growth strategies

How to make this Halloween a monster success for your business

By: Niyati Budhiraja

Social and Community Engagement Specialist

October 03, 2025

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Halloween isn’t just a night of costumes and candy anymore—it’s a full-blown retail season. Stores start filling aisles with candy and costumes right after Labour Day. Some even roll out the pumpkins before summer fades. Event companies are already sending out spooky party invites. The season is no longer a one-night affair. Halloween has become weeks of opportunity, not just October 31. For many businesses, it’s one of the biggest revenue drivers of the fall. If you want your share of this sweet pie, you need to act early.

What the numbers say

According to Retail Council of Canada, in 2024, 53 per cent of Canadians planned to celebrate, and 83 per cent expected to spend the same or more than last year. Most purchases happened in stores at 73.2 per cent, while 23.7 per cent were online. Almost half of shoppers started buying two to four weeks before Halloween.

Statistics Canada reported that in October 2023, Canadians spent over $1.8 billion on cookies, confectionery, and snack foods.

According to Leger, parents planned to spend an average of $115.80 on Halloween items in 2023, while adults without kids planned $64.20.

The data is clear: people are spending, and they’re spending early. Here’s how your business can become their first stop.

For restaurant owners: Serve up a fang-tastic experience

Own the pre-trick-or-treat rush: Families need quick bites before they hit the streets. Offer a “Pumpkin Hour” bundle from 3 to 6 p.m. Include kid meals, a shareable, and a take-home treat bag. Price it to move volume. Promote it on social and Google Business Profile.

Add a spooky twist to your menu: Create a three-item seasonal menu. One shareable, one entrée, one dessert. Think pumpkin spice, apple crumble, or a black pasta special. Keep prep simple so your kitchen doesn’t turn into a haunted house.

Make your space Instagram-worthy: Set up a selfie corner with a Halloween backdrop. Add a QR code for a contest. Ask guests to post and tag you. Offer a free dessert draw every night. It’s low cost and high engagement.

Partner with your community: Sponsor a school trunk-or-treat with branded treat bags and a dine-in coupon. Cross-promote with a local costume shop. Exchange flyers and counter cards. Local partnerships are a treat for both sides.

Halloween marketing ideas

For retailers: Turn your store into a house of deals

Stock early and stack smart: Candy and snacks lead Halloween spending. Set up endcaps by the first week of October. Refresh daily. Bundle products at clear price points like $10, $20, and $40. Use bold shelf talkers.

Create boo-tiful displays: Shoppers look to in-store displays for inspiration. Use vertical signage and a hero colour. Add a small photo corner for social shares. Keep aisles clear for carts and strollers.

Plan for the rush: Traffic peaks two to four weeks out, then spikes at the last minute. Schedule extra staff for October 30–31 and extend hours if possible.

Use flyers and local ads: Flyers remain a top source of inspiration. Drop a four-panel flyer focused on candy, costumes, and décor. Add a radio mention about safe trick-or-treat kits to draw morning shoppers.

Offer convenience: Promote buy online, pick up in-store. Create “party-in-a-box” kits for 10, 20, or 40 guests, with quick pickup stations for easy grab-and-go.

For ecommerce stores: Give your website a wicked seasonal makeover

Build a Halloween hub: Create a landing page with clear categories: candy, décor, costumes, party supplies. Add filters for size, age, theme, and price. Use clean, bright images.

Set clear shipping cut-offs: Post cut-off dates by province and service level on every product page. Offer local pick-up where possible. Promote carbon-neutral ground shipping if you have it.

Boost trust and speed: Add sizing notes on costume pages. Display a simple returns policy near the Add to Cart button. Turn on live chat during peak hours from October 20 to 31.

Run targeted ads and emails: Retarget visitors with a three-ad sequence: viewed item, bundle offer, last call. Send a three-email series: launch, mid-month reminder, final weekend. Early shoppers are growing, so start now.

Add social proof: Run a user photo contest for best porch setup or costume hack. Feature winners on your product pages.

Halloween marketing ideas

Quick wins you can launch this week

Upload a Halloween landing page and link it in your top nav

Build one value bundle per category with simple price tiers

Print shelf talkers and a window poster that match your flyer

Publish shipping cut-offs and pickup hours everywhere

Schedule a short paid social campaign in a tight radius

Email your list with a clear offer and deadline

Staff for evenings on October 30 and 31

Own the season before it ghosts you

Halloween isn’t a one-night scare anymore. Shoppers are starting earlier, spending more, and looking for convenience. Keep your offers simple, your displays bold, and your deadlines crystal clear. Make it easy to buy in-store, online, or curbside—and you’ll turn this spooky season into a monster win.

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Sources:

https://www.retailcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024_Caddle-RCC-Halloween-2024_v4_Sep-24-EN.pdf

https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/7247-trick-or-treaters-candy-roads-and-households-bag-full-halloween-data

https://leger360.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Leger-X-CP-Halloween_Habits.pdf

Author Profile

Niyati Budhiraja

Author Profile

Niyati Budhiraja is a word nerd who turns tricky business talk into fun, simple and genuinely helpful content. She writes features on inspiring Canadian businesses, crafts easy-to-follow guides and shares smart tips to help small businesses feel confident and supported. When she’s not writing or dreaming up her next blog idea, you’ll likely find her hunting down the city’s best hot chocolate.