It's the spookiest time of year

Halloween in Australian retail

Halloween is gaining traction in Australia. While there are differing opinions as to the appropriateness of celebrating an autumn festival in spring, consumers are increasingly trick-or-treating or throwing Halloween parties, meaning more retailers are hanging out the cobwebs and dusting the skeletons to celebrate this spooky holiday. Why should retailers consider Halloween in Australia?

Scaring consumers: don't be afraid!

Fear can actually be beneficial for brands. Consumers can become more affiliated with a brand when they experience fear – people seek affiliation with others when they experience fear and brands can fulfil this need. This subsequently increases emotional brand attachment.Fear can also increase consumer choice for decisions made in the present when compared to other emotions such as sadness, pride, or hope. For example, British supermarket Tesco unleashed pranks on their customers such as phantom trolleys, human hands in the butcher section, and a jump-scarecrow. The pranks were unexpected as only two of the 7,000 stores across the UK participated, giving customers a frightfully entertaining shopping experience.

Consumer engagement: Halloween’s hidden potential

From trick-or-treating to fantastical feasts, Halloween is a time for friends and family, providing retailers with a great opportunity to engage with consumers. For example, Koala Mattresses created a fully digital Halloween campaign where shoppers could search for spooky motifs hidden around their website. The first consumer to comment the correct number of hidden spooky motifs on the brand’s social media post won a pillow. This encouraged consumers to actively engage with the website’s content.

While there are still differing opinions over the appropriateness of Halloween in Australia, the holiday is likely to become part of Australian culture as the younger generation start passing down traditions to their own children. Halloween is still in its infancy in Australia, so retailers have the opportunity to contribute to a growing celebration.