US pharmacy joins Hershey Company to devise safe Halloween celebrations

The US-based CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health today, has teamed up with the Hershey Company to offer family-friendly ‘Boo-Bags,’ for a socially distanced Halloween celebrations, writes Neill Barston

As the company explained, the joint venture takes the form of fill-your-own kit to surprise friends and neighbours with spooky seasonal treats designed as an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating during the pandemic.

This will involve Boo-Bags being distributed to select CVS Pharmacy stores nationwide in an effort to ensure the health and safety of customers while also promoting the surprise and delight of the season.

Boo-Bags are free with a CVS Pharmacy purchase while supplies last. To “boo” a neighbour, fill the Boo-Bag with Reese’s, KitKat, other Hershey’s favourites and Halloween items found throughout CVS and deliver a holiday surprise by anonymously dropping the bag on their doorstep.

Recipients will receive directions on how to pass it forward, along with a sign to place in their window to let any passerby know that they’ve been “boo’ed.” For friends and family outside the neighbourhood, customers can send Boo-Bags through one of 5,600 UPS Access Point locations within CVS nationwide, picking up all the necessary shipping supplies for one-stop shopping.

To fill their Boo-Bags and get ready for the season, CVS Pharmacy customers can find an array of their favourite Halloween candy and décor, including twists on Hershey favourites including Reese’s Frankencups, Hershey’s Cookies & Cream Fangs, KITKAT Witches Brews, Hershey’s Vampire Kisses and more.

Spooky facemasks, hand sanitiser and wipes are available for purchase alongside a selection of Halloween-themed Hallmark cards to help family and friends stay connected while being apart.

Throughout the month of October, CVS Pharmacy will be providing its email subscribers, circular readers and social followers with tips and information for how to best celebrate Halloween 2020, featuring safety guidelines (www.halloween2020.org) provided by the Halloween and Costume Association– in alignment with the CDC social distancing guidelines – and tools/resources to help families this Halloween season, including a colour-coded COVID risk level map – provided by the Harvard Global Health Institute. It will also provide updates on its social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Halloween anticipation

Despite the backdrop of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, latest research from the National Confectioners Association shows that 80% of people believe that they will find creative and safe ways to celebrate the Halloween season this year.

This is up from just 63% two months earlier in July. Halloween is happening, and creative and safe approaches to celebrating the holiday throughout the month of October are driving the national narrative in a way that showcases this consumer optimism and excitement for a fun and unique season.

Furthermore, the association highlighted additional research that showed 66% of people say they will trick-or-treat this year, whether handing out the candy or going out with their children.

A total of 74% of millennial mothers and young parents say that Halloween 2020 is more important than ever. (The Harris Poll), and 80% of the general public and 90% of millennial moms and young parents say they can’t imagine Halloween without chocolate and candy, and that trick-or-treating is irreplaceable. (The Harris Poll).

As the NCA noted Governors from several states have joined a growing wave of approval and support for a safe and creative Halloween 2020 – including public health experts like the CDC, community leaders, newspaper editorial boards and columnists who say that we can prioritise safety and still enjoy this autumn with Halloween celebrations that last all October long.

Recent guidance from the CDC reinforces that Halloween is happening and provides inspiration for creative and safe approaches to celebrating the holiday throughout the month of October. For more information visit AlwaysATreat.com/HalloweenCentral

 

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