As an organic retailer you should focus on special Halloween promotions and events during mid to late September and all through October. Ignoring Halloween could be a frightful experience, both in terms of low customer satisfaction and profit-loss.
Below are 10 ways your retail establishment can celebrate and promote a happy and profitable organic Halloween.
1. Offer Sales on Special Organic & Green Halloween Goodies
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Stock your shelves with Halloween goodies that will appeal to kids and adults. Examples of foods include organic candy, autumn-minded organic coffee, organic Halloween cookies and fall fruits.
Organic candy will be an especially popular item in your retail store, so make sure to stock up and hold some sales. Visit Natural Candy Store for a wide selection of organic candy ideas, or check out the following organic candy companies:
- Yummy Earth
- Pure Fun
- Angell
- Equal Exchange
- College Farm
- Sweet Earth Chocolates
- Endangered Species Chocolate
It's also a good idea to have some other Halloween items stocked up. For example, reusable trick-or-treat bags, organic soy candles, compostable or reusable Halloween tableware, recycled paper Halloween greeting cards and smaller decor items.
2. Decorate with Green Halloween Decor
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Halloween is a very visual holiday event. People want to see Halloween banners, jack o' lanterns, spooky lighting and more. To keep in line with organic and environmental ideals of your organic consumers, you'll want to stick with the most eco-friendly decor possible.
Visit the following sites to purchase environmentally sound Halloween decor choices or to get ideas for your own recycled decor:
As an organic retailer, remember, you've probably got plenty of suitable natural, autumn harvest decor you can use for Halloween. If not you can always hook up with a local organic farm to pick up some natural decor. Fresh bins of crisp organic apples, corn stalks, a few hay bales, a homemade scarecrow and autumn flowers can go a long way when you're decorating for Halloween.
Don't forget the spooky music. Haunting Halloween music can set the scene, get your customers in the mood for Halloween spending and is a big hit with your customers' kids.
3. Launch an Organic Halloween Coloring Contest
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Halloween coloring contests are a simple way to include kids in your Halloween celebrations. Nothing fancy, just offer some printables (on recycled paper) and eco-friendly crayons, plus a small area to sit at, and you're all set.
Kids love to see their artwork displayed on store walls and you can award an organic Halloween lolly pop or organic apple to each kid who participates.
4. Promote Healthy Halloween Treats
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Parents, already top organic consumers, are becoming more interested in Halloween treats that are safe, healthier and still fun for the kids. Of course, USDA organic candy has fewer ick issues for kids than conventional candy, such as fewer and safer pesticides used in production and no artificial colors or preservatives. Sell this fact in your candy isle with a handy organic fact sheet for parents.
Place a few Halloween posters around your store, advertising the healthier treats you're carrying this season. Some good ideas of healthier organic and green treats to stock up on include:
- Halloween Organic ZBars for Kids
- Organic Juice Pouches
- Organic Twisted Fruit
- Organic fruit snack pouches
Organic raisins, popcorn balls, apples, pumpkin seeds, honey sticks and non-food treat items like organic crayons, tiny soaps and small recycled paper pads are also all great treats to promote.
5. Host an Organic Trick-or-Treat Event
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Parents, especially parents of very young kids, are often looking for stores that offer trick-or-treating events, in order to avoid the typical Halloween neighborhood march.
Promote your event ahead of time. During the event, hand out recyclable Halloween bags to kids and let them skip around the store collecting treats.
You can set up treat stations in each area of the store - deli, produce, bakery and so on. Make sure to mark treat areas clearly, so kids can find them. Have suitable Halloween treats for younger, as well as older kids available. For example, hard candy is off-limits for toddlers. To be really thoughtful, have some allergy-free Halloween treats on hand too.
To amplify the fun, you may also consider a costume contest, kid-friendly Halloween games like bobbing for apples, face painting and maybe another kind of entertainment.
6. Offer Organic Halloween Treats All Month Long
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During October, be sure to offer some treat freebies around the store. Your store can make many organic treats in the bakery or deli, or simply offer organic candy at the check-out stands.
You can use any organic Halloween recipes you choose, but be sure to switch out conventional ingredients for organic. Below are some easy Halloween-friendly treat recipes that customers may enjoy.
7. Focus on Organic Pumpkins
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Pumpkins and awesome jack o lanterns are a huge part of Halloween, so be sure to place focus on organic pumpkins in your establishment. First of all, organic pumpkins tend to cost more than conventionally grown pumpkins so educate consumers about the benefits of organic vs. conventional crops.
You might also want to hold a pumpkin carving contest or a learn how to carve event. Of course, pumpkins placed for sale in all areas of the store is a good idea, as are free pumpkin recipes, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin printables for the kids.
8. Offer Halloween Freebies & Tips
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Offering customers a little something for nothing is a great Halloween idea. Fact or tip sheets can be written and handed out on any number of topics, such as:
- Facts about organic Halloween treats
- Why choose an organic pumpkin
- Healthy Halloween treat ideas
- How to celebrate a green Halloween
- How to host a healthy Halloween party
- And so on.
Recipe cards placed around the store are also a popular freebie item. Create recipe cards for organic candy apples, Halloween cookies, homemade organic apple cider and other treats. Place these recipe cards near ingredients.
Other freebies may include smaller items like organic raisins, apples or other treats. See the above section - Offer Organic Halloween Treats All Month Long - for more ideas.
9. Celebrate Halloween Online
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Don't ignore online Halloween promotions. If you have an organic business website, dress it up with Halloween artwork if possible. Write about cool Halloween ideas at your business site or blog, such as Halloween stories, green Halloween tips and recipes for yummy items like roasted organic pumpkin seeds.
Post kid-friendly tips as well, such as best costume ideas, Halloween crafts and safety tips.
Additionally, promote Halloween events and special sales on your Facebook page or at other social networking sites your business is connected with.
10. Move on Once Halloween is Over
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Halloween isn't one of those holidays that lingers long in consumers' minds. Once it's over, it's over. It's fine to host a last minute sale for those folks who love to stock up a year ahead of time. However, hold that sale quickly, then pack up your Halloween decor and goodies right away.
Of course, you can still promote organic harvest autumn goodness, like organic pumpkins and spice candles, but remember that people are moving on to Thanksgiving. Hello organic pumpkin pies!
