Retailers stand to benefit from increased Halloween spending

Washington, D.C. Americans are expected to spend considerably more this Halloween than they did last year, according to NRF’s 2010 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. Consumers will spend $66.28 on costumes, candy and decorations, up from last year’s $56.31 and comparable to the $66.54 average spend in 2008. Total spending for the holiday is expected to reach $5.8 billion.

Costumes ($23.37) will take up the largest portion of a person’s budget. The data brings good news for retailers who sell costumes: The highest percentage of people in the survey’s history will dress up with four out of 10 people (40.1%) planning to don a costume, up from 33.4% in 2009. (An astounding 11.5% will dress up their pets as well.)

Americans will also spend an average of $20.29 on candy, $18.66 on decoration, and $3.95 on greeting cards. Second only to the winter holidays in terms of plans to decorate, half (50.1%) of consumers celebrating will decorate their home or yard.