With Halloween just around the corner, retailers know the season is about more than pumpkins, costumes and candy. It’s a prime time to engage fans, drive conversions and capture a share of the growing “spooky season” spend. Few brands understand this better than Hot Topic, the officially licensed merchandise and clothing retailer known for its edgy, fandom-driven collections. Read on to see how Hot Topic uses social proof to optimize conversions.
2025 Halloween spending is expected to grow
Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey. The figure is up from $11.6 billion last year and exceeds the previous $12.2 billion record set in 2023. Per-person spending has also reached a record high of $114.45, nearly $11 more than last year.
How Hot Topic uses social proof to increase Halloween conversions
With more than 630 stores across the US and Canada and a thriving online presence, Hot Topic has long been a cultural hub for fans of alternative music, movies, and pop culture.
Founded in 1989, the brand pioneered bringing alternative apparel and accessories to malls across the country and continues to evolve digitally to meet the expectations of its devoted fanbase. COVID-19 sparked online sales for the retailer and digital transformation has since then been a strategic priority.
In 2024, before the peak shopping season, Hot Topic implemented Social Proof Messaging to bring the excitement and urgency of in-store discovery to its digital storefront, showing shoppers what’s trending in real time.
The retailer implemented 13 message types, including:
- “Selling Fast – X sold in the last 48 hours”
- “Trending Now! – Added to bag 11 times”
These dynamic messages appear at key moments in the customer journey, helping shoppers make more informed decisions and feel more confident in their choices.
Social Proof delivers “spooky” good results
The initial full-funnel test that ran in the US for 30 days delivered a 6.39% uplift in conversion and a 6.34% increase in orders.
The results exceeded expectations, leading Hot Topic to quickly expand social proof messaging across the Hot Topic brand and its sister retailer, BoxLunch.
“The results we witnessed from social proof messaging were far beyond what we expected, helping us to boost sales yet further during peak,” said Nathan Liu, Senior Vice President of Ecommerce at Hot Topic.
Hot Topic is a perfect example of how retailers and brands can use real-time social proof to deliver more engaging shopping experiences and boost conversions.
Reach out to learn more about how Taggstar’s Conversion Messaging platform can help accelerate eCommerce growth, during peak seasons and beyond.
