Millennials to lead Halloween spending while other generations cut back
Millennials are big on Halloween.
While 45% of overall consumers are expected to cut back on spending this Halloween, millennials are expected to drive spending for the spooky holiday, according to new data from e-commerce company Jungle Scout.
According to the new research, 41% of millennials said they expect to spend more than they did last year on Halloween items. This number is a contrast to Gen X and baby-boomer generations, where 52% and 50% respectively anticipate spending less. Jungle Scout notes that millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) are nearly twice as likely to have children under the age of 18 compared to other generations, likely explaining the increased expected spending.
Boomers appear to be the most consistent with their past habits as 43% expect to spend about the same on Halloween this year as they did in 2022. According to the data, Gen Z’s planned spending most closely matches overall consumer sentiment, with 47% of them planning to spend less.
Amazon is the most popular destination for costumes, decor and candy, with 44% of consumers saying they typically shop there first. Gen Z (56%) and millennials (58%) turn to Amazon first when shopping online for Halloween in larger numbers. While Halloween specialty retailers like Spirit Halloween and Party City may be popular in-person destinations, only 10% of consumers turn to their websites first when searching for Halloween products online.
Consumers looked to get a headstart on their costumes this year. Keyword Scout, Jungle Scout’s keyword research tool, shows the number of keyword searches for “Halloween costumes” on Amazon rose nearly 180% between the first and last day of August. “Halloween costumes for adults” saw a massive increase of 395% during the same time period. Search volume for both of these terms were also notably higher compared to the same period last year.
According to Jungle Scout’s research, a Barbie-inspired cowgirl is expected to be the top-selling costume for women, while Bowser, the villain from the recent Super Mario Bros. movie, is expected to be the top-selling costume for me.
Anticipated top decorations are ranked as giant spider web, floating candles, spooky ghosts, inflatable dinosaur pumpkins and ghost curtains. Anticipated top candies are ranked as Hershey’s (assorted flavor miniatures variety package), Nerds (Trick or Treat package) Butterfinger, Crunch and Baby Ruth (assorted fun-size package), Mars “Ghoulish Green” M&Ms, Snickers and Twix (variety package) and Skittles and Starburst (assorted fun-size package).