Halloween, widely recognised as one of the fastest growing seasonal events in the calendar, is dividing the nation as more than half of British adults claim to have never celebrated the spooky occasion, according to the latest Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker.
52% of people report they have never got involved in the day and will not this year, and a further 14% claim to have celebrated the event in the past, but are making no plans to do so this time round. Consequently, it appears only a third of British adults will not be scared off from partaking in the eerie evening despite it falling on a Saturday this year. Those expecting to get into the spirit of the event have said the customary celebrations of “trick or treating”, apple bobbing and playing pranks will take a back-seat as they opt to carve pumpkins and create Halloween-themed treats.
The Leisure Spend Tracker also suggests that this is a day for families with more than half of those living with kids expecting to celebrate Halloween. But interestingly, only three in 10 of those expect to go trick or treating with the preferred option to stay at home.
Thriller night at the pub?
Those living in households without kids report the pub will be the first choice leisure venue for Halloween, more popular than nightclubs, the cinema and restaurants combined.
Fiona Gunn, Greene King’s marketing director, said: “Halloween is typically loved across the pond, and while we know it’s a celebration that is growing in popularity in Britain, the latest Leisure Spend Tracker has revealed 52% of Brits find it a real horror, saying they have never celebrated it. It seems when it comes to Halloween, you either love it or you hate it.”
She continues: “Halloween is widely celebrated at home, and supermarkets have capitalised on this opportunity in recent years, selling costumes, toys and decorations. We know from the report that one in eight people who celebrate Halloween plan to do so at the pub, so we think it’s a great opportunity for the licensed trade to take advantage of this growing occasion and treat their customers to a thriller night.”
Key Highlights this month
- In September, the average British household spent £208 on out of home leisure, showing no change compared to the same month last year
- A strong increase in spending on Other Leisure, coupled with a decline in spending on both Eating Out and Drinking Out, saw these activities gain share of total household leisure spend year-on-year in September
- A notable fall in leisure spend year-on-year, among households where the respondent was aged over 55, suggests that those with an older age profile are responsible for holding back spend growth across British households
- Households in London and the South East increased their spend on out of home leisure by £9 (4%), compared with last year, offsetting a decline of £3 (1%) among households in the rest of Britain
Commenting on this month’s Leisure Spend Tracker, Fiona added: “We are continuing to see a growing disparity in spending on Eating Out between London and the South East and the rest of the Great Britain. The Eating Out market in the capital has continued to grow and this could be due to real earnings growth being felt more keenly in London and the South East, compared to the rest of the country. ”