Halloween Spending To Reach $11.6B During Spooky Season 2024

Consumers are spending more on the spooky season than ever before. According to a new survey, Halloween spending has the potential to reach $11.6 billion this year.

The National Retail Foundation (NRF) reports that 47% of early participants began their shopping before October, according to its annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. This compares to 37% five years ago and just 32% in 2014. Halloween spending in 2024 is projected to hit $11.6 billion in total, following last year’s record-breaking $12.2 billion.

Katherine Cullen, NRF’s vice president of industry and consumer insights, said, “Halloween marks the official transition to the fall season for many Americans, and consumers are eager to get a jump start on purchasing new seasonal décor and other autumnal items. Retailers are prepared to meet this early demand by offering shoppers all the holiday essentials to make this year’s celebrations memorable.”

Phil Rist, Prosper’s executive vice president of strategy, noted, “Interest in early Halloween shopping continues to be dominated by the 25-34 age group, with 56% of shoppers in this group kicking off their shopping before October. Their love of the holiday is a key factor in this trend, with nearly half of this segment sharing that they plan to shop early because Halloween is their favorite holiday.”

NRF reports that the average consumer expects to spend $103.63 on holiday-related items, including decorations, treats, and costumes.

Nearly half of #Halloween shoppers to start purchasing items before October. https://t.co/3IHh5IVAdZ #Halloween2024 pic.twitter.com/81mipC3Sjv

— National Retail Federation (@NRFnews) September 19, 2024

What Are the Top Halloween Costumes of 2024?

The top Halloween costumes of 2024 vary for children and adults. However, they remain consistent with themes that never go out of style.

For children, the top costumes include Spider-Man, a ghost, a princess, a witch, and a superhero. Adults lean toward witches as their first choice, followed by vampires, cats, Batman, and pirates. Also, don’t forget about our furry friends. The top pet choices include pumpkins, hot dogs, bats, ghosts, and bumblebees.

According to NRF, “Consistent with last year, total spending on adult costumes is expected to reach $1.8 billion, while spending on children’s costumes is anticipated to hit $1.3 billion. As with previous years, interest in pet costumes remains steady and is projected to reach $0.7 billion.”