Consumers Set to Spend $5.77 Billion This Halloween
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
Bleak economic news may be grabbing the headlines, but according to the National Retail Federation, U.S. consumers are set to spend more than ever this Halloween: $5.77 billion, a modest increase from last year’s $5.07 billion.
Sixty-five percent of us are planning to celebrate Halloween by buying candy, wearing a costume, hosting/attending a party, or decorating the house, which gives a good indication of what the nation’s trash collectors will be picking up Monday after the holiday weekend.
The most money will be spent on costumes (net average of $24.17 per person), followed by candy ($20.39), decorations ($18.25), and then somewhat surprisingly, greeting cards ($3.73). (I have to confess, I have bought Halloween cards in the past. If you sell it, they will come, I suppose.)
Here are some more estimates according to the NRF’s Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey published September 30, 2008:
- Average per person spending (2001): $41.77
- Average per person spending (2008 estimated): $66.54
- Biggest spenders by age: 18-24-year-olds at $86.59 per person
- Biggest spenders by region: Northeast at $70.84 per person
- Least likely to party: Only 30% of those in the West plan to attend/host a party
