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Trick or treat will look different this Halloween

Sadia Corey VP, Client Development 30/10/2020

Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy a year for Halloween but with the rising concerns of COVID, Halloween festivities are likely to be subdued this year.

Our latest research at Savanta shows a third of the US general population does not plan to do anything for Halloween this year. COVID-19 has disrupted the planning and preparation of Halloween for 45% of Americans.

44% plan to find alternative Covid-19 safe solutions for Halloween

For those who plan to celebrate Halloween, safety will be the primary concern as 44% plan to find alternative Covid-19 safe solutions for Halloween. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines for celebrating Halloween, including avoiding direct contact with trick-or-treaters, wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and frequently washing hands or using hand sanitizer. Keeping these general guidelines in view, more than one quarter (26%) of consumers plan to dress up in masks, while 22% would attend a small gathering with social distancing.

However, some of the population are not as concerned about safety as others. Almost four in ten US consumers who plan to celebrate Halloween plan do everything they usually do for Halloween.

In contrast, some consumers are increasing their safety measures. Only 17% of the general population would allow trick or treaters to come to their house, and another 15% are allowing their own children to trick or treat.

With Covid-19, costume parties are out of the question, and many consumers are canceling their parties and events. Only 15% Americans plan to attend outdoor events, while 12% plan to attend Halloween parties, regardless of the number of attendees. A small proportion (11%) plan to attend a Halloween school function.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages Americans to stay at home with kids and engage in safer ways of enjoying one of America’s favorite holidays by social distancing and going digital with online parties.

To find out more about this research or for any research related query, contact [email protected]