Treat or Treat: the Halloween Industry

The seasonal holidays have begun with Halloween which was yesterday. And it was not just fun for the children, since it isn’t only about the tricks, the treats are equally important, at least: Halloween has become a full-fledged industry of its own.

This industry amounts to approximately $8 billion per year in profits in the USA alone, according to specialty reports. Products sold range from sweets to costumes, with almost 30% of this total value translating into various sweets. Almost $2.5 billion were spent on these treats in 2011, and this number is increasing this year, according to Benzinga’s research (a financial media outlet providing investors with high-quality, unique content that is coveted by Wall Street’s top traders). And so is the industry’s offer, making Halloween one of the most profitable holidays of the year.

About 75% of American households hand out Halloween candy, out of which chocolate is the holiday’s favourite, followed by candy corn, according to the National Confectioners Association in the US.

Halloween is not a one day wonder for the confectionery industry alone; bakeries are also dressing up their offers.

Global treats

It isn’t a strictly American holiday anymore either, the UK’s Halloween industry was worth more than £300 million three years ago, making it the third most profitable holiday for confectioners and bakers, after Christmas and Easter, according to the British publication Wales Online. The rate of the sales growth is estimated at approximately 12.5%.

Australia adopted the celebration as well. Leading supermarkets recorded a 30% increase in Halloween themed merchandise sales in 2012, sweets being some of the consumers’ star attractions.