Have you noticed the incredible outdoor decorations this year for Halloween? I’ve never seen so many gigantic lawn skeletons in my life! It got me thinking: this isn’t cheap. Turns out, the total U.S. consumer spending for Halloween 2026 is projected to reach a record-breaking $13.5 billion, up from the previous record of $13.1 billion in 2025!!
`
According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey, 74% of Americans plan to celebrate the holiday, with an anticipated average individual outlay of $115.14 per person.
`
Despite a strained economic climate—with 79% of consumers anticipating price hikes due to inflation and tariffs—shoppers are prioritizing the festivities by adjusting their strategies rather than skipping out.
Spending by Product Category
Total consumer outlays are spread across four major segments:
-
- Costumes: $4.4 billion total. Roughly 71% of participants will purchase costumes, including an incredible $920 million dedicated strictly to pet costumes (with pumpkins, hot dogs, and ghosts leading the animal pack).
- Decorations: $4.3 billion total, purchased by 78% of consumers.
- Candy: $4.1 billion total. While 96% of shoppers plan to buy sweet treats, individual volume is slightly down due to an 8% surge in confectionary prices driven by global sugar and cocoa supply shortages.
- Greeting Cards: $0.8 billion total, seeing a slight bump in interest to 42% of consumers.
-
Shopping Habits & Early Starts
-
- The “Summerween” Trend: About 49% of consumers began their shopping in September or earlier. Many do so simply out of excitement for autumn, but 23% intentionally shop early to spread out their seasonal budgets.
- Top Retail Destinations: Discount stores remain the leading marketplace choice at 39%, followed by specialty Halloween/costume stores (32%), online retailers (27%), and local small businesses (13%).
- AI Integration: Roughly 47% of shoppers are using AI platforms this year to brainstorm costume and decor ideas or map out product comparisons to secure the best prices.
Cost-Saving Measures
To combat rising costs, consumers are adopting highly practical shopping behaviors:
- 34% plan to seek out items that can be heavily reused or repurposed in future years.
- 31% are aggressively comparative shopping online and in stores before pulling out their wallets
- 26% are relying heavily on coupons, sales, and promotional codes.