As
part two of a three-week series, we continue to take a look at three Halloween
shoppers who may be left in the lurch with the anticipated shortage of
Halloween candy and how your business can capture sales by seizing the
opportunity to meeting their unique needs. Missed last week? Click
here to read it first.
The Party Shopper
Halloween parties are making a steady comeback as COVID-19 restrictions in many communities continue to diminish. This means hosts and guests of potluck parties will be looking to social media for fun and creative treats to WOW party goers!
To capture the attention of The Party Shopper, identify your products that meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Visual appeal | Products with unique shapes and bright colors will appeal to shoppers looking to shock and delight! For Halloween, products can be cute and colorful or even “bloody” and downright disturbing. Think of how to transform a round chocolate piece into a bloodshot eyeball or chocolate-covered pretzel sticks into severed fingers. For more ideas, click the following link to view our blog post: 5 Tricks to Transform Your Existing Treats for Halloween.
- Creative flavors | Strange and unusual flavor applications can be a big draw for consumers—these may be a twist on a seasonal flavor like chocolate pumpkin pie or something as outrageous as a chocolate-covered onion (yep, that’s a thing)! Click here to read more about the RCI member whose chocolate-covered onion attracts customers from all over.
- Interactive | There is something magical that happens when you offer people an experience with your products. Whether you give customers a hammer and invite them to bash a beautiful chocolate pumpkin or pour warm milk over a hot cocoa bomb, interactive treats continue to draw people in. Interactive products could also include take-home chocolate kits—consider a Halloween-themed gingerbread house made entirely of chocolate and candy. Reimagine ways to weave the interactive element into your product lineup and invite customers to incorporate it into their party plans.
How to Reach The Party Shopper
The Party Shopper is all about the experience! As mentioned in last week’s post, reaching out to existing customers who may not think of your store as a destination for Halloween candy is a great place to start! Capture party planners early and last-minute shoppers in October by sending out themed email blasts to your customer list letting them know of your Halloween selections.
Take advantage of visual media to communicate your Halloween offerings. If your business is not on Instagram or TikTok, now might be a good time to test one or more of these social media outlets. Try utilizing video to demonstrate your interactive products or how show how your products are made.
Next
week, we will introduce Halloween Shopper #3: The Gift Giver. Stay tuned for tips
and inspiration for how to target this Halloween shopper!
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