Marks and Spencer is embracing the spooky season with a new Halloween range that gives some of its most-loved classics a frightful twist. From its new tangy Spooky Sours to the Petrifying Pumpkin Milk Chocolates, M&S is showing its darker side.
Highlights include the Cookie Pumpkin Light-Up Tin. It’s filled with buttery shortbread biscuits and doubles as a glowing decoration. M&S has also launched the irresistibly rich Spooky Kookie Dough Bites, blending milk and white chocolate with a soft brownie centre.
The collection captures Britain’s growing appetite for seasonal fun, where familiar brands are reinventing themselves with playful, limited-edition designs and flavours. It is part of a wider trend of British names across food, fashion, and entertainment embracing the Halloween spirit — from themed menus and product collections to eerie pop-culture collaborations.
Spooky seasonal delights
Beyond M&S, a host of British brands are brewing up their own seasonal delights. 19 Crimes has teamed up with Universal to release glow-in-the-dark bottles inspired by classic movie monsters, including Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, and The Mummy. Each features scannable AR codes that bring the characters to life.
Meanwhile, Hames Chocolates has unveiled an artisan Halloween range spanning milk chocolates, truffles, and pumpkin-shaped Neapolitans, each crafted for gifting or sharing. Whaoo! has joined the fun too with limited-edition chocolate-filled crêpes. Each is palm oil-free and individually wrapped for on-the-go snacking.
Elsewhere, Soreen is giving the spooky season a healthier twist with its Cookies & Cream Mini Loaves. They’re under 100 calories each and marketed as a fibre-rich way to enjoy a Halloween treat without the guilt.
Away from food and drink, the BBC’s hugely popular Strictly Come Dancing will celebrate ghosts, witches, and pumpkins in its autumn special. The Beeb’s supernatural podcast series, Uncanny, will also release a special live event at Halloween in 2025 ahead of a new 10-part series.
And in iGaming, popular UK bingo sites are ramping up their collections of “Spooktacular Slots” like Halloween Horrors Megaways, 3 Skulls of Voodoo, and Witch Heart, alongside seasonal promotions like Buzz Bingo’s free-to-play Pick a Pumpkin game.
Big business
Halloween’s transformation into a billion-pound industry reflects a broader shift in UK retail, where seasonal moments are increasingly leveraged to drive engagement and sales across food, drink, home, and lifestyle categories. A decade ago, Halloween was valued at just £230 million; by 2025, it is projected to exceed £1 billion.
Despite over half of UK adults (51%) saying they don’t celebrate, those who do are highly engaged – from decorating homes and dressing up to hosting parties. Crucially, 57% of shoppers plan their purchases only a week in advance, underlining how short the buying window is and why late-October promotions can yield strong returns.
Retail analysts point to Halloween’s “eventification”, where themed products and experiences drive excitement beyond the day itself, as key to its enduring appeal. In 2024, footfall in convenience stores rose by nearly 18% during Halloween week, while categories such as snacks, drinks, and home décor saw double-digit growth.
This demand pattern rewards brands that balance affordability with novelty, offering products that feel special without being high-cost indulgences. For retailers, Halloween has evolved from a niche event into a high-traffic, high-margin moment that bridges the gap between summer spending and the Christmas season.
