Media Release
- Australians expected to spend an estimated $159 million on confectionery this Halloween
- New data from Mars Wrigley Australia highlights Halloween as a growing community celebration in Australia
- Halloween perceived as ‘too American’ is the biggest barrier to people celebrating it in Australia
- Suggestions to make it more of an Australian celebration included dressing up as Aussie characters and creating a new Aussie Halloween symbol, the ‘Zombie Kangaroo’
October 28, 2019: Australians will spend an estimated $159 million this Halloween on chocolate and other confectionery products as the holiday grows in popularity Down Under, according to research released today by Mars Wrigley Australia.
Mars Wrigley is one of the nation’s largest confectionery companies, and always sees a sales increase in the lead up to Halloween. This year, the company has distributed over six million party share packs to stores, making this the largest four weeks of sales of share packs for the entire year.
And it looks like Mars’ top selling confectionery for Halloween 2019 will be old favourite Milky Way and Skittles.
The research shows chocolate is by far the preferred treat to receive, with 56 per cent of respondents choosing this option over lollies (22 per cent) and ‘other’ ie. muesli bars (22 per cent).
It seems Halloween in Australia still divides the nation. 43 per cent of Australians plan to celebrate this October 31, but it’s a growing trend, with nearly 60 percent claiming Halloween is growing as a celebration in their area. Three quarters of celebrators believe Australians should celebrate Halloween to build a sense of community.
For those who don’t celebrate Halloween, 71 per cent say it is because the holiday is ‘too American.’ But many think Halloween can be celebrated in our own unique Australian way, with suggestions of dressing up as favourite Aussie characters including ‘the bogan’; adding Australian treats to trick or treating; and even introducing a ‘Zombie Kangaroo’ as a new Aussie Halloween symbol.
“We’ve seen big growth in our chocolate sales over the last few years leading up to Halloween. Spending time together, sharing treats and connecting with friends and family, is what it’s all about. It’s pleasing to see many Australians view Halloween as a reason to come together and celebrate,” says General Manager Mars Wrigley Australia, Andrew Leakey.
According to the survey, the highest participation rates for this year’s upcoming celebration on October 31 will be in Tasmania (88 per cent), followed by South Australia (82%) and Western Australia (82%).
When it comes to spending on confectionery, the average spend works out to be $21.89. One-third of celebrators spend between $15-30 each year, with 28 per cent spending between $30-45 and 24 per cent spending between $5-15. It’s not good to be a trick-or-treater in the nation’s capital however, with ACT proving to be the most frugal with two-thirds only spending between $5-15.
Mars Halloween share packs are available in-store at Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and leading outlets.
Image credit: https://www.mars.com/
