Press
Release
Halloween
is spawning new holiday traditions —
Halloween
Is Second Most Important Holiday in Decorations Market
Stevens,
PA September 24, 2004 —While Halloween claims primeval roots, the
way Americans observe Halloween is unlike any other in the pantheon
of holidays. "Without formal sanction from the government or religious
groups, Halloween has become the second most popular decorating holiday.
Although it used to be primarily a children's holiday, today adults
make merry on Halloween along with their kids.
"Halloween has become the first true people's holiday and its traditions
have spread grass-roots fashion throughout the culture," says Pam
Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Why People Buy
Things They Don't Need.
This year the majority of American households will decorate their homes
for Halloween, according to a new research study of the decorating market
from Unity Marketing. They will spend more than $1 billion this year
on Halloween decorations, up from last year's spending. And they will
decorate both the inside and outside of their home.
"Along with natural decorations like pumpkins and cornstalks for
the front porch, more decorators are hanging Halloween lights, Christmas-fashion,
around the eaves of their home and mounting lighted, even moving, wire
sculptures in the yard.
"Inside their decorating focus is tabletop centerpieces and decorative
bowls for candy, candles and Halloween-themed candle accessories and
paper and party decorations," Danziger says.
New trick-or-treat tradition involving the whole family: Getting
Booed!
A new Halloween tradition is spreading rapidly grass-roots fashion throughout
the culture. Called "Getting Booed," it involves a family
making a Halloween gift basket and leaving it anonymously on a neighbor's
door step with a sign "You Got Booed." The receiving family's
job, then, is to make up another gift basket and play the trick on another
family in the neighborhood who doesn't have a 'got booed' sign on their
door.
"The way we celebrate holidays, in particular a grass-roots holiday
like Halloween, reflects the trends of the time. Today consumers are
emerging like butterflies out of their protective 'cocoons,' and looking
to reconnect with the outside world. Connecting has become our dominant
trend and along with it comes a desire to make new connections with
our neighbors. Halloween celebrations, like trick-or-treating and getting
booed, are a way for us to connect," Danziger explains.
Spooky Halloween decorations will have the edge this year
While many decorators choose harvest-home or 'fun-and-funky' themes
to decorate for Halloween, this year the dark and spooky side of Halloween
will be the preferred decorations theme, the research reveals.
Unity Marketing's new study of the decorations market, Seasonal Decorations
Market Report, 2004: The Who, What, Where, How Much, and Why of
Holiday Home Decorating, is based on focus group research with 'passionate'
holiday decorators and a survey of 1,000 consumers who bought holiday
decorations in the past year. An investment for marketers and retailers
of decorations in growing their business, it reveals decorating practices
and purchase behavior of decorations consumers. It provides details
about which holidays they decorate their homes and what kind of decorations
they use, how much they spend and where they buy decorations.
Retail sales and growth statistics are presented for 12 different types
of indoor decorations, such as paper and party decorations, tabletop
decorations, candles as decorations, Christmas ornaments and tree decorations,
etc.; and 6 different outdoor decorations, including outdoor lights,
flags and banners, and flowers, plants and wreaths for outdoor display.
Also included are retail sales and growth for 11 different holiday and
party celebrations. Attitudes about why people decorate their homes
are also included as well as profiles of five different personalities
of decorators and their preferences.
Finally brand awareness and usage is provided for 22 leading decorations
brands including profiles of the market share leaders, including Hallmark,
American Greetings/Carlton Cards and Martha Stewart Everyday. For more
information about the study, use this link http://www.unitymarketingonline.com/reports2/christmas/
or visit http://unitymarketingonline.com/
About
Unity Marketing
Founded
in 1992, Unity Marketing (www.unitymarketingonline.com) is a marketing
consulting firm that specializes in consumer insights for luxury marketers.
Pam Danziger is the company’s founder and author of Why People
Buy Things They Don't Need ( Chicago : Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2004)
which uncovers the motivations, desires and emotional needs that drive
consumers to buy. Unity also publishes market research studies on the
luxury market, jewelry, garden, pet accessories, home furnishings, gifts
and collectibles, greeting card and stationery, tabletop, art and wall
décor markets, as well as the Luxury
Business newsletter. Pam is currently working on her second book,
Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses — as well as the
Classes, to be published in 2005.
For
media, Unity Marketing can make tables, charts and graphs available
about consumer holiday decorating and spending upon request.
Contact: Pam Danziger, 717-336-1600
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