Alongside early shopping, decorations are another growing trend this Halloween. This year, 78% of Halloween shoppers expect to purchase décor, up from 72% in 2019. Total spending on decorations is expected to reach $4.2 billion, $1.6 billion more than in 2019. For context, more people are buying decorations than costumes — and they’re spending more on this category than they do on candy.
From giant skeletons and grinning jack-o’-lanterns to flickering candelabra and pun-tastic gravestones, retailers have Halloween decorations to fit every style, space and budget. But it’s hard to beat the classics: Lights, cobwebs and other hanging decorations are the most popular option, followed by pumpkins and gourds.
More 18- to 24-year-old early shoppers say they look forward to fall or that Halloween is one of their favorite holidays, and they plan accordingly. When should you expect to see these decorations? The most popular time to start decorating is the first half of October (45%). But early Halloween shoppers are the exception: Almost half of those who started browsing and buying more than a month in advance put out their decorations in September.
For more on how consumers are celebrating — and shopping for — Halloween this year, check out NRF’s Halloween headquarters. And stay tuned for next week’s “countdown to Halloween” blog post to learn all about this year’s top costumes.
