The Big Business of Halloween

Key Takeaways

• Americans are expected to spend $11.6 billion this Halloween season, according to the National Retail Federation.
• That's slightly down from 2023 but higher than any other year since at least 2005.
• Deadpool, Wolverine, and Beetlejuice are hot costumes this year, along with the classics: princesses, ghosts, and vampires.

Spooky season is also a big spending season for Americans, who are expected to drop billions on candy, customers and creepy decor.

Halloween spending is expected to hit $11.6 billion in the U.S. this year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).1 The number is higher than every Halloween season since at least 2005 except for last year, when customers shelled out $12.2 billion, the NRF said.

This year, customers are expected to spend $3.8 billion on both costumes and decorations, $3.5 billion on candy, and half a billion dollars on greeting cards.

"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," said Katherine Cullen, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights.

Halloween Season Is in Full Swing

In Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, New York, the setting of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the Halloween season is well under way. Witches adorn roofs, skeletons spring up out of lawns, and faces appear in trees.

Visitors start coming to Sleepy Hollow after Labor Day and converge for Tarrytown's annual Halloween parade. Last year, The Hudson Independent reported that 15,000 visitors attended the costumed parade.2

"Contrary to what I anticipated, individual sales have been higher than usual. People come in and buy everything from key chains to local artists' creations to t-shirts," said Wendy Goldman, the owner of Tarrytown souvenir and gift shop Bella's Boutique, whose biggest sellers are Sleepy Hollow t-shirts.

"Halloween is bigger than Christmas for my store," said Goldman.

Movie-Inspired Costumes Take Center Stage

Among the top costumes this year are Deadpool and Wolverine on the heels of a hit Marvel movie released this year, according to seasonal retailer Spirit Halloween.3 The iconic Beetlejuice costume is also back in vogue thanks to the recent release of the film "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice."

Then there are the classics, with Spider-Man, ghost, and princess costumes topping the list for kids, according to the NRF. Leading the way for adults are witch, vampire, and cat costumes. And no one's leaving their furry friends out, with the most popular ones for pets being pumpkin, hot dog, and bat costumes.

Target (TGT) has said that 75% of its Halloween merchandise is new this year, including costumes themed around the "Wicked" movie coming in November.45

—Indira Ranganathan contributed reporting to this article.

Article Sources

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1. National Retail Federation. “Retail Holiday and Seasonal Trends Halloween.”
2. The Hudson Independent. "Record Crowds Celebrate Tarrytown’s Annual Halloween Parade."
3. Spirit Halloween. “Spirit Halloween Drops the Hottest Costume Trends For 2024.”
4. IMDB. “Wicked.”
5. Target Corporation. “Halloween Comes Alive at Target.”