What’s a candy custom that by no means fades?
For a lot of, it’s Halloween. Certain, it is enjoyable to decorate up, hang around with mates, get into some college antics, and throw epic events. However let’s “Creep It Actual,” Halloween is all in regards to the sweet! From candy treats to savory bites and even a couple of boo-zy sips for the older crowd, there’s so much on the menu for Gen Z this Halloween. Learn on to find probably the most coveted candies, hottest costumes, and favourite quick meals repair as this technology gears up for an evening to recollect!
The Survey Outcomes Are In
To get a clearer image of what is driving these Halloween gross sales, we lately surveyed 1,000 individuals: 500 youthful Gen Z (ages 12-17) and 500 older Gen Z (ages 18-27) to disclose their high sweet, costume, and quick meals preferences.
Whereas the surveys had been largely related, we included particular questions on alcohol consumption for the older group to mirror their totally different life levels and social experiences.
This strategy offered insights into how each age teams have a good time Halloween. The outcomes supply a glimpse into what makes Halloween particular for Gen Z — displaying precisely what they’re hoping to bag on their trick-or-treat rounds this yr.
*All respondents had been from the U.S. between the ages of 12-27 by way of the Discipline Agent app on August 31, 2024. We carried out 2 related surveys, contemplating half of the technology are adults and adults with children. The youthful demographic crammed out the survey with the permission and help of a mother or father. The survey was carried out solely by way of the Discipline Agent app. Gen Z – Ages 12- 17: Male respondents (n =89): 18-20 years outdated (1%), 21-29 (7%), 30-39 (26%), 40-49 (44%), 50-59 (16%), 60+ (6%); Feminine respondents (n = 408): 18-20 years outdated (0%), 21-29 (7%), 30-39 (35%), 40-49 (43%), 50-59 (12%), 60+ (3%). Gen Z – Ages 18- 27: Male respondents (n =125): 18-20 years outdated (10%), 21-29 (90%); Feminine respondents (n = 361): 18-20 years outdated (6%), 21-29 (94%).
Sweet Crush: The Favorites of Gen Z Revealed
As a mother or father of three Gen Zers myself, Halloween has grow to be a sweet obsession. The youngsters eagerly dump their loot on the ground, eyes gleaming as they meticulously kind their treasures. From chocolate bars to bitter treats, they categorize every thing, leaving the much less in style items. Then comes the buying and selling. Negotiations worthy of Wall Road as they swap less-loved candies for favorites. It is critical enterprise, with the ignored candies usually remaining lengthy after the coveted ones have vanished. The cry of “I WANT CANDY!” echoes extra instances than I can rely.
One Gen Zer in our survey expressed a unique perspective: “I don’t have anybody favourite sweet. I sit up for it as a result of I sit up for all of it!” Whereas sweet is central to Halloween, this sentiment captures the broader enchantment. It is about the entire expertise and anticipation. Is that this why Gen Z and their mother and father go away cabinets naked with this sweet craze?
Our findings reveal that chocolate is the clear favourite amongst all Gen Z individuals relating to Halloween treats. Nevertheless, the Gen Zers in my family like chocolate, however they love fruity gummy candies. As they get pleasure from their stash, I’m very happy to trick or deal with myself with the traditional “mother or father tax.” Extra chocolate for me!
Trick or Treaters had been requested their favourite sort of Halloween sweet. In response to previous surveys, Reese’s, Hershey’s, and Snickers have held their positions within the high 5. Was this yr any totally different? Gen Z agrees that Reese’s are wickedly good.
Reese’s claimed the highest spot once more as the favourite sweet amongst each age teams, with 29% of youthful Gen Z (ages 12-17) and 28% of older Gen Z (ages 18-27) selecting it as their high decide. Hershey’s and Equipment Kat tied for second place at 12% every amongst youthful Gen Z, whereas Equipment Kat secured a powerful second place with 20% amongst older Gen Z. Hershey’s maintained its reputation throughout each teams, holding regular at 12%.
As proven within the graph, this knowledge reveals some attention-grabbing shifts in sweet preferences between youthful and older Gen Z, with notable modifications within the reputation of manufacturers like Equipment Kat, Snickers, and Starbursts.
Whereas some Gen Zers are die-hard followers of particular manufacturers, our survey exhibits they’re additionally open to attempting new issues. Throughout all ages, individuals agreed they might contemplate sweet suggestions from household and mates, suggesting the potential for locating new favorites.
The Candy Spots: Finest Locations to Purchase Halloween Sweet
Now that we have unwrapped Gen Z’s favourite candies, let’s discover the place they plan to buy to refill on their Halloween favorites. With inflation on the rise and a quest for one of the best choice, this technology has clear concepts about their Halloween buying locations.
The information revealed some attention-grabbing tendencies on how buying preferences stack up:
For each youthful Gen Z and older Gen Z, Walmart was the best choice for Halloween sweet, with 69% of youthful and 77% of older respondents planning to go to its shops. Goal ranked second amongst each teams, drawing 46% of the youthful and 45% of the older demographic. Nevertheless, the similarities finish relating to the third spot. Youthful Gen Z choose warehouse golf equipment like Costco and Sam’s Membership with 23% and 22% respectively, whereas greenback shops like Greenback Common and Greenback Tree collectively attracted 31% of older Gen Z customers.
This knowledge highlights not solely the dominance of main retailers but in addition the rising significance of budget-friendly choices, particularly amongst older Gen Z shoppers.
Whereas brick-and-mortar shops dominate, on-line retailers, akin to Amazon, have a gradual however smaller following.
Dressed to Thrill: Gen Z’s Prime Costume Concepts and Developments
Simply as Gen Z love their Reese’s, additionally they have clear favorites relating to costumes. Not surprisingly, 71% of youthful Gen Z plan to put on a dressing up in comparison with 59% of older Gen Z. With costumes in such excessive demand, Gen Z is taken with quite a lot of choices and has particular preferences for the place they plan to purchase.
Pop Tradition TV/Film characters reign as the most well-liked costume selection for each youthful Gen Z (12-17) and older Gen Z (18-27), with 33% and 37% expressing curiosity respectively. Monster and scary characters ranked second amongst youthful Gen Z at 21%. For older Gen Z, Monster/Scary characters tied with Princess/Fairy Story characters for second place, every attracting 21% of respondents.
Curiously, Princess/Fairy Story characters noticed a major leap in reputation amongst older Gen Z, rising from 14% within the youthful group to 21% within the older group. Superhero costumes maintained constant enchantment throughout each age teams at 14%. The information means that whereas popular culture influences are in style, there is a numerous vary of costume preferences amongst Gen Z Halloween individuals.
Gen Z’s Halloween costume picks mix popular culture, nostalgia, and household creativity. With Swifties plentiful in each age teams, Taylor Swift is a best choice, together with Marvel Girl and Stranger Issues characters. Youthful Gen Z surprisingly embraces throwbacks like The Blues Brothers, Laverne & Shirley, and Care Bears. Additionally they favor family-themed costumes akin to The Goldbergs, The Incredibles, and Bluey.
Older Gen Z is equally inventive, embracing Emily in Paris, Barbie & Ken, and Beetle Juice. Enjoyable household costumes embrace Zombie ensembles and quirky setups like a household tricking out their wagon to seem like a rubbish truck with their son because the storage collector. Gen Z is gifted in making Halloween enjoyable, stylish, and distinctive!
Thrill of the Hunt: The place Gen Z Outlets for Halloween Costumes
In terms of getting costumes, nearly all of Gen Z prefers store-bought choices, with 61% of the youthful group and 55% of the older group selecting this technique. On-line buying can be in style amongst each teams, with 40% of youthful and 49% of older Gen Z choosing this handy choice.
Home made costumes enchantment to a good portion of every group as nicely, with 40% of youthful and 46% of older Gen Z making their very own. Second-hand or thrift retailer purchases are much less frequent however nonetheless notable, particularly amongst older Gen Z.
Other than these in style methods of sourcing costumes, our survey uncovered an attention-grabbing issue affecting costume selections amongst each age teams. Whereas many respondents within the “Different” class talked about dressing up as their favourite online game characters, an surprising development surfaced. Some individuals talked about indecision on account of family-themed costume issues. For youthful Gen Z, this may imply coordinating with mother and father and siblings.
Curiously, a couple of older Gen Z individuals additionally famous this issue. Maybe they’re persevering with household traditions and even beginning new ones with their youngsters. It appears the fascination with matching Halloween outfits spans generations! Whether or not it is youthful Gen Z hoping to keep away from one other yr of parent-picked ensembles or older Gen Z embracing the enjoyable with their very own households, the household costume dilemma lives on in Gen Z.
This concentrate on family-themed costumes additionally reveals a enjoyable hyperlink to sweet selections. Artistic costumes can result in extra enthusiastic trick-or-treating and in style themes usually form each costume and sweet picks. As an illustration, a household dressed as superheroes may discover themselves gravitating towards themed candies, making a enjoyable collaboration between costumes and treats. Recognizing these connections permits retailers to raise the Halloween expertise, making it extra memorable and interesting for everybody.
The Last Chew: How Gen Z Celebrates Halloween Evening
Who knew selecting out a dressing up may affect your sweet cravings? Discuss a candy connection! However after all of the trick-or-treating enjoyable, what’s subsequent? For a lot of Gen Zers, the evening doesn’t finish with simply sweet. A visit to their favourite quick meals spot is commonly the right solution to wrap up the festivities, and our survey exhibits {that a} important variety of them are doing simply that.
For a lot of, stopping by a favourite fast-food restaurant is a typical thought. 62% of youthful Gen Z and 53% of older Gen Z plan on it. Right here’s the place they’re heading on Halloween evening.
McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A high the listing of quick meals spots, drawing 35% of each youthful and older teams, Chick-fil-A follows with 28% of youthful Gen Z and 24% of older Gen Z. Taco Bell can be a favourite amongst older Gen Z at 16%, whereas 14% of youthful Gen Z choose to dine at different choices. Older Gen Z ranked Different as a preferred decide too. When requested to specify their different selection, the bulk answered pizza. Wendy’s, Burger King, and Subway additionally made the listing of in style selections.
Boo-ze Alert: Halloween Drinks for Older Gen Z
Because the evening winds down and the youthful trick-or-treaters head to mattress, it’s time to focus solely on older Gen Zers. For these over 21, Halloween plans may also embrace a drink or two. Right here’s what the survey revealed about their alcohol preferences and the place they plan to get pleasure from them. 30% of older Gen Z will likely be consuming alcohol, adopted by 20% Very Probably, 20% considerably probably, 16% not very probably, and 14% completely not.
In terms of alcohol selections amongst older Gen Z, beer or wine leads the pack at 43%, carefully adopted by cocktails at 42%, and punch or blended drinks at 41%. Spiked seltzers and spirits tie at 36%, whereas onerous cider is chosen by 29%. 13% even boost their espresso or scorching chocolate with a boozy twist.
As for the place they’re elevating their glasses, the bulk 68% choose the consolation of residence. Associates’ homes are the subsequent hottest place at 40%, adopted by Halloween events, at 30%. Some enterprise out to pubs or bars, 19%, or collect outside for a tailgate or bonfire 14%.
This Halloween, it appears older Gen Z is mixing up their drink selections and retaining the social gathering near residence or inside their social circles. Older Gen Z just isn’t solely embracing quite a lot of drink choices but in addition prioritizing social connections, whether or not at residence or in festive settings, making their vacation expertise each pleasant and memorable.
Understanding these evolving preferences can assist retailers and types higher cater to Gen Z’s tastes. By leveraging Discipline Agent’s instruments, you’ll be able to improve your Halloween merchandising methods, optimize product placement and finally drive gross sales throughout this festive season. Discover the Discipline Agent Market as we speak and put together to fulfill the wants of your prospects this Halloween!
Key Subsequent Steps for Retailers
To successfully interact Gen Z, contemplate these key subsequent steps:
1. Make the most of Actual Shopper Suggestions: Leverage Discipline Agent’s Scores & Opinions to assemble genuine insights from shoppers who buy and check out your merchandise.
2. Acquire Shelf Insights with Shelfgram’s digital storewalk expertise to investigate planograms, conduct value checks, entry heatmaps to know shopper consideration, evaluation previous shelf preparations, and measure marketing campaign efficiency.
3. Implement Thriller Purchasing for QSRs: Assess how Fast Service Eating places are dealing with Halloween promotions and seasonal choices.
By integrating these instruments to implement data-driven methods, you’ll be able to improve the buying expertise and drive increased gross sales this Halloween and past. To be taught extra about remodeling your retail operations, go to Shelfgram and Discipline Agent Market as we speak.
