‘Adultoween’ Creeps Up in Popularity

Adults have traditionally bought the candy to be distributed on Halloween – that’s nothing new. But what is changing is the ultimate destination of such goodies. Whereas most treats used to go out the front door to trick-or-treaters, a growing amount is being squirrelled away by grownups for their own consumption.

That’s just one of several findings of a new survey from candymaker Ferrero demonstrating that the “Adultoween” trend continues to grow, with 64% of the responding parents saying they buy candy this year even if they don’t expect trick-or-treaters and 71% saying they buy extra candy for themselves “just in case”

“Adults aren’t just participating in Halloween anymore – they’re truly embracing it as their own holiday,” said Chad Stubbs, Chief Marketing Officer at Ferrero North America. “From carving out child-free celebrations to curating personal candy collections, adults are rediscovering the magic of Halloween in their own way.”

Indeed, Stubbs said one the survey’s most telling responses found that over half of adults (54%) now believe they deserve their own adult Halloween night without childcare responsibilities – the ultimate declaration that Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore.

Some other evidence of that trend:

• 62% of adults believe Halloween is as much for adults as it is for children
• 71% of parents agree Halloween belongs to grown-ups too
• 47% of adults name Halloween as their favorite holiday
• 63% view Halloween as prime time for guilt-free candy indulgence
• 65% of the respondents would rather face a haunted house than run into their ex.

Click here for more from the survey, which was fielded Sept. 4-9 and drew responses from 1000 adults aged 18 and up.