NEW YORK — If you want the most candy this trick-or-treat season, make sure your costume is creative. That’s according to a new poll of 2,000 parents which reveals that scary (15%) and pop culture-themed (13%) costume wearers also tend to fill up candy bags faster.
Overall, three in five (61%) believe that creative costumes garner more candy. So, it’s no surprise that kids are asking for classic costumes such as pirates and vampires (41%), scary characters (41%), superheroes and villains (39%), and pop culture figures (39%).
That doesn’t mean they aren’t getting creative. When asked about the weirdest costume their child has asked for, respondents said, “chicken nuggets,” “a blue tarantula,” and “a green bean.”
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of HI-CHEW, the survey sought to uncover how parents are taking the spooky and sweet to create a memorable Halloween experience for their children. While parents are more likely to purchase their child’s costume than attempt a DIY outfit (31% vs 11%), there are some perks to making it themselves. Almost half (46%) would opt for a DIY costume because it gives them a chance to be more creative and 40 percent would do so because they have fun creating them.
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Parents themselves enjoy getting in on the holiday fun too. More than half (57%) of respondents admit they frequently dress up with their child for Halloween.
‘Candy proof’ costumes?
Almost seven in 10 (69%) are likely to “candy proof” their child’s costume by making sure masks are easily removable and their makeup won’t smudge.
Kids are looking forward to getting chocolatey (59%), sweet (53%), fruity (45%), and chewy (42%) candy the most this Halloween. Forty-two percent of parents also believe that their child eats more candy during Halloween than other candy-themed holidays such as Valentine’s Day or Easter.
In fact, parents believe that during the Halloween season, their child gets about four pounds of candy. Almost eight in 10 (78%) say they envy their child’s candy haul.
“Halloween and trick-or-treating is all about dressing up, eating candy and family fun,” says Teruhiro Kawabe (Terry), President and Chief Executive Officer of Morinaga America, Inc., in a statement. “Costumes are a great way for kids to express their personalities and can also lead to more treats to indulge in!”
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More than half (55%) of parents secretly wish they could still go trick-or-treating themselves. However, when asked how Halloween has changed since they were a kid, 44 percent say there were more opportunities and events for their child to get candy. Similarly, 41 percent add that they have more fun watching their kid celebrate.
When trick-or-treating, parents have to take an average of about three trips back home to empty out their child’s candy bag. But in the end, it will only take about seven days for kids to finish eating their entire haul.
“Halloween candy is an essential part of the holiday,” Kawabe says. “It’s what keeps kids smiling, no matter how big the haul, and truly keeps the Halloween spirit alive.”
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,007 U.S. parents was commissioned by HI-CHEW between September 1 and September 9, 2022. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).