It’s a holiday where you’re encouraged to go door-to-door, collecting candy from multiple hands and piling it all together for a sweet, sugary haul. In the era of COVID-19, it’s no wonder that some people are opting to spend Oct. 31st a bit differently. But hey, at least many costumes come with masks! We’re less than a week out from this year’s spookiest Saturday. Let’s take a look at some Halloween 2020 spending statistics.
First, how many people plan to celebrate?
This is not a spending statistic, but equally important to note. According to the National Retail Federation, 58 percent of people plan to celebrate Halloween this year. That’s compared to last year’s 68 percent who planned to celebrate.
Pull out the wallet
Despite the pandemic, Halloween is not stopping people from dropping some cash. Total planned spending for Halloween 2020 is $8.05 billion. That is a decrease from the $8.8 billion Halloween-enthusiasts spent on the holiday in 2019.
Individual spending has increased
While the overall average spending decreased slightly, the average expected spend per person has actually gone up. Maybe it’s because the people still planning to celebrate Halloween are the dedicated fans of the holiday that always go all-out? Average expected spending per person is $92.12 compared to $86.27 the year prior.
Candy takes the cake
So, what are people spending their money on this year? Candy takes the cake, with 96 percent of those celebrating planning to spend money on candy. After that, 75 percent of people planned to spend money on decorations, 65 percent are purchasing costumes or costume materials, and 40 percent had plans to buy Halloween-themed greeting cards.
The biggest spenders
Next on our Halloween 2020 spending statistics—who is spending money on the holiday, and how much? Broken down by age, celebrants aged 35-44 are projected to spend the most on Halloween this year with an average spend of $126.15 per person.
This age group is not, however, the most-likely to celebrate despite being the highest spenders. Ages 25-34 have the highest percentage planning to celebrate, at 76 percent, with a planned average spend of around $118.22. The 25-34 age group is also the most likely to spend money on costumes (including costumes for children and pets), with 88 percent projected to do so.
Diving for discounts
We’ve got the who, the what, the when and the how, so now it’s time for the where. Discount stores (like thrift shops) account for the largest percentage (38 percent) among the places where consumers plan to shop for their Halloween goodies. That’s followed by specialty Halloween/costume stores (32 percent), and online at 29 percent.
Summary
While these Halloween 2020 spending statistics show a definite dip in the percentage of people who plan to celebrate, spending is still only slightly affected—good news for retailers! Wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween, however you choose to spend the holiday.
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