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Candy tops Halloween spending list, followed by...

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Halloween shopping

With Halloween around the corner, half of Americans say that inflation will impact how they celebrate the holiday.

According to new survey data from LendingTree, most Americans (88%) plan to make Halloween-related purchases this year. Although 50% of this group says inflation will impact their spending, a similar number (48%) of those planning Halloween purchases expect to splurge on some items, including costumes (20%), themed activities (18%) and decorations (17%).

By age group, millennials (ages 27 to 42) are the most likely to spend on Halloween with a whopping 94% saying they will, with Gen Zers (ages 18 to 26) not far behind at 93%. Nearly nine in 10 (87%) Gen Xers (ages 43 to 58) plan to make Halloween purchases, followed by 76% of baby boomers (ages 59 to 77).

LendingTree found that the average spending amount is expected to be $162, with parents of young children planning to spend substantially more at $245, on average.

“There’s a general sense of financial unease that a lot of people are feeling right now,” said LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz. “After a few years of holiday splurging to make up for the lost time of the pandemic years, people may play Halloween a little more cautiously when it comes to spending.”

The vast majority of Halloween spenders (84%) plan to pass out candy on Halloween, and 12% of those surveyed say they plan to hand out something other than candy. Four in 10 (43%) Halloween celebrators plan to spend the night watching spooky movies or TV shows.

Candy tops the expected Halloween purchases this year at 62%, with pumpkins and/or carving supplies (34%) as the next most popular purchase. Following that, Americans plan to buy:

  • Outdoor decorations (31%)
  • Indoor decorations (31%)
  • Halloween-related food items (not including candy) (26%)
  • Costumes for themselves (24%)
  • Costumes for their kids (23%)
  • Halloween-related accessories (not part of a costume) (21%)
  • Arts and crafts (19%)
  • Halloween-related beverages, including alcohol (19%)
  • Halloween-related clothing (not part of a costume) (18%)
  • Costumes for their pets (16%)
  • Greeting cards (12%)
  • Other (1%)

When it comes to what consumers plan on “splurging” on this Halloween, costumes top the list at 20%. Other items include:

  • Themed activities (18%)
  • Decorations (17%)
  • Full-sized candy to hand out (15%)
  • Expenses for hosting a Halloween party (14%)
  • Travel expenses to a Halloween-themed destination (10%)
  • Something else (5%)

For the latest survey, LendingTree interviewed 2,000 U.S. consumers. The full report can be found here.

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