Once again, Home Depot Canada has taken the Halloween lead with a variety of collections such as its new 13-foot Jack Skellington – something you can’t find anywhere else. Konstance Sevastos, the Division Product Merchant at The Home Depot in Canada, and Emma O’connell, the Online Merchant for Seasonal Decorations at The Home Depot, discuss what consumers can find for this Halloween season, its new e-commerce experience, and trends.
Early Halloween Shopping
Both Sevastos and O’connell have seen an increase of Canadians shopping earlier for Halloween and have seen products sell out as soon as July. The trend for consumers shopping earlier can also be seen at retailers across Canada for back to school and Christmas.
“We typically start seeing searches starting late June or early July. To support this, we make sure pre-sale options are available on our top items like Skelly, Jack, Pumpkin King, and more. This ensures customers who do start their Halloween decor search early secure the high demand items, while at the same time – keeping our stock ready to go for customers who begin shopping closer to the spine-chilling date,” says O’connell.
The Home Depot, Sevastos says, is known for its large Halloween decorations including its 13 foot, 12 foot and 10 foot skeletons. The pre-sale for these items were in July and were sold out within 24 hours. The company restocked these items, but have once again sold out, people looking to buy these items will have to wait until next year’s Halloween.
“This year, we only did the presale for the big products and that is what consumers are looking for as it is hard for them to get their hands on it if they went to the store. We are the only ones with these assortments,” says Sevastos. “We also have a new character – the 13 foot Jack Skellington and we also still have our existing 12 foot tall skeleton called Skelly and then we have our 12 foot Pumpkin King – everything was sold out within 24 hours.”
Trends This Halloween
Sevastos and O’connell say the biggest trend right now is consumers buying skeletons. In addition to these giant products, Sevastos says consumers can find 8 foot skeletons, inflatables, and accessories such as stretchy spider webs, danger tape, and more.
“The current Halloween trends reflect a dynamic mix of nostalgia-driven choices and a fascination with giant decorations. Nostalgia for classic movie characters like Freddy Krueger and the Minions have brought them back into the spotlight and they are ready to make an appearance on your lawn,” says O’connell. “Larger than life decorations are also captivating consumers looking to make a big impact. The desire for personal expression and creativity is encouraging individuals to take their Halloween celebrations to new heights, and we are thrilled to help people create memorable and unique experiences during this Halloween season.”
Although there is nothing Barbie themed – The Home Depot offers more classic decorations.
“From inflatables and outdoor decor to lights and indoor accessories- our product selection is carefully curated to ensure you have everything you need to transform your home into a Halloween haven. We don’t have anything in pink in our Halloween assortment as of yet; however, our selection does include characters reminiscent of past classic Halloween lore like Freddy Kruger and our new giant addition the 13-foot Jack Skellington, as well as haunting recreations of beloved characters like Yoda to help you create a unique movie inspired Halloween experience,” says O’connell.
To make it a bit different every year, Sevastos says although they keep the big skeletons every year – they try to switch up colours and bring in ad-ons such as skeleton lights. By doing this, Sevastos says it brings some newness to the product offering and even if a consumer has already purchased a skeleton in the past, new ad-ons will keep them coming back every year for more.
New Webpage Experience
The Home Depot has launched a new website to feature the main skeletons.
“This year’s Halloween for consumers on the e-commerce side promises to be an exciting and immersive experience, with a strong focus on replicating the in-store ambiance and offering a brand-new experience that will truly captivate shoppers. Our new online web experience will prominently feature larger than life characters, ensuring consumers can easily explore and find all the accessories they need to create the perfect Halloween look. These characters will be showcased with high-quality images and detailed descriptions, providing shoppers with all the necessary information to make an informed decision,” says O’connell.
Currently, the e-commerce platform is the same as the in-store assortment, but O’connell says they are continuously looking for new ways to develop their online product offerings due to the growing demand for Halloween products.
No matter what budget people have going into Halloween – The Home Depot makes sure everyone can enjoy a festive Halloween. Online, people can find cheaper Halloween options under the special section where they can find Halloween decorations under fifty dollars and there are budgeted options in-store as well such as smaller skeletons.
As for in-store experience, Sevastos says consumers are enjoying the displays, are interacting with them, and are posting their experience on social media – “every weekend is an event for customers,” says Sevastos.
“Our aim is to continue delivering an exceptional shopping experience, both in-store and online, and to provide our customers with the variety and convenience they desire. We are enthusiastic about the future possibilities and look forward to enhancing the options available to our valued online customers,” says O’connell.
