As the days count down to Halloween, a deal between Chipotle and Spirit Halloween for novelty costumes has added to the options consumers have had at their disposal to dress up as their favorite fast-food dishes come October, whether for trick-or-treating or holiday parties. In fact, quick-service restaurant chains offering costumes depicting fan-favorite foods has […]
Tag Archives | Spirit Halloween
Boba Tie-Ins Bubble Up
By Karen Raugust on January 25, 2024 in Character/Entertainment, Food/Beverage, International, Licensing, Promotion, Retail
Bubble tea, or boba—a creamy, tea-based drink containing tapioca pearls—was invented in Taiwan and has been spreading around the world, including into the U.S., where boba drink outlets are becoming ubiquitous at malls and elsewhere. The U.S. bubble tea market was forecast to reach $464.29 million in 2023, up 6.9% from $434.11 million in 2022, […]
Horror Show
Horror films—which represent a perennial-favorite genre—have been doing particularly well at the box office in recent years, with the theatrical success of M3GAN being one of the most recent examples. Streaming of horror movies took off during the pandemic, adding fans not just for new releases and well-known franchise movies but also years-ago classics and […]
Costume Change
The costume industry is in the midst of transitioning from a historical focus on kids and Halloween to more of a year-round, all-encompassing, and all-ages business. This change is occurring due in part to an increase in adults going all-out to celebrate Halloween and to the rise of massive fandoms tied to pop-culture properties, many […]
An Extra Scary Halloween
Halloween, coming up this Saturday, is naturally forcing consumers, marketers, and retailers to adapt their approach for the COVID era. How will that impact sales of Halloween-related products? The National Retail Federation predicts overall spending for the holiday will fall 8%, from $8.8 billion in 2019 to $8 billion this year, although those who do […]
Adaptive Products: An Unexplored Opportunity
Companies with ties to licensing are increasingly creating products for consumers with special needs, an underserved population. This customer segment encompasses everyone from children with autism to people of all ages with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis, to seniors who have trouble getting dressed due to dementia or physical ailments. Some of […]
Comfort TV
Some very wholesome TV shows from the past have spurred merchandise programs in recent years, and their efforts continue to expand. Modern consumers likely gravitate to these brands in large part due to their nostalgic appeal, but also, at least to a degree, because they serve as an antidote to today’s digitally driven, politically charged, […]
Cosplay Beyond the Cons
Cosplay—dressing up as a favorite anime, videogame, television, or book character, in a self-created and realistic costume, and interacting with others doing the same—has been a big and growing hobby for several years. More recently, the popular avocation has moved beyond the borders of the numerous comic book and pop culture conventions and into the […]
Fright Night
If you live in a country that celebrates Halloween, especially the U.S., there will probably be a superhero at your door tonight. The top Halloween costumes each year—whether licensed or DIY—tend to reflect current social and pop culture trends. And according to this year’s crop of consumer surveys focusing on Halloween shopping in the U.S. […]