Over half a million Brits have already started researching online for this year’s Halloween costume, with ‘clever ideas’ and popular culture topping the list, according to new research. The study, from Hitwise, indicates that Harley Quinn, the super-villain from this year’s box office hit Suicide Squad, is set to be the nation’s favourite costume choice […]
Over half a million Brits have already started researching online for this year’s Halloween costume, with ‘clever ideas’ and popular culture topping the list, according to new research.
The study, from Hitwise, indicates that Harley Quinn, the super-villain from this year’s box office hit Suicide Squad, is set to be the nation’s favourite costume choice this year, topping costume search rankings. This is closely followed by ‘80s fancy dress’ and ‘Disney Moana’, the lead character from the upcoming Disney film.
Key findings
• Half a million Brits already researched Halloween costume
• ‘Harley Quinn costume’ is the UK top search
• Brits searching for ‘clever’ costume ideas more so than last year
Last year, Halloween-related searches accounted for 1 in every 106 online searches across the UK.
Costume or fancy dress search
1. Harley Quinn costume
2. 80s fancy dress
3. Disney Moana costume
4. Matilda costume
5. Deadpool costume
6. Poison Ivy costume
7. Joker costume
8. Willy Wonka costume
9. Maleficent costume
10. Fantastic Mr. Fox costume
A trick for some and a treat for others, the nation is likely to encounter a few “Donald Trumps” and “Kim Kardashians” this Halloween, with the Hitwise data revealing an increase in searches for these celeb costumes this year.
However, some Brits are branching out from these traditional trends and getting creative this year searching more for “handmade” and “clever” costumes, than for “naughty” and “cheap” costumes, compared with the nation’s searches last year.
Those most eager to make a fancy dress decision are those aged 18-24, who are 90% more likely than average to search for costumers online, whilst students and interns account for nearly 10% of all costume searchers.
Nigel Wilson, managing director at Hitwise, says “Whilst there may be some scary sights on the streets this Halloween, retailers can avoid a last minute fright by listening to online demand and ordering the right costume stock accordingly. With recent films and popular culture figures dominating searches, it’s important for marketers to listen to current trends and align their campaigns accordingly. Marketers must also keep an ear to the ground in terms of who is buying what. For example, with students and interns accounting for nearly 10% of costume searchers, they are a prime audience for businesses seeking to take advantage of Halloween to boost sales.”
