Gift Shop Plus Spring 2023

Expect the unexpected: Previewing 2023 Halloween, fall décor trends By Carly McFadden

Creative. Individualistic. Transitional. Unexpected.

Those are the four words Alicon Lee of Transpac & Totalee Gift used to summarize what she’s seeing in décor for the upcoming fall and Halloween season.

This year, demand is up for products in nontraditional color palettes that encourage self-expression, and sustainability continues to trend across the industry.

UNEXPECTED PALETTES

It’s 2023, and individuality is in. For the Halloween and harvest season, customers will likely opt for décor that aligns more closely with their personal style and color preferences.

One palette in the spotlight this year is pastel, as product debuts across the industry are proving that soft, feminine colors aren’t just for spring anymore.

Transpac is one company working to meet that demand. Take its gravestone décor pieces and skull jars, for example, complete with a pearl-like finish and pops of pink and green — adding a lighter, feminine flair to traditionally spooky icons. The company also introduced rainbow pastel pumpkins and iridescent tabletop items to its product lineup. These can be used long past Halloween into Thanksgiving.

“What we’re seeing across the board is self-expression and creative, more individualistic aesthetics, where customers may be taking traditional products that they can mix with their own vintage products,” said Lee, who serves Transpac & Totalee Gift as vice president of product development. “Or they’re selecting products that have unexpected pops of color that they can then combine into their own color stories, especially with the candy pastels.”

Peking Handicraft is also embracing pastels for fall, and its 2023 Halloween Pillow Collection is the perfect example of how to create a sweet, playful vibe while staying true to traditional Halloween symbols such as pumpkins and witch hats. According to Celisha Racicot, product manager at Peking Handicraft, the company previously introduced pink into its holiday collection and is now seeing that demand grow in the fall and Halloween space.

“Pink has always been a strong performer for us in Christmas, so it makes sense that the trend would carry into other holidays,” Racicot said. “It has a feeling of whimsy and happiness in contrast to the macabre feel of Halloween. We tried to keep the collection fun and fresh with simple imagery and smaller sizes.”

While pastels are a far cry from the classic Halloween color scheme, Racicot explained the two can actually be used in tandem.

“Using a softer pink really allowed the traditional black and orange to pop,” she said.

For those wanting to lean into unconventional color palettes this fall without the ultra-femininity pastels bring, jewel tones and metallics are also trending.

Transpac’s gem-colored goblets and metallic tableware offerings provide a more elegant, moody vibe while still giving end users freedom to think outside the box with their décor.

“The metallic interplay, the iridescent interplay — those pieces can go in the direction of light and airy, or they can go in the direction of more moody,” Lee explained. “Because they can interplay in different ways, it opens up that fun, creative aspect to the customer. It’s really all about having fun and really finding what it is that brings you joy and ways that you can spark conversations when someone walks into a room.”

SUSTAINABLY ECLECTIC

More than ever, customers are seeking high-quality products that can be reused year to year in the name of sustainability. With this demand comes a more eclectic approach to decorating, Lee explained, and she’s seeing inspiration from a mix of eras come into play.

“There’s a push with sustainability, and people are realizing that they don’t have to completely redo their entire look every single year,” Lee said. “There are pieces that they can carry forward from year to year, and there may be pieces that are dear to them that they are then incorporating and including by mixing old with new eras. That again creates their own individualistic feel and aesthetic.”

Additionally, demand has increased for products that can be displayed not only in fall’s early days but into late fall and Thanksgiving, as customers continue to take into account a product’s lifespan in the home.

“It’s no more just about, ‘Oh, this is what the new trend is.’ It’s really just, ‘How can I turn that trend into something that expresses my
unique sense of style?’” said Lee.

Whether customers are looking for tried-and-true classics or the unconventional, retailers have plenty of options to source that encourage self-expression and creativity this Halloween and harvest.

Featured photo courtesy of Transpac