Spooky = Sales

Store Equipment & Design, August, 2000 by Will Daley

When it comes to Halloween displays, think creative. Think fun. Then sales will come.

Shoppers at one Michigan grocery store know Halloween is just around the corner when they stroll past the coffin.

Built by a stock boy and his father several years ago, the black coffin looks like something out of an old horror film. It draws the attention of kids, who walk up to it only to find a "skeleton" that is mostly buried by mounds of chocolate. The kids bring over their parents, and that's where the sales begin. The coffin is modified each year. For example, during one Halloween season, a motion detector prompted scary sounds when the children reached inside. "People just love it," says Brenda Hendley, who works for VG's Food Center in Davison, Mich.

This is a good example of creativity needed to drum up excitement, according to Richard George, a professor of Food Marketing at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia "The best displays are those which engage consumers and gives them some reason to stop, look and listen," he says.

The Halloween season is a fine time to use creativity. And creativity can pay big dividends. Halloween now ranks as the second largest holiday, behind Christmas and ahead of Easter and Valentine's Day, according to the General Merchandise Distributors Council.

SPOOKY ENGAGEMENTS

Professor George is big on engaging displays because now more than ever, stores need something to grab a customer's attention. The average grocery store visit lasts 18 minutes, he says. In that time, about 21 items are selected. People are on the move, in a rush. "We are a country undergoing a time famine," he says. "People are working longer and we feel time-starved."

A creative display not only can grab the consumer's attention, but it also can help supply an easy solution to shoppers' needs, whether it be creepy costumes for the kids or nutty napkins for the Halloween party. His advice: create excitement. "There's so much more we could do with creativity."

Don't just focus on chocolate, he says. Consumers must buy that anyway. Come up with displays to sell items like throwaway cameras. Hold a contest where customers bring in Halloween photos and then create a display out of them. And be relevant and in touch with popular culture. Remember, professional wrestling is big with the kids. And don't forget it's an election year. Many people will dress up as George Bush Jr. or Al Gore. How about a display depicting something along those lines? When brainstorming for imaginative displays, get together with your kids, employees or anyone who will offer input. When looking for crazy, zany ideas, familiarize yourself with the market. To do that, here's what George recommends: Go to a skate shop; watch ESPN's extreme games; read Mad magazine and Rolling Stone; and take a look at all the things kids do. Don't just look at other retailers who look like you. Look at other stores where kids frequent, like Blockbuster or The Wall.

A POPULAR HOLIDAY

Halloween, a festival with Celtic origins brought to the United States by Scottish and Irish immigrants, is apparently growing in popularity. According to a 1999 poll, 92 percent of kids planned to go trick-or-treating, says Susan Fussell of the National Confectioners Association. That's up about 10 percent from 10 years ago, she says.

One example of Halloween's increasing popularity is the mushrooming of Halloween specialty stores that pop up a few weeks before Oct. 31. You wouldn't have seen that a decade ago, says Hershey Foods spokeswoman Judy Hogarth.

Halloween isn't just about costumed kids banging on your door. Slightly more than two thirds of kids have a Halloween party at their schools, the poll showed. Then there are office parties and other parties for grownups.

"We've seen a shift in the way people are celebrating the holiday," says Hogarth. "It's become more popular to do so. It has really become a big business." As the parties gain popularity, sales for home decor and party decoration are booming, according to the General Merchandise Distributors Council. Many businesses and some supermarkets across the country urge workers to dress up in costumes on a specified day. Not only does that help morale, but customers get a kick out of it too (see sidebar).

CHOCOLATE: A SWEETER IMAGE

A popular chocolate item for Halloween shoppers is the bags of a variety of snack-sized bars. There is something for everyone.

Over the past couple of years, studies have shown some surprising good news in the world of chocolate. For example, chocolate and cocoa are a rich source of antioxidants. And the commodities market is good which means manufacturers can pass on the cost savings.

Despite the fact that chocolate is hot, don't forget the other merchandise of the season. There's the ever-important pumpkin (see sidebar). To go with it, you might want to stock pumpkin-carving kits. Some stores carry creative designs by Pumpkin Masters. The company has a children's line. In addition to carving kits, the company offers a kit that lets kids stencil footprints on the sidewalk to their home.