Family-owned companies bring the treats this year to Halloween consumers

Halloween is big business in the U.S. and the excitement it generates encourages purchasing that starts well before the holiday. In the annual National Retail Federation (NFR) Halloween survey, the organization notes that 47% of shoppers began buying Halloween supplies before October this year. That’s up from 32% from 10 years ago. The total Halloween consumer spend this year is anticipated to hit $11.6B, only slightly down from last year’s $12.2B.

These interesting statistics can be looked at a lot of ways, but for EY Family Enterprise it’s highlighting how family-owned firms contribute to the U.S. consumer market. This year, consumers will likely spend $3.8B on costumes, $3.8B on decorations, $3.5B on candy and $500M on greeting cards. See how family enterprises manufacture or sale (or both) many of these products:

Costumes:

• FUN.com/Halloweencostumes.com – Fallenstein Family
• The Horror Dome – Parrino Family
• Zagone Studios – Zagone Family

Decorations:

• The Horror Dome – Parrino Family
• Frey Farms (pumpkins) – Frey Family
• Paramold Manufacturing (candles), LLC – The Koster Family

Candy:

• Mars, Inc. (M&M’s, Starburst, Snickers, Skittles, Milky Way) – The Mars Family
• Just Born, Inc. (Hot Tamales) – The Shaffer family
• Zachary Confections, Inc. (candy corn) – The Zachary Family

Greeting cards:

• Hallmark – The Hall Family
• Zazzle.com (invitations and cards) – The Beaver Family

Happy Halloween from EY Family Enterprise! Enjoy a safe evening, and you are participating in the festivities, remember how a family-owned business may have contributed to the fun.

Here are a few more facts at about Family Enterprise at EY:

• We serve 91% of the 100 largest U.S. family enterprises.
• We serve 17% of the 119 largest U.S. family enterprises an auditor.
• We serve 92% of the world’s top 500 family enterprises.
• We serve 23% of the world’s 500 largest family enterprises as auditor

To learn more about our commitment to the Family Enterprise market, contact Bobby Stover, EY Americas Family Enterprise and Family Office Leader.