The National Retail Federation found that Americans are planning to slightly cutback on their Halloween spending this year after last year's record-breaking holiday.
In its latest survey, the National Retail Federation said it expects Americans to spend $11.6 billion on Halloween in 2024, which is down from $12.2 billion a year earlier.
Costumes and decorations are expected to be Americans' top two Halloween expenses. Last year, Americans spent about $4.1 billion on costumes. This year, it's expected to be $3.8 billion. Decoration spending is expected to drop from $3.9 billion a year ago to $3.8 billion this year.
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Although spending is expected to decline slightly this year, the NRF said more consumers are buying their Halloween items early. The organization says 47% of consumers will have made at least one Halloween purchase by the end of September.
“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,” Prosper executive vice president of strategy Phil Rist said. “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.”
Survey reveals which Halloween costumes are most popular
As part of the NRF's consumer survey on Halloween, the organization uncovered which costumes are expected to be most popular.
Once again, Spider-Man is expected to be the most popular children's costume. A ghost, princess and witch follow as the most popular costumes for children.
The witch is expected to retain its spot as the top adult costume, followed by vampire, cat and Batman. Pumpkin is expected to be the top costume choice for pet owners this year.
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Here is a look at the top 10 costumes by category, according to the National Retail Federation:
Children costumes:
- Spider-Man
- Ghost
- Princess
- Witch
- Superhero
- Batman
- Vampire
- Pumpkin
- Disney princess
- Superman
Adult costumes:
- Witch
- Vampire
- Cat
- Batman
- Pirate
- Ghost
- Clown
- Spider-Man
- Zombie
- Beetlejuice
Pet costumes:
- Pumpkin
- Hot dog
- Bat
- Ghost
- Bumblebee
- Cat
- Spider
- Witch
- Lion
- Devil/demon
