Halloween spending to reach $8.8 billion

ALBANY — Halloween spending in the United States will creep down for the second straight year, about $300 million below the $9.1 billion record set in 2017, according to an annual National Retail Federation survey.

Still, this year’s $8.8 billion will be the third-highest in the 15-year history of the spending survey that Prosper Insights & Analytics conducts for the NRF.

“Retailers expect to have another strong Halloween season and have stocked up on candy, decorations and the season’s most popular costumes,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said.

Still, average spending and the total number of Americans who will observe Halloween this year both dropped from 2018. According to the survey, shoppers say they plan to spend an average $86.27, down 52 cents from last year. This year, 172 million people — 68% of those surveyed — will celebrate Halloween, 3 million fewer than last year.

The largest category of spending, as any psychic medium no doubt would have known, is costumes. Two-thirds of shoppers will dress up for Halloween to the tune of $3.2 billion.

That beat out the trick-or-treater favorite No. 2 category: candy. About 95% of survey respondents will purchase a sweet total of $2.6 billion of candy bars and the like.

Nearly three-quarters of Halloweeners will decorate, and spend $2.7 billion on items like orange lights, jack o’ lanterns, stuffed scarecrows and cackling witches.

And if you don’t remember when Halloween is, maybe you’ll get a reminder in the form of a greeting card, which 34% of consumers will spend a combined $390 million on.

What will Americans be doing while goblins and princesses hit the neighborhoods? About 69% plan to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters, while 49% plan to decorate their home or yard.

Nearly half — 47% — will dress up in costume, 44% will carve a pumpkin, 32% will throw or attend a party, 29% will take their children trick-or-treating, 22% will visit a haunted house and 17% will dress their pets in costume.

When purchasing Halloween merchandise, 42% of shoppers will go to a discount store, 36% to a specialty Halloween or costume store, 25% will go online, 25% will go to a grocery store and 23% will visit a department store.

Where will inspiration come from? A source that is almost as elusive to the touch as a ghost.

“Spending hasn’t changed much over the past few years,” Shay said, “but we are seeing a noticeable increase in consumers whose Halloween purchases are inspired by their friends, neighbors and even celebrities on social media.”

Indeed, the No. 1 source of Halloween ideas cited by celebrants was online searching, the method of preference for 35% of surveyed consumers. Browsing stores was No. 2 at 28%, while getting inspiration from family and friends ranked third at 20%.

Meanwhile, over the past four years, certain social media networks are climbing steadily. Pinterest leads at 18%, up from 13% in 2015. At 14% each, YouTube and Instagram made even more impressive progress, rising from 8% and 7% respectively.

For women, Pinterest was the top choice at 25%, more than double the 12% of men who cited it. YouTube was preferred by 19% of men, but only 10% of women. Instagram bridged the sexes, cited by 15% of men and 14% of women.

The survey of 7,419 consumers was conducted Sept. 3-10 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2%.

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