night based around El Día De Muertos (Day of the Dead). The authentic feel will come from a mixture of both the Mexican Decal such as skulls and masks as well as the Mexican food. If your business doesn’t already serve Mexican food, this could be a great way of enticing new customers!
Recommended dish:
(Silence of the) Lamb Liver, Fava Beans and a nice Chianti
Offers & Promotions
Many businesses get into the swing of things by running offers or promotions on limited edition cocktails, menu items or even through hosting a ticketed event, whether that be a horror movie pub quiz, spooktacular party or macabre dining session. By running a promotion in advance, you’re sure to plan and secure bookings for your Spooktacular event! Why not decide on an event to cater towards the whole family, such as a haunted ghost walk!
Recommended promotion:
Creepy Cocktail Menu: Bloody Mary, Death on The Beach, Tombstone Whiskey Cocktail, Mali-BOO
A NIGHTMARE ON THE HIGH STREET
With the ever-growing popularity of Halloween, the retail industry is certainly reaping the benefits.
The average consumer in the UK will spend upwards of £50 this year on Halloween, including items such as costumes, decorations, pumpkins, alcohol and sweets for trick or treaters.
A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) said that “Halloween starts earlier and earlier, just like Christmas” and that’s certainly true for any retail business. Halloween costumes, decorations and promotions start as soon as September lands – leaving an entire month for consumers to shop around and spend.
Learning from trends at the end of this year and the start of the next can help your business boom the next time Halloween comes around!
Are you prepared for the extra custom this Halloween? GS offers a plethora of solutions to ensure your business can reap the benefits of the festivities with everything from taking bookings online to managing your cash and stock.
If you would like to know more about how GS can help your business – speak to a specialist today.
