Halloween eCommmerce: what you need to know

By Rob Zaleski
Aug 17, 2017

The crisp autumn leaves may starting to fall (depending on where you are), but the Halloween eCommerce season is here—and it’s going to be scary good. Are you prepared? Take a look at the below stats to test how much you know about what this spooky holiday brings to the eCommerce world.

Halloween eCommerce in 2016 was the biggest year in history with how much spent?
$8.4 billion. Your business needs to get a piece of that giant Halloween pie, which is wholly expected to be even bigger in 2017.
How many weeks before Halloween does the shipping START to pick up?
About 7 weeks. Your planning period is now, so you can be all set for early September. People start doing their research for costumes, decorating, and planning now, and you want to be part of the results of their online queries.
However, what percent of Halloween eCommerce shipments happen in October?
76%. Let’s be honest, we all have a little procrastinator in us, so this is no surprise. That means your efforts need to have some staying power. Plan campaigns and communications via email and social to spread out over the course of 6-8 weeks so you don’t miss any potential customers. Expect to accommodate shipping options for early birds as well as last-minute frantic shoppers.
Which of these was NOT a most popular Halloween candy in 2015 and 2016?
Snickers. What many would think is a candy sack staple didn’t crack the top four over the last two years. Take a hint from Snickers and don’t simply rely on brand recognition and customers’ memory of you to carry you over this holiday. Those that were in the top four were: Hershey’s minis, M&Ms, Haribo gummies, and Reese’s.
Which box is the most popular for shipping costumes to customers?
11.5″ x 2.4″ x 13.2″ better known as USPS Priority Mail Box 1097.
True or false? Regardless of your business type, Halloween can be a great time to build an email list in preparation for the busy holiday shopping season.
True. Halloween is a short-burst season where you can take full advantage of the influx of orders to build your list in preparation for the holiday season. Segment that list (by location, amount spent, SKUs purchased, etc.) and prepare to send personalized communications during the holidays.
The top Halloween eCommerce category people spent money on in 2016 was:
Costumes. This was followed by candy, decorating, and greeting cards. That doesn’t mean that only those who sell these items can succeed during Halloween. Be creative and carve your niche out this holiday.
What percent of people plan to buy costumes from specialty shops?
That total would be 36.4%. This means that not just the big box stores like Walmart and Target are winning when it comes to selling costumes. There’s hope for the little guys yet, so plan to make your mark on the season.
Are men or women more likely to start shopping for Halloween in September?
Women are more likely to get their shopping done early. This is certainly something to keep in mind when creating your email and social content promotions, and deciding who to target when.
Are men or women more likely to spend more on Halloween?
Though women start early, men spend more as a whole. This could be great news if your products tend to skew toward a male audience. For this or the previous point, a useful factor in segmenting your list can be the gender identification of your audience, if you have or can imply that information.

No matter how well you fared on the quiz, our Definitive Guide to eCommerce Shipping will help you save time and money by optimizing your shipping processes.