Time To Spook Up Your Store

Halloween is just over a month away! But store retailers across Canada are already setting up shop to frighten their customers into coming into their stores. Well, not exactly. Sprucing up their stores with Halloween decorations is a more accurate description of what many Canadian retailers are doing to drum up sales this fall.

As QMI Agency’s Stefania Moretti reported late last week, both summer and back-to-school sales were slower than expected this year. Store owners across Canada are hoping for somewhat of a boost this fall. With the fall season about to officially start in a little over a week from now, retailers are hoping the boost comes soon.

This way of thinking has made Halloween an even more important occasion than ever. Never considered an official holiday, the spooky fall tradition is one that brings about a lot of thrilling events for people of all ages. As always, it’s important for business owners to cash in on the excitement. And this true now more than ever.

John Torella certainly feels this way. He is a retail consultant at J.C. Williams who, when interviewed by QMI Agency, insisted that “Halloween continues to grow more and more important.” And since a recent Value Village shopping survey found that 90 per cent of adults polled won’t be reusing last year’s Halloween decorations, Torella feels that merchants need to “get in, in a big way.”

In other words, going all out to “spook up” your store with Halloween decorations is certainly the way to go, especially when selling Halloween-based items. The Value Village survey also found that the average Canadian plans on spending upwards of $300 on Halloween this year. Many retailers may be unaware of just how big the annual celebrations of thrills and chills really is.

Said Ken Alterman, the president and chief executive of Value Village: “Halloween is one of our biggest times of year at Value Village, and it keeps getting bigger. In fact, over the last five years we’ve seen Halloween sales increase more than 35%. It’s a holiday where you can escape from everyday worries, alter your ego and just have fun celebrating with friends and family. People love that.”

Canadian Tire certainly agrees. Moretti writes that Halloween has become the store’s third most important season category behind Christmas and “summer backyard living”. The retailer, known mainly for auto and home supplies, plans on bringing in over 40 different Halloween costumes for sale this fall.

And imagine, the day after Halloween will practically be Christmas for most retailers! Aren’t we still officially in summer? For business owners across Canada, summer is long gone and fall is already here. So if you haven’t yet, it’s time to get your store ready for the festivities that mark the new season.