Australians will spend an estimated $159 million this Halloween on chocolate and other confectionery products as the holiday grows in popularity, according to research released this week 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.
“We’ve seen big growth in our chocolate sales over the last few years leading up to Halloween,” said General Manager Mars Wrigley Australia, Andrew Leakey. “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.”
In a statement, the company said it looked like Mars’ top selling confectionery for Halloween 2019 will be 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).
According to the research, 43 per cent of Australians plan to celebrate 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 said it was because the holiday is ‘too American.’
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.