Survey: Halloween spending expected to rise despite cost concerns
With summer winding down, shoppers are looking to the fall and expecting to spend more on Halloween this year.
A new survey of shoppers from Advantage Solutions found that after spending a record $12.2 billion on Halloween in 2023, consumers are planning to spend more this year despite being cautious. Almost half (49%) of those surveyed believe either inflation, a pending recession or both will impact their Halloween spending. Nearly three-quarters of households without children said that these possibilities will impact their spending. Meanwhile, households with children are 2.6x more likely to be unsure whether inflation and/or a rescission will impact their Halloween plans.
[READ MORE: Spirit Halloween to open record number of seasonal stores]
More than a third (35%) of shoppers surveyed said they plan to spend between $51-100 on decor this year, an increase from 21% last year. Twenty-two percent of respondents plan to spend more than $100 on decor, an increase from 15% last year.
For costumes, shoppers are expecting to spend less than last year in price ranges under $100. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents said they expect to spend more than $100 this year, an increase from 18% in 2023.
Overall, candy and food shoppers will spend more in 2024, with 2.3x more candy and 2.5x more food shoppers planning on spending $51+ this year vs. last year. More than half (55%) of shoppers will purchase candy multiple times during the season, with one-quarter buying candy three times or more before Halloween.
“Over the past four years, Halloween — like many other holidays — has proven to be a resilient investment for both retailers and consumers, even amid economic uncertainty,” said Kelly Ravestijn, senior VP of commerce intelligence at Advantage Unified Commerce, a division of Advantage Solutions. “Even as they cut corners elsewhere, consumers increasingly view holidays like Halloween as non-negotiable indulgences, reinforcing their value in the retail landscape.”
Other insights from the Halloween survey include the following details on how consumers plan to celebrate:
- 22% plan to host a Halloween party this year.
- 40% will be with a larger gathering of family/friends this Halloween than last year.
- 30% say this Halloween will be a smaller, more intimate gathering with family/friends than it was last year.
- 26% plan to be a guest at a Halloween party this year.
Advantage Solutions' online Halloween survey of 1,348 U.S. shoppers was conducted Aug. 5, 2024.
