Did you know that that pumpkin spice products generate over $500 million in sales each year?
Welcome to the spooky, surprising world of Halloween marketing! As the leaves turn and jack-o’-lanterns start to grin, businesses are brewing up their Halloween strategies.
But before you put on that witch hat or vampire fangs, let’s dive into some eye-opening Halloween spending trends. These fun facts and figures will help you carve out a frighteningly effective campaign for the spookiest night. Let’s get started!
Halloween Marketing Statistics
Ready to explore Halloween stats for your marketing campaigns? No need to search multiple pages for holiday shopping statistics – everything you need is right here.
We’ve gathered key insights to help you understand how Americans spend during Halloween.
Halloween Spending Habits
According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween marketing reached a record number of $12.2 billion in 2023. Here’s Halloween by the numbers:
- 73% of households participate in Halloween-related activities, compared to 69% in 2022;
- Per person spending reached a record high at $108.24;
- The greatest increase in spending came from the costumes category;
- Total Halloween decoration sales crossed $3.9 billion;
- Halloween candy sales figures reached $3.6 billion, up from 3.1 billion in 2022.
Consumer Behavior Insights
People love to shop for Halloween, decorate their homes, and engage in fun activities during this time. Here’s the data about consumer behavior during Halloween to drive marketing campaigns:
- 69% of consumers celebrating Halloween plan to buy costumes;
- 77% of consumers celebrating Halloween plan to purchase decorations;
- 28% of Americans are planning to host Halloween parties;
- 45% of consumers plan to start shopping for Halloween before October;
- Younger customers (25-44) plan to shop before or during September for Halloween;
- Discount stores are the leading destination for buying Halloween items. 40% of consumers will pick Halloween products at discount stores, 39% at specialty costume stores, and 32% will buy costumes online;
- Nearly 1 in 3 people celebrating Halloween plan to go to a party or event (like haunted house);
- 68% of households plan to hand out candy, 50% will decorate their home, 50% will wear costumes, and 46% will carve a pumpkin;
- Reese’s cups are one of the most popular Halloween candy, with 22% of Americans placing them as favorite Halloween treats over candy corn.
Consumer Expenditure
Where do consumers spend their money during Halloween? We’ve curated some costume purchasing statistics that paint a picture of spending during Halloween.
- More than 40% of millennials planned to spend more on Halloween shopping in 2023;
- Spending on adult costumes is expected to increase by 18% over the last year;
- Children’s costume spending/shopping will increase by over 20% to $1.4 billion;
- People will also spend money on pet costumes, a market projected to reach $700 million.
Halloween Costume Shopping
Halloween sales data about people’s preferences for Halloween costumes can give a lot insights for Halloween promotional success. For example, demand for pet costumes has been growing recently. Here are some facts about Halloween costumes for the year:
- 75% of adults already know what their costume will be this year;
- Around 2.6 million children dressed as Spiderman; 2 million as princesses, 1.6 million as ghosts, 1.5 million as superheroes, and 1.4 million as witches;
- Popular pet costumes included a pumpkin (11%), a hot dog (7%), a bat (4%), a bumblebee (3%) and a spider (3%).
Social Media Influence
Instagram and TikTok are the top platforms for costume ideas and inspiration around Halloween. Here’s some data on social media engagement for Halloween and its influence on Halloween celebrations.
- Social media the most popular source for costume ideas for people under 25;
- 59% of Tiktok users are influenced by the platform for Halloween costume purchases;
- 42% of consumers bought sweets and chocolate inspired by TikTok trends;
- 55% of TikTok users search for sweets and chocolate content on the platform;
- Sprout Social notes that Instagram and Facebook see a 30% increase in engagement during Halloween;
- 30% of Gen-Zs and 26% of all adults turn to YouTube for Halloween inspiration.
Online Shopping Trends
People are open to shopping online for their Halloween costumes and decor picks. Here are some Halloween retail statistics as well as data on Halloween ecommerce trends:
- Adobe Analytics indicates that online sales for Halloween products grew by 16% year-over-year, with mobile devices accounting for 40% of the purchases;
- 44% of consumers will go to Amazon for shopping Halloween-related items;
- 29% of Gen Z and millennials are moving from in-person shopping to online shopping.
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Sustainability Trends
Sustainability concerns have made their way into Halloween spending and celebrations. People are adopting ‘green’ initiatives during this time. Here’s the data:
- 58% of consumers are willing to spend more on sustainable apparel/costume options;
- 66% of people celebrating Halloween are not at all or slightly influenced by sustainability in buying decisions;
- 90% of Gen-X consumers are willing to spend an extra 10% for sustainable products;
- 20% of consumers consider sustainability in their Halloween purchases;
- 23% of Americans who plan to wear a costume will buy at least one of their costume from second-hand store.
If you enjoyed these statistics, check out some more that we’ve gathered on different topics:
- Valentine’s Day Statistics & Facts for 2024
- Abandoned Carts: Statistics, Reasons & Recovery Strategies
Halloween Statistics FAQs
What are Halloween shoppers spending the most money on?
Last year, per-person Halloween spending was at a record high of $108.24. The most common spending categories include costumes, decorations, candy, and greeting cards.
What percentage of American adults carve a pumpkin for Halloween?
According to recent surveys, about 44-46% of American adults typically carve pumpkins for Halloween while kids are busy trick or treating. Most of them make jack-o-lanterns for their homes, which remains one of the most popular Halloween traditions.
How many Americans celebrate Halloween?
According to the National Retail Federation, 73% of American households will celebrate Halloween or participate in Halloween-related activities like trick or treat.
How has the marketing/advertising of halloween costumes changed over the years?
Modern day Halloween costume marketing has evolved with social media and ecommerce. Influencer marketing for Halloween on Instagram and TikTok now shape costume trends. Pop culture references dominate campaigns, while brands also promote DIY and sustainable options. This shift reflects changing consumer preferences and digital shopping habits.
How much money is spent on Halloween in the US?
In 2023, Americans spent approximately $12.2 billion on Halloween shopping, including costumes, decorations, candy, and greeting cards.
Also here: 35+ Landing Page Statistics with Industry Benchmarks
*Sources:
- https://medium.com/@marilena.tsesmeli/75-halloween-statistics-and-facts-every-retailer-should-consider-9ac45f790dee
- https://www.theshelf.com/the-blog/halloween-trends-halloween-marketing
- https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/2022-fun-sized-halloween-statistics
- https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/halloween-spending-reach-record-122-billion-participation-exceeds-pre
- https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/halloween-2021-consumer-trends-brands
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269330/sources-of-inspiration-for-halloween-costumes-in-the-us
- https://www.wastemanaged.co.uk/our-news/halloween/halloween-waste
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2022/03/11/consumers-demand-sustainable-products-and-shopping-formats
- https://greenly.earth/en-gb/blog/ecology-news/what-is-the-carbon-footprint-of-halloween
- https://www.ecostyles.com.au/blogs/halloween-waste-is-frightening-how-to-have-a-sustainable-halloween
- https://www.inc.com/nick-hobson/20-years-of-starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte-a-lesson-for-how-to-build-a-brand-within-a-brand.html
- https://savanta.com/knowledge-centre/view/an-investigation-of-halloween-shopping-habits
- https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/halloween-2021-consumer-trends-brands?redirected=1
