Halloweenis a holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints’ Day. It is largely a secular celebration, but some Christians and pagans have expressed strong feelings about its religious overtones. Irish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America during Ireland’s Great Famine of 1846. The day is often associated with the colors orange and black, and is strongly associated with symbols such as the jack-o’-lantern. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o’-lanterns, pranking people, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies. … Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks, and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween. –Wikipedia

****************************************************************************************************

The Business of Halloween

Halloween has evolved from rural superstitions to big business. One reason is thatHalloween is a very affordable holiday. It doesn't cost as much as Christmas or Thanksgivingand is still lots of fun. Shoppers are willing to spend money on somethingif it provides a lot ofvalue.Halloween does that. Another reason is thatconsumer confidence is at its highest level in nine years. People aren't letting theuncertain state of the global economy scare them away.

The chart below from https://www.thebalance.com/halloween-spending-statistics-facts-and-trends-3305716 shows year-over-year spending on Halloween for in the U.S. between 2012 and 2016.

Year / Americans Celebrating / Average Spending Per Buyer / Total Spending /
2016 / 171 million (All-time record) / $82.93 (All-time record) / $8.4 billion* (All-time record)
2015 / 157 million / $74.34 / $6.9 billion
2014 / 162 million / $77.52 / $7.4 billion
2013 / 158 million / $75.03 / $6.9 billion
2012 / 170 million / $79.82 / $8.0 billion

According to the National Retail Federation, this year (2016), more than 171 million Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, spending an average $82.93, up from last year’s $74.34. Total spending is expected to reach $8.4 billion, an all-time high in the history of NRF’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights. The survey finds that 7 in 10 consumers plan to hand out candy, and nearly half will decorate their home or dress in costume.

Assignments:

1. Imagine that you are starting a Halloween-themed business. Based on what you know about consumer buying behavior, how would you capitalize on the holiday's earning potential?

Write a two to three paragraph pitch to persuade potential investors. You should describe your Halloween business, identify the customers you'd target and explain how your product, service or idea will make money.

2. Search for historic haunted houses or haunted hotels. Provide a brief summary of the story behind the house/hotel in the space below:

Create an advertisement (using Word, Publisher, or PowerPoint) for the sale of the property. You may make it scary, funny, serious, or a combination of all. Use pictures, as well as text, to make your ad relevant.