According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween has become a bonafide spending event in recent years—and could perhaps even be considered the unofficial start to the holiday season. In fact, Halloween is second only to the winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa) in consumer spending on home décor—a sure sign that Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore. From decorations to Halloween night treats to fall-themed foods—there’s a wealth of opportunity for Sales Advisors to boost sales all month long.
With decorations being such a big draw for Halloween, one of the easiest ways to grab shoppers’ attention is to theme up your cart, too—especially when you have Halloween-inspired merchandise to talk about. If the packaging is black and orange, build a big display. Or pull other festive items from around the store, such as pumpkins, mums or bags of Halloween candy.
Also share ideas with shoppers on how to get more than one use out of a Halloween product. For example, a pumpkin-carving kit could also be used to make apple goblins or potato ghosts. And the monster on a cookie package could be cut out and used as a window decoration once the box is empty.
Of course, no Halloween celebration would be complete without treats. But keep in mind that doesn’t have to mean candy. Encourage shoppers to think about other ideas for parties and trick-or-treating, such as a tray of “witches’ fingers” (refrigerated biscuit dough rolled into rods and baked with almonds stuck in the ends) for a potluck or fruit snacks, cereal bars or individual applesauce packs as a healthy treat to pass out.
Even if your product seems to have little relation to the season, you can still capitalize on shoppers’ excitement for the season with things like fall recipe ideas. For example, if you’re sampling sausage, suggest pairing it with baked squash and apples for a hearty dinner that’s high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Look for other ways to highlight traditional fall ingredients like pears, cider, pumpkins, turnips and cranberries, too.