Major retailers have embraced the Summerween trend, and customers are following suit. And we’ve got the stats to back it up. 

As a follow-up to our 2023 Halloween trend article, we asked consumers the same questions once more to gain an understanding of what’s changed in the last twelve months. 

The big takeaway: Customers are even more invested in Halloween spending across product categories. Whether that’s decor, apparel, food or other seasonal items.

Let’s unpack these insights and see what delightful (or devilish) trends we uncover.

365 Days of Halloween?

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One of the most striking changes we’ve observed is the significant shift towards year-round Halloween shopping:

Year-round Halloween shopping nearly doubled from 12.29% to 20.85%

This aligns perfectly with “Summerween” where major retailers like Home Depot and Michaels started promoting Halloween items as early as June (and even April!). You may have even noticed Halloween candy on shelves since the middle of the summer. 

Key Takeaway: The Halloween shopping season is like a vortex from a B-movie horror — it’s expanding dramatically. 

Retailers need to reconsider their Halloween strategies, potentially offering Halloween products year-round. Or, at the very least, consider starting promotions much earlier. This shift also suggests that consumers are becoming more deliberate and less impulsive in their Halloween purchases, taking advantage of early deals and spreading out their spending over a more extended period. In this regard, Halloween shopping is starting to seem more like Christmastime and year-end holiday spending. 

Halloween Celebration Trends

Despite inflation and other cost-of-living concerns, Halloween spending enthusiasm has yet to dim. Nearly every category we surveyed saw an increase from 2023 to 2024. 

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Let’s break down a few spirited statistics:

Passing out candy: Increased from 39.52% to 42.13%

This 2.61% increase suggests more households are participating in traditional trick-or-treating or are at least taking part in parallel events such as trunk-or-treat. It really is the season for selling the sweet stuff. 

Wearing a costume: Jumped from 26.87% to 30.13%

With more ways to buy costumes than ever before, this 3.26% rise indicates growing engagement in the fashion side of the festival.

Decorating homes and yards: Grew from 30.87% to 33.33%

No, those 12-foot-tall skeletons didn’t just stroll into town on their own. The 2.46% increase shows a consumer trend towards a more visible, public celebration with long-lasting displays.

Taking children trick-or-treating: Significant rise from 19.63% to 24.54%

This nearly 5% increase is the largest among all categories, indicating that door-knocking is back in business after the COVID years of no-contact, distance house visits. 

Key Takeaway: Halloween is becoming increasingly participatory. It’s no longer just about trick-or-treating: it’s a season-long celebration encompassing home decoration, costume-wearing, and entertainment. 

Retailers should prepare for increased demand across all categories, with a particular focus on family-oriented products and experiences.

Shopping Destinations

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The survey reveals interesting shifts in where consumers are doing their Halloween shopping:

Halloween pop-up stores: Jumped from 26.42% to 31.91%

A significant 5.49% increase suggests a strong consumer preference for specialized, seasonal shopping experiences. Could a trip to Spirit Halloween now be as ubiquitous as a visit to Santa’s workshop at the mall?

Key Takeaway: The increase in popup store shopping suggests consumers value unique, immersive Halloween shopping experiences. Retailers should focus on omnichannel strategies, ensuring a seamless experience across online and offline channels.

Creating “store-within-a-store” Halloween sections or limited-time popups could help capture the growing market of Halloween enthusiasts. Even in ecommerce, a specialized Halloween landing page will appeal to those shoppers looking for a unique experience. 

Spending Habits

Despite the increased participation in Halloween activities, overall spending intentions remain relatively stable:

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Key Takeaway: While the percentage of big spenders has decreased slightly, the overall trend shows a stable spending pattern. This, combined with the increased participation in various Halloween activities, suggests that the total market size for Halloween goods and experiences is growing. Retailers should focus on offering a wide range of products at various price points to cater to both budget-conscious consumers and those willing to splurge on Halloween.

Costume and Decoration Budgets

Our survey reveals some interesting shifts in how people allocate their Halloween budgets:

Spending on Costumes

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Those spending nothing on costumes decreased from 37.32% to 33.1%, suggesting that dressing up is no longer just for the young and even more people want to join in on the fun.

Spending on Decorations

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Those spending more than half their budgets on decorations increased from 13.6% to 19.05%.

Key Takeaway: The trend suggests an opportunity for bundled offerings that include both costumes and decorations, catering to consumers looking for a one-stop Halloween shopping experience.

Recommendations on Halloween’s Expanding Horizon 

Halloween has transformed from a single-day event into a season-long celebration (maybe even multi-season). 

Here are key strategies for businesses looking to capitalize on the evolving Halloween market:

  • Extended campaigns — Start Halloween promotions earlier. Consider maintaining a year-round Halloween section, either online or in-store.
  • Diverse product ranges — Offer a wide range of products at various price points, especially in costumes and decorations. Consider creating bundles that combine different product categories.
  • Immersive experiences — Capitalize on the growing popularity of Halloween pop-up stores by creating immersive, themed shopping experiences, online and offline. Social media is perfect for this. 

The Future of Halloween

By embracing the year-round potential of Halloween enthusiasm and adapting to changing consumer behaviors, retailers can turn this spooky holiday into an event that’s scary good for the bottom line.

Halloween is more expansive, immersive, and exciting than ever before. Are you ready to join the celebration? To learn more about how we can help you track and measure your customers’ shopping preferences, regardless of the season, book a demo with Bizrate Insights.