Halloween is truly becoming an established tradition for young consumers in Western Europe, and these three stats show it’s only getting bigger…
TL;DR
- Young consumers in Western Europe are more excited than ever about Halloween
- They love the social element of the American-born holiday, and don’t see how COVID could alter their plans this year
- Brands have a great opportunity to tap into Western Europe Gen Z and Millennials’ new love for Halloween
Last year, we told you how Halloween is being celebrated by the majority of young consumers in Western Europe, highlighting just how global this holiday has become. Gone are the days when Halloween was unique to North America: in recent years the popularity of the holiday increased dramatically overseas as well. In this year’s WE Halloween Behavioral Report, YPulse continues to monitor how young Europeans feel about the American-born holiday. It turns out they are very excited about Halloween this year and have big plans to celebrate. These three stats help you understand how the holiday is only growing among young consumers in Western Europe and what brands should do about it.
The vast majority of Young Europeans plan to celebrate Halloween this year
When we asked young Europeans last year if they were planning to celebrate Halloween, one in four told us they were not interested in celebrating the holiday. A year later, the story is quite different. With only 15% of young Europeans not planning to celebrate Halloween this year, the spooky holiday is really becoming a “thing” in this part of the world. And we are getting close to the level of excitement that can be found in North America, where 92% of young consumers tell us they plan to celebrate Halloween. (Check out the full NA Halloween report for more!) We’ve told you how young consumers in Western Europe love everything about American culture: prom is now a thing, young Europeans are watching American-made movies and TV shows, they closely follow American pop culture, want to work for American companies, and the U.S. is their top travel destination. Brands need to know that—as part of this “Americanization” trend happening in WE—Halloween is now on the radar of most young Europeans and they’re getting ready to celebrate the holiday.
Young consumers in WE want Halloween to be a social event
Young Europeans don’t just copy what North Americans do for Halloween, they adapt the holiday based on their regional preferences. And right now in Western Europe, the mood is for in-person gatherings. Young Europeans want to step out the door for Halloween: 52% disagree with the statement “I’d rather stay in than go out on Halloween this year”—a 10pt jump from last year. This is quite different in North America, where a majority of young consumers plan to stay in for the holiday (54%). For European Gen Z and Millennials, Halloween is mostly about hanging out with friends—31% say they plan to hang out with friends—and less about spending time with their family. Only 22% have plans to hang out with family, compared with 35% in NA. For young Europeans, Halloween is an opportunity to go out, and have a good time. You might remember that in our recent WE Experiences Report, YPulse forecasted how social the fall would be in Europe, with 71% somewhat / very interested in attending in-person events in the next six months (81% in Spain). Brands should be aware that young Europeans see Halloween as a great opportunity to socialize, meet up with friends, and party.
Halloween is gathering momentum this year among young Europeans because of the post-COVID effect
This year, almost three in five young consumers don’t think Halloween will be cancelled due to COVID-19. It’s not just that Halloween won’t be cancelled this year, it’s also that most young Europeans don’t think it will have an impact on their holiday at all! When asked if COVID-19 will affect their Halloween plans this year, 68% of them say “no” compared to 51% in 2021. While their worries about COVID-19 are decreasing, their social appetite is going in the opposite direction. As a result, Gen Z and Millennials in Western Europe are very excited about Halloween this year. Brands have a great opportunity to reach young consumers in this region, at a time when they have renewed interest in going out, socializing, and—you guessed it—spending their money. With Halloween around the corner, many young Europeans have already started to make purchasing decisions, and brands should start interacting with them now to best take part in their holiday plans.
YPulse Western Europe Business users can access the full WE Halloween Behavioral Report and data here.
Don’t have a YPulse Western Europe Business account? Find out more here.
