FEATURE
HALLOWEEN & BONFIRE
106 ASIAN TRADER 17 OCTOBER 2025
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stouts for themed nights.
The cocktail trend has trickled down to
the convenience shelf in the form of
mixers, tonics, flavoured sodas and syrups.
Halloween is a fantastic event for
retailers and wholesal
ers to get involved and
have fun with, as
adults up and down the
country will be looking
to celebrate by attending
parties and hosting
gatherings.
Alexander Wilson,
Category & Commercial
Strategy Director at
HEINEKEN UK, says, “In
2024, Halloween week
delivered £129m in the total
market and this year it set to
follow suit.”
When it comes to the
brands people are purchasing, Foster’s 18
pack remains HEINEKEN UK’s best
performing SKU during the Halloween
season, followed by Foster’s 10 pack.
However, a standout brand within the
HEINEKEN UK portfolio during the lead
up to Halloween is Strongbow Dark Fruit,
which performs way above usuals sales in
this time, making it a must-stock for
retailers, and a high priority SKU for
wholesalers to carry.
Wilson strongly feels that Halloween
and Bonfire Night are a time when
independents can not only compete, but
even beat, the multiples.
“It is worth thinking about how to
facilitate trade up, for example, giving
other core brands like Old Mout, Birra
Moretti and Cruzcampo, which caters to
those watching their spend but still
wanting something special, top shelf
space.
“With Strongbow Dark Fruit and
Foster’s being core brands that perform
well all-year-round, retailers and wholesal
ers don’t necessarily have to worry about
having dead stock after the Halloween
season has passed, but instead focus on
how they display beer and cider in store
and having full availability of
these bestsellers,” says
Wilson.
Considering bonfire
season as well, having a
wholesome alcohol range is
a must. Good time to have
a close look at the stock
and replenish as well as
upgrade accordingly.
Do not forget the
ready-to-drink cocktails
versions. And of course,
the low and non-alco
holic versions of beer
and wine.
Pumpkins, candles,
creepy details
And then there’s the produce aisle’s
Halloween hero: the pumpkin. The UK
now grows more than 30 million pump
kins each autumn, most destined not for
soup but for carving.
For retailers with the space, fresh
pumpkins are a visual magnet, a bold,
orange sign that says, “Halloween starts
here.”
Mini pumpkins and squashes also
perform well as decoration or Instagram-
friendly décor.
Small stores without produce sections
FEATURE
HALLOWEEN & BONFIRE
106 ASIAN TRADER 17 OCTOBER 2025