by Freedonia Industry Studies
October 23, 2020
For American consumers who find the notion of trick-or-treating during the coronavirus pandemic to be more chilling than thrilling, food gifts offer an opportunity to safely scare up both smiles and sweets. Food gifts are a preferable option for gift giving during the pandemic because they are practical, easy to ship, comforting, and a good way to send treats to someone who cannot be visited because of social distancing.
Traditionally, Halloween isn’t a prime occasion for gifting on par with holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, or the winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa). Nevertheless, companies involved in this food market segment continue to strategize to expand options for food gifting for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Father’s Day, Easter, and occasions that take place year-round—such as wedding anniversaries, new births, and sympathy-driven occasions. And Halloween, in particular, hasn’t disappointed.
The spookiest time of the year offers ample opportunity in a food gifting market. According to Packaged Facts’ 2020 National Consumer Survey, 20% of people buying food gifts for others purchased a food gift for Halloween. Halloween is less commonly a gift-giving holiday, with the celebratory focus being placed upon snacks and candy given to trick-or-treaters. Nonetheless, the holiday provides many opportunities for food gifting to personal friends, acquaintances, or family members.
A number of products associated with autumn and Halloween can crop up in gift baskets, such as candy/caramel apples; apple cider; novelty candy and chocolates featuring wrappers with bats, ghosts, and pumpkins; caramel corn; candy corn and pumpkins; and Halloween-themed cookies, cakes, and pies. These are often packaged in a decorative box featuring witches and other related themes.
For more information and discussion of opportunities, see Packaged Facts’ food- and beverage-related reports, including Consumer and Corporate Food Gifting and US Food Market Outlook 2020: Home Cooking, Grocery Shopping & Food Trends in the Age of Coronavirus. The Freedonia Group’s extensive collection of off-the-shelf research provides a strong complement to packaged food industry analysis, including packaging industry titles such as the update of Pouches (coming soon), as well as Global Foodservice Single-Use Products and Global Single-Use Packaging Regulations. Freedonia Custom Research is also available for questions requiring tailored market intelligence.