COVID-19: 10 ways retailers can boost profits this Halloween

Let’s be honest, 2020 has really been like something out of a Halloween movie. A global pandemic, the world in crisis… every news report doom and gloom… yet that does not mean we are going to let COVID-19 ruin our holidays. Not one bit.

Families are still looking to lift their spirits this Halloween and let’s not forget that consumer spending on Halloween products has almost doubled since 2013.  There is ample opportunity for retailers to cater to consumers growing needs and supply them with everything they need to have a spooktacular Halloween.

Here are some top tips to help retailers BOO-st retail sales this Halloween:

1. Entice shoppers with a Halloween themed window display

Spook-up your window display with Halloween-themed products, including items you already sell. Showcase the products your customers are sure to love the most, and enhance the décor using creepy spider webs, black and orange paper chains and why not get creative and carve some unique pumpkin designs.

Remember your window display may be the customers' first impression of your store, so let it work its magic by crafting a display to entice and delight!

2. Decorate your shop in-store and online

Don’t stop with the Halloween theme simply on the storefront display. Allow the theme to ooze through your retail store to enhance the customers' experience when walking through. Create a Halloween ambience with soft lighting, apply decorations which appear in your window display throughout the store, and why not have a central Halloween display to create a centre of attention in your shop? Here you could display all of your Halloween goods in one place.

Extend your Halloween decor to your website to help you show have an offering for the season. Canva has a selection of free or paid for graphics for every season, and is an easy tool to use to make imagery for your website. 

3. Utilise Google Ads and Social Media Advertising to attract local customers

With so many video tutorials widely available for free on YouTube and by the platforms themselves, it is easy for anyone to get started with online advertising. Attract local people to visit your store by targeting their location demographic in the ads. If you want to do display advertising but lack the skills to create savvy graphics, check out Canva or hire a freelance graphic designer via Fiverr.

4. Get staff in on the action

Get your employees in on the spirit of Halloween by asking them to dress up on the run-up to the 31st of October. Is there a theme you have in your store they should try and match? Or how about a costume which incorporates a face mask in a novelty way – are there fun characters who wear masks which could be incorporated into the costume?

You may even wish for some staff to act as their character to help heighten the sense of spook in your store. Think about how you can make your customers' experience more fun using fancy dress, which is unique to your store.

5. Run a giveaway on social media to promote your Halloween offering

Promote your offering by conducting a giveaway on social media with the key products you want to sell in-store. A giveaway on Facebook will only cost you the price of the items and postage – the promotion can be entirely free if done the right way!

Some tips to reach as many people as possible include;

• Share the post across all of your social media channels, website and email marketing. Also, consider having a giveaway or competition per channel.
• Share your post at a time your customers are online, do you have any analytics which could give you insight into what time this should be?
• Include relevant hashtags on your giveaways such as #Giveaway, #Halloween, #FreebieFriday and #WinItWednesday. Consider posting the giveaway on a Wednesday or Friday since these are popular competition days.
• Join competition groups on Facebook and share your giveaway with the group members
• Ask customers when they are at your till point if they want to enter your competition and tell them to visit the relevant social media channel to enter.

6. Collaborate with other local businesses

Are there any businesses you could collaborate with on your Halloween promotion? Consider offering a discount to a local pumpkin patch when customers buy from your store. Or see if there are any local events you could partner with to create goody bags for their event or include coupons for your store in their flyers or anything they plan on giving to their visitors.

7. Offer a spooky discount in store

Entice shoppers with a spooky discount, limited-time offer or a freebie, when they make a purchase. Remember to advertise this offering far and wide – on your social media, email marketing and in-store.

8. Send an email campaign to entice shoppers

Once you have finalised your Halloween plan and offering, send an email out to all of your customers detailing what will be in store for them… (pun intended). Highlight any special offers, detail your giveaway and remember to include key dates.

9. Post photos of your efforts on social media

Right now, it is a really great idea to post photos of your store on social media because people are using platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok more than ever. It allows people a sneak peek of your offering from the comfort and safety of their homes, and could just be enough to entice down to your shop.

10. Boost profits with top-selling Halloween pocket money gifts and toys

Don’t forget the importance of incremental pocket money toy and gift sales and the boost in profit they can deliver. With our frightful range of wholesale Halloween pocket money toys and gifts, we guarantee that we have all the bits and bones you need to boost basket value in-store. Shop for wholesale Halloween products or download our trade catalogue below.