Total Halloween Spending Expected to Be Down This Year

October 4, 2013

This article is included in these additional categories:

Paid Search | Retail & E-Commerce | Search Engine Optimization | Social Media

NRF-Halloween-Spending-Forecasts-2005-2013-Oct2013A combination of fewer celebrants and lower spending per celebrant means that spending on Halloween-related items such as decorations, costumes, and candy will be about $1 billion less this year than last, according to results from a recent NRF survey. At about $7 billion in total, though, spending will still be up from 2011 and years prior: in 2005, for example, total spending was forecast at just $3 billion.

This year, 158 million Americans are expected to celebrate Halloween, based on the survey results, down from a record high of 170 million last year. Projected per-person spend has also fallen this year, from $79.82 to $75.03.

The average consumer is expected to spend about $28 on costumes this year, also shelling out about $22 on candy, $21 on decorations, and $4 on greeting cards. Of those, candy will be the most popular buy (95.6% of celebrants), followed by decorations (69.7%) and costumes (65.3%).

This year, the economy remains a little less scarier than in years past: almost exactly one-quarter of respondents said the state of the economy will impact their plans, down from 26% last year and 32% the year before. Among those whose plans will be affected, 86% said they will spend less overall, 33% will buy less candy, and 18% will make a costume instead of buying one.

When it comes to inspiration for Halloween costumes (whether for adults, children, or pets), it’s a dead heat between online search (32.9%) and retail stores or costume shops (32.8%) for the top source. Nearly 1 in 10 celebrants will look to Pinterest for inspiration.

About the Data: NRF’s 2013 Halloween Consumer Spending Survey was conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The poll of 5,290 consumers was conducted September 3-10, 2013. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.3 percentage points.

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