A record 170 million people plan to celebrate Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2012 Halloween consumer spending survey. Seven in ten Americans (71.5 percent) will get into the haunting Halloween mood, up from 68.6 percent last year. This represents the highest percentage of the U.S. populations who plan to celebrate the holiday in the ten-year history of the NRF survey. Consumers this year are also expected to spend more on the holiday. The average person will spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $72.31 last year. Total Halloween spending is expected to reach $8.0 billion nationwide.
“By the time Halloween rolls around each year it’s safe to say Americans have already spent two months preparing for one of the fastest-growing and most widely-loved holidays of the year,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Retailers know that when it comes to Halloween, new costume ideas for children, adults and pets, and the latest in home and yard décor top people’s shopping lists. We expect retailers to stock their shelves well ahead of time to capture the attention of eager holiday shoppers.”
Of the people celebrating Halloween this year, more than half (51.4 percent) will decorate their home or yard, up from 49.5 percent last year, and 45.0 percent plan to dress in costume, also up from last year (43.9 percent). More than one-third (36.2 percent) will throw or attend a party, and 33.2 percent will take children trick-or-treating. Additionally, 15.1 percent will ensure their furry friends are part of the fun too, by dressing their pet in costume.
The four major categories of Halloween spending by consumers consist of costumes, candy, decorations and greeting cards. The Halloween candy industry alone accounts for over $2 billion in annual sales. In fact, the top five days for candy sales in the United States all fall near the Halloween holiday (October 28, 27, 30, 21 and 31). The average U.S. household spends $44 on Halloween candy each year.
It probably comes as no surprise that the number one selling Halloween confection is candy corn. This is followed by Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit-Kat and M&Ms. Overall, almost two-thirds (66 percent) of all Halloween candies purchased are chocolate, while one third (34 percent) fall into the non-chocolate category.
Despite the fact that consumer spending on Halloween is expected to hit a ten-year high in 2012, retailers may be smart to remain a little cautious regarding their holiday projections. According to the NRF survey, one-fourth of U.S. consumers (25.9 percent) say the state of the economy will impact their Halloween plans. To compensate, most say they will spend less overall (83.5 percent), while others will make a costume instead of buying one (18.0 percent), and over one-third (36.1 percent) will buy less candy.
NRF’s 2012 Halloween consumer spending surveys were designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to Halloween spending. The surveys were conducted for NRF by BIGinsight. The poll of 9,393 consumers was conducted from September 5-11, 2012. The consumer polls have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.
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