A growing competition in the retail industry compels many businesses to begin stocking shelves with Halloween candies as early as August.
Some experts described the scenario as an evolving trend that no longer just applies to the pre-Christmas season. In recent years, retailers took the liberty of displaying their holiday offerings even if the fall season has not even started yet.
Supply Chain Preparations
Whether or not businesses decide to sell Halloween candies too soon, filling machine and equipment manufacturers like Volumetric Technologies are more than happy to take orders. Retailers will not readily admit that they want to be the last store to participate in pre-holiday sales, especially now that traditional stores need to look out for competition from the e-commerce sector.
In the brick-and-mortar segment alone, the number of groceries nationwide have increased between 2009 and 2014. For instance, Baltimore had 304 shops from just 200 stores during the same period. This does not even count different online retailers that have emerged in previous years, and they have already made the competition even tougher for physical shops.
Big Business
Candy sales from Halloween reach billions every year, so it’s not surprising that retailers want to get ahead of their competitors for the biggest share of the market. In 2017, the National Retail Federation had expected around $2.7 billion of sold candies during the spooky holiday.
While online shops have become popular, many Americans still visit specialty stores to find the best deals on either candy or costume purchases. The average consumer spent around $730 for their Halloween shopping last year, which explains why some retailers launch early Halloween promotions.
Candy manufacturers should expect an increasing demand from retailers to increase in the coming months. It pays to be prepared for the seasonal uptick in business by having a complete set of equipment for packaging or distributing products.