Halloween Spending to Surpass $5 Billion

Halloween Spending to Surpass $5 Billion
September 24, 2007

According to the National Retail Federation's Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, consumers are expected to spend $5.07 billion on Halloween this year. The survey, which was conducted by BIGresearch and polled 8,877 consumers from Sept. 4-11, found that the average person plans to spend $64.82 on the holiday compared to $59.06 one year ago. "Halloween should give retailers a nice boost in sales as they open the crucial fourth quarter," said Tracy Mullin, president and CEO of NRF. The average person will spend $23.33 on Halloween costumes (including children's and pet's costumes), while young adults are expected to spend more. The survey revealed that 18- to 24-year-olds plan to spend $34.06 on costumes, nearly twice as much as they plan to spend on candy ($19.65). Average spending will rise in all categories, including candy ($19.84), decorations ($17.73) and greeting cards ($3.92). The most popular activity on Halloween this year will be handing out candy, with nearly three-fourths (72.9 percent) of consumers planning to stay home to hand out treats. Other popular activities will include pumpkin carving (43.3 percent), decorating a home and/or yard (47.8 percent), and throwing or attending a Halloween party (28.3 percent).