The spookiest night of the year is just around the corner! The end of October is a prime time not only for witches and ghosts but also for retailers and shippers. Shippers are gearing up to ship scary costumes, decorations, and lots of treats.
Halloween shipping plays an enormous role in the retail industry. On average, Americans spend an average of $10 billion on Halloween. With that amount of money involved, the goal of the retailers is to deliver goods on time, undamaged, and to the right place. Otherwise, nightmares happen. Boo! Traditionally, Halloween signifies the beginning of the holiday shopping season in America and worldwide. The turnaround for the haunted night is getting bigger each year. In the U.S. alone, Halloween retail sales in 2019 reached $8.6 billion in revenue. However, this year, sales volumes are expected to drop by 8% because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this setback, more than 148 million customers are Halloween shopping this year.
What do consumers buy on Halloween?
Have you ever wondered what people buy and how much they spend on Halloween? According to statistical reports, 53% of Americans will acquire holiday decorations in 2020, while 46% will carve pumpkins, and 18% will purchase costumes for their pets.
The pumpkin industry
While many local farmers still offer pumpkin picking, retailers and supermarkets are the main places where consumers purchase their pumpkins. Thousands of tons of pumpkins are sent throughout the United States each year, with over 40% coming from the state of Illinois. Retailers need to provide enough pumpkins to meet the needs of both consumers and their fellow retailers decorating their stores.
The shipping of pumpkins comes with complications and can become costly as they must ship in temperature-controlled trucks. Specifically, during transport, pumpkins must be kept in containers between 50 – 53 degrees.
Candy
Candy can also be difficult to ship for similar reasons as pumpkins. If the truck is too hot, the candy will melt, and no one wants a melted chocolate bar in their trick-or-treat bag! It is best for candy to be shipped in temperature-controlled trucks as well. This is where GoShip refrigerated shipping option steps into the game.
Costumes
The most popular costumes among adults are witches, vampires, zombies, pirates, and Avengers characters. For children, the most popular costumes are princesses, superheroes, witches, and Star Wars characters. One of the most surprising and growing trends among Halloween shoppers is buying a costume not just for their children or themselves but for their pets. Americans spend more than $3 billion on costumes yearly, with 70% of the country celebrating the day annually. Shipping these items is straightforward, but delays can occur as Halloween gets closer.
How to prepare for Halloween shipping?
It’s extremely important for retailers to provide a positive customer experience for their customers. First and foremost, buyers want their items on time. Wrapping and packaging play a crucial role in shipment protection as well. As for the entire holiday season, retailers should keep their inventories and warehouses organized in order to fulfill all orders on time and successfully ship them across the country. In comparison, packaging matters for Halloween costumes and decorations, but the most crucial part for companies who ship sweets and candies is that trucks need to have climate control to deliver goods in the proper condition. We can help you secure capacity, choose from a variety of carriers and freight rates, and easily book shipments. Our online shipping platform can assist you with your retail logistics needs and provide you with the truck capacity for your freight! Already started shipping for this holiday shipping season? Get a free quote right now!