Spooky season hit the shelves at an eerily early point this year with ‘Summerween’ celebrations
The spooky season has officially started, and if you haven’t noticed, it’s come around even earlier than ever before in many places, including the UK, where you don’t have to walk far before finding a bat-strewn supermarket aisle, or ghoulishly good seasonal treats section.
While l am definitely one for enjoying a celebration, the emergence of a newly coined phrase of ‘Summerween’ to describe the rising tide of zombies, ghouls and ghosts being marketed at us all at an ever earlier phase, seem just a little bit overdone in my book – can I be alone in this feeling?
I totally understand the need for seasonal gatherings, festivities and the use of chocolate, candy and snacks, but overhearing a number of casual conversations around town, it seems like the feeling may not in fact held by me, that Halloween is great – but please keep it until mid to late October before really ratcheting up the marketing on it, as we’re still not long out of the summer!
So who exactly behind all this talk of ‘summerween’ then? Well, undoubtedly, there are some canny marketing folks out there who have been tasked with aiding retailers in the promotion of the season – which is worth a huge number of billions each year.
The US leads the way in engagement with it all – when the US celebrates, it tends to go very big, which has to be said, is very impressive in many instances, judging by some of the spooky themed chocolate and candy on offer this year. From special edition KitKat ‘Ghost Toast’ to Reese’s Warewolf Tracks’ and Peanut Butter Pumpkins and a host of other traditional classics, the US got it licked.
Indeed, a fresh study has found that 69% of adults say they plan to buy candy this year even if they don’t expect to have trick-or-treaters knocking on their door
67% of adults with children in their household say they plan to buy extra candy during Halloween “just in case” they run out, but keep a stash for themselves after the holiday. A further 40% of adults rated the season as their absolute favourite.
So expect plenty more creepy crawly confectionery heading your way, wherever you are in the world – don’t get me wrong, it’s a great thing in these especially challenging times on a global level to have a cause for celebration, but just a little nearer the time would be welcome. But that reminds me, I have lost track of the Christmas press releases that I have been sent in August and September….
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