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Fewer Americans Will Celebrate Halloween in 2020 as COVID-19 Pandemic Persists
With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, it appears that Halloween traditions won’t be the same this year.
A consumer survey of more than 900 adults from market research company Advantage Solutions shows that only 35% of the surveyed Americans said they would put out candy for trick-or-treaters. This is down 14% from last year.
Advantage Solutions also reported that “nearly two-thirds of candy buyers plan to make their purchases in October and more than half plan to spend the same amount on candy this year as they did last year.”
Candy Companies Prepare
Meanwhile, Fox Business said that some of the biggest candy companies have already been preparing for “sluggish candy sales well ahead of fall.”
“If trick-or-treat tends to be a little lower than expectation, clearly we’ll focus even more on the ‘treat for me' and the ‘candy bowl’ occasion,” said Michele Buck, CEO of Hershey's Company, on a second-quarter earnings call in July, as reported by Fox Business.
“We already shifted some of our portfolios to more everyday packaging to protect the downside, should Halloween sales be a little bit lighter, to really manage that liability,” Buck added.
Advantage Solutions showed a comparison of Halloween activities during a normal year and this year. On a normal year, 55% greet trick-or-treaters at the door, while it would only be at 28% this year. Also, 41% attend or host a Halloween party with friends on a normal year. Meanwhile, only 19% would do so this year.
The survey report also said that 3 in 10 survey respondents plan to make Halloween-themed baked goods. However, half say they’ll enjoy them only from the comfort of their homes.
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