Halloween isn’t just popular in the United States—it’s a very lucrative holiday for businesses, too. Investopedia reports that American consumers spent a whopping $12.2 billion on Halloween in 2023, compared to $10.6 billion in 2022.
However, the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts that Halloween spending may dip slightly in 2024, estimated to reach around $11.6 billion. It’ll be very interesting to see how accurate these predictions were and what the actual numbers are once the data comes in.
In the US, Halloween is one of the highest retail spending events of the year. The average American shopper is likely to spend over $100 on various seasonal items, from decorations and costumes to candy and cards. In 2023, the average consumer spent $108.24. In 2024, they’re expected to spend around $103.63.
The NRF estimates that in 2024, Americans will spend $3.8 billion on costumes, $3.5 billion on candy, $3.8 billion on decor, and around $0.5 billion on greeting cards.
#7 Went All Out For This Year's Party. Decor Collected From HomeGoods, Michael's, Dollar Tree, Amazon, Thrift Stores, And Flea Markets Over Several Years
#8 Starting My Halloween Decor. I Cut All These Little Guys Out By Hand
Decorations, tasty treats, and costumes are very popular among US consumers. However, parties, somewhat surprisingly, aren’t something many people are overly enthusiastic about.
Around 72% of American consumers plan on celebrating Halloween this year. 67% plan on handing out candy. And more than half (52%) of them plan to decorate their home and/or yard. Meanwhile, 49% of Americans plan on getting a Halloween costume. 43% are likely to carve a pumpkin.
But just 29% plan to either throw a seasonal party or attend one.
#12 DIY Cauldron 2023 Version. I Made A Few Adjustments This Time, And I Think This One Is My Favorite
Based on the data collected by the NRF, 37% of consumers buy their Halloween items at discount stores. A similar number (33%) buy theirs at specialty Halloween shops and online (33%). This year, nearly half of all consumers started buying their seasonal items before October. This is because many people actually look forward to Halloween and want to avoid getting stressed out by last-minute shopping.
In terms of costume trends, the most popular themes among grown-ups are witches, vampires, cats, pirates, and Gotham’s very own superhero—Batman. Meanwhile, kids tend to prefer dressing up as witches, ghosts, princesses, and superheroes.
#13 I Live In A Sober Living My Bed Is The Only Thing I Can Decorate, So I Went All Out
#14 This Year I Wanted To Go For A More Whimsical Yet Spooky Vibe Around The Fireplace Mantel
Some internet users are extremely creative and dedicated to keeping the spirit of Halloween alive. During a previous interview, Bored Panda spoke with Eric, the creator of the impressive and spooky Arachnid Manor, whose decorations often go viral on the internet.
It’s a project that he has been doing for years and years. The Manor grew “from a simple collection of little spiders and cobwebs” to “two giant spiders, a man-eating plant, and various hand-built props.”
#17 I Can't Stop Laughing At This One. This Is My 3rd Halloween Roomba And I Think My Favorite One
“Several kids have shared that the spiders are their favorite part about Halloween. That sealed the deal for me,” the Halloween enthusiast said, adding that some other things that he had in the works included an ‘Arachnid Manor’ sign (which took 10 hours to make), as well as a few four-foot spiders. The key to avoiding burnout, according to Eric, is pacing yourself. He only makes one major addition to the Manor every year.
