Meijer bets big on Halloween

Meijer is preparing for Halloween, a growing category, and marketing an assortment of costumes not only to youth but also to pets.



"Halloween may be just one day a year, but everyone spends October thinking about the perfect costume, treats and décor for the whole family, so why shouldn't we include our dogs," said Liwanag Ojala, VP of e-commerce. "Whether customers are looking for costumes in extended sizes like plus or tall, or trying to turn their pet into T-Rex or Katy Perry, Meijer is making it easy to step up their Halloween game and stay on budget."



The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer has aggressively expanded its Halloween selection, increasing costume offerings for pets, adults and youth. Thanks to a wide in-store selection and 4,000 new costumes and accessories added to its online selection at Meijer.com, Meijer now has more than 500 decor items and more than 10,000 costumes and accessories — including makeup, nail polish, false lashes, wigs, masks — to help complete any look.



While 150 million Americans are expected to celebrate the holiday this year, consumers are expected to collectively spend more than $330 million on pet costumes this Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation. Not only are more people purchasing Halloween costumes for their dogs but experts say they're spending much more per costume, with a rise of 40% in overall spending since 2010.



By positioning itself as a destination for pet owners seeking the perfect costume for their furry companion, Meijer stands to drive consumer traffic to its e-commerce site so they can choose from 80 pet costumes. The retailer is also offering consumers free standard shipping on purchases of $59 or more through Oct. 21 and many other savings opportunities in-store through the mPerks digital coupons program.



Meijer is also partnering with Purina and giving away $10,500 in Meijer gift cards through the Meijer 2013 Halloween Pet Costume Sweepstakes. Customers have a chance to win one of more than 100 Meijer gift cards by submitting a photo of their pet in a Halloween costume. The first 100 customers to submit photos will win a $100 Meijer gift card and a grand prize winner, selected by Meijer, will win a $500 gift card. The contest runs through Oct. 31, 2013.