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For home-décor retailers, Halloween may be the silver lining in this month’s economic storm clouds.
In a survey released by the customer loyalty firm Corporate Research International, 75 percent of consumers who participate in Halloween activities said they planned to spend about the same amount or more than they did last year.
“It’s not a one-night thing anymore,” said Chief Executive Mike Mallett, who added that he started buying Halloween goodies in September.
“It’s a decorate-and-celebrate holiday that grows massively year after year.”
Carol Liguori, director of merchandising for Grandin Road, said the catalog and online retailer offered nearly 100 fall decorating products and shipped $579,000 worth of fall decor (including Thanksgiving items) to Southern California alone. “And when the holiday falls on a weekend, you can expect to see an increase in sales by 25 percent,” Liguori said.
Pottery Barn entered the Halloween market this decade and has raised its count of offerings to 30, nearly double that of last year, said Laurie Furber, senior vice president of merchandising.
Gone are the days of cardboard skeletons and plastic pumpkins. These days, Halloween decorations are made from natural fabrics, glazed ceramics, etched glass, lacquered wood and cast metal.
At Z Gallerie, a Halloween collection is released each fall and often stays on the shelves past Christmas.
“A lot of it can be used all year long,” said marketing spokesman Gordon Andahl. “Many items from our black and glittered Halloween collection would work great for a black-and-white-themed party or New Year’s.”
