28 Oct Ready, Steady Spook! Clever Tricks for Halloween hits…
WHETHER it gives you the shivers or makes you scream with delight, Halloween has become big business in Britain.
Now the third biggest retail event after Christmas and Easter, it’s no wonder that some of our favourite brands are finding fiendishly clever ways to get a slice of that (pumpkin) pie.
From Starbucks to Soreen, Mr Kipling to Cadbury, some of the nation’s best loved products have been given a Halloween makeover.
Cake lovers are spoilt for choice. There’s Mr Kipling’s Fiendish Fancies and Toffee Terror Whirls, along with his ‘exceedingly good’ Spooktastic Cup Cake Mix. Soreen has also waved a wand over its range, creating Scream mini loaves in both chocolate and blood orange and toffee apple flavours, while Krispy Kreme has gone the ‘hole’ hog, with a range of ‘scaring is caring’ spooky doughnuts. Marks & Spencer’s product innovators have also been busy, giving Colin the Caterpillar his latest new look, with a cake, mini rolls, sweets and cake jar all on the same creepy Colin theme.
With spending on Halloween more than doubling from 2013 to 2019, from £230 million to £474 million, there are many different sectors keen to magic up extra profits from this time of year, whether that’s costumes, home décor or drinks. The UK’s insatiable appetite for chocolate is also part of the picture. Top of the chocs are the Cadbury’s Goo Heads – Crème Eggs given a goo-some makeover.
Halloween is of course a massive sugar-fest so it is not surprising that when it comes to savoury foods, there’s less to go batty about, but some stores have conjured up some fright night specials.
For an edible attempt at trick or treat, shoppers can sink their teeth into Morrisons 14-inch Spicy Fright Pizza has hidden layers of Scotch bonnet hot chilli sauce. Iceland is also holding out for a Halloween boost with its Scarily Spicy range.
Food outlets also want to out-spook each other and use Halloween as a way to get customers though the door. Restaurant-goers can sink their fangs into a whole host of doom-inspired dishes, from a jalepeno-laced limited-edition Hot Trick burger at burger chain Byron to Cherry & Scream Frappucino at Starbucks, with a side order of gingerbread skeleton.
This is just a taste of clever tricks that brands have been hatching in the months leading up to Halloween. With the life squeezed out of the day last year, because of the high covid threat, this year retailers will be ramping up the grisly fun.
We say embrace your inner child, throw yourself into it and have a Halloween ball. Eye-ball cupcake anyone?
Photo by Charles Parker from Pexels