Rockville (MD) — 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, according to Consumer and Corporate Food Gifting in the U.S., 7th Edition, a report by market research firm Packaged Facts.
“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,” says Jennifer Mapes-Christ, food and beverage publisher for Packaged Facts.
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 that Packaged Facts estimates had sales of more than $21 billion in 2019. And 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,” says Mapes-Christ.
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, pumpkins, etc.
- caramel corn
- candy corn and pumpkins
- Halloween cake
- pies
For instance, Harry & David offers a number of pie gifts for sale in the fall season, including apple and pumpkin varieties. And for Halloween specifically, the premium food and gift retailer offers ghoulishly decadent delights including Halloween artisan truffles, “monster” dipped strawberries and cake pops, and cauldrons overflowing with an assortment of decorated cookies.
Similarly, GourmetGiftBaskets.com sells a large variety of Halloween food gifts, such as popcorn, pretzels, baked goods, pumpkin cheesecakes, beer buckets, wine and picnic baskets, and collections of Halloween candy. The retailer’s Halloween Candy Stash collection comes in a decorative box featuring witches and other spinetingling themes.
About the Report
Please contact Packaged Facts’ Communications Manager Daniel Granderson at dgranderson@packagedfacts.com to request the report executive summary.
Combining Packaged Facts’ extensive monitoring of the food and beverage market with proprietary surveys conducted in 2020, Consumer and Corporate Food Gifting in the U.S., 7th Edition is the go-to source for a complete understanding of the U.S. food gifting market. This report evaluates current trends and future directions for marketing and retailing, along with consumer patterns across the food gifting market and broader food and beverage market.
The analysis in this report accounts for the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the food gifting market’s performance in 2020.
About Packaged Facts
For more than 50 years, Packaged Facts has been a leading publisher of market research in the food, beverage, consumer packaged goods, and demographic sectors.
