Heat up the cider and start carving the pumpkins, it’s Halloween time! We know you’re probably already dreaming up the perfect costume for the 31st. While you’re busy planning out the perfect trick-or-treating route, don’t forget to carve out some time to focus on your Halloween marketing strategies.
Here at The Shelf, you know we love a holiday campaign. And we firmly believe in having all the data to make them really sing, or I guess, scream for your Halloween marketing. That’s why we’ve rounded up all the 2024 Halloween stats you need to know to make your campaigns scary good. Consider it the season of the marketing witch, with all the campaign strategy spells you’ll be able to cast.
No need to go wandering through the corn maze of Halloween data from past haunts. We’ve already gone bobbing for all the latest stats you need to create marketing strategies to die for. Plus, we’ve rounded up all the essential data points into an infographic included at the end of this post.
Shoppers Love Falling Early for Fall
When autumn finally rolled around in 2020, less than half of us were interested in celebrating Halloween in the traditional sense. (It may have had something to do with the fact that every single day of 2020 seemed a little like Halloween…) For most of us, that resistance was tied directly to still being hesitant to gather in crowds, go door-to-door, or (heaven forbid) take anything out of anyone else’s hands.
We’ve come a long way since those dark days. In fact, this year will see the highest percentage of people celebrating Halloween in nearly 20 years, according to the National Retail Federation. 🥳🥳
This year, trick-or-treating is back on the agenda, and candy is still the most popular thing to buy for Halloween. You won’t be surprised that 95 percent of celebrants pick some up for the big day. More than two-thirds of celebrants (68 percent) have plans to hand out candy this Halloween.
How Consumers Halloween
A whopping 72 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this year. How exactly are consumers celebrating the spooky holiday, you ask? Well, 67 percent plan to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Another 52 percent plan to decorate their home or yard. Nearly half (49 percent) plan to dress up in costume. 43 percent will carve a pumpkin, creating their own jack-o-lantern. And 29 percent will attend or throw a Halloween party.
As you can see there are many ways to celebrate Halloween in 2024. And this doesn’t include the haunted houses, hayrides, and pumpkin patch visits. There are plenty of touchpoints and seasonal staples through which you can reach your target demo to get in on that Halloween spending. And boy do celebrators spend.
Breaking Down $11.6B in Halloween Spend
That’s right, Halloweenies are projected to spend a staggering $11.6B this year. And yes, that’s B as in BOO (and billion)! But don’t let that number scare you. There’s plenty of spooky spending to go around.
Average Halloween shoppers will spend $104 on the holiday. This year, for the first time, spending on costumes and decorations are about the same, at 33 dollars and some change. Close behind is candy, of course, with an average spend of $31.69 per person. Oh, to be a trick-or-treating tot again to save that expense!
Here’s how those numbers shake out on a market level: 95 percent of shoppers purchase candy, netting out at $3.5B. 77 percent buy decorations, totaling $3.8B. 69 percent of shoppers purchase costumes, amounting to another $3.8B. And there are two spending categories, that while they pale in comparison, are nothing to sneeze at. $500M is spent on greeting cards by 35 percent of shoppers. And another $500M is spent on haunted attractions by 22 percent of shoppers.
Where Do Shoppers Find Halloween Inspo?
We’re an influencer marketing blog. Of course we’re going to do a section on influence and inspo. This year, Halloween shoppers are getting most of their inspiration (38 percent) for All Hallow’s Eve on the internet. That’s great news for brands looking to do influencer marketing campaigns. Meet consumers where they’re at — scrolling. And deliver on enviable costumes and decor they can use your brand to recreate!
Of course, some shoppers (20 percent) are also finding their Halloween inspiration in-store. I myself just took a lap around Spirit Halloween looking for anything that struck my fancy. And always a fan of word-of-mouth, another fifth of consumers are turning to friends and family for Halloween ideas. So don’t sleep on your campaign’s ability to make it into the group chat.
Where Do Halloweenies Shop?
Between candy, costumes, and those giant yard skeletons, there are plenty of places for Halloween lovers to shop. Discount stores reign supreme when it comes to Halloween spending. They account for 37 percent of total spend. Next up are specialty Halloween stores and online retailers at 33 percent of spending. (I know you’ve driven past at least one Spirit Halloween in a previously abandoned storefront in your town.)
Then we have grocery stores accounting for 28 percent of spending (all that candy adds up!). Followed by 22 percent at department stores and 12 percent at craft stores for all those DIYers who get creative for the holiday.
A Very Gen Z Halloween
It’s the generation all the marketers are talking about these days, so I know you want the Halloween deets. Gen Z takes Halloween, and specifically Halloween parties, very seriously. At least, 42 percent of them do. (That’s compared to 34 percent of Millennials.) And 32 percent of Gen Zers say they’re going bigger and better for Halloween this season compared to years past.
However, going bigger and better doesn’t always mean spending more. Gen Z is particularly concerned with inflation this year. Up to 74 percent of Gen Zers say they’ll have to cut back on holiday purchases in general this year. And it makes sense. One in four Gen Zers and Millennials report having gone into holiday debt in previous years. But still, 47 percent say they’re willing to splurge for Halloween.
Most Gen Z (54 percent) will be in costume for the occasion. And 21 percent of their pets will be too! So if you’re marketing to Gen Z this spooky season, bring on the Halloween campaigns!
Check Out Our Halloween Infographic
We hope all these tips and tricks make your Halloween marketing a treat. Remember, it’s not too late to start planning your holiday campaigns. If you’d like assistance getting started on your seasonal strategies, we’re happy to help! Schedule a strategy call with one of our experts today.
Want more info on how you can leverage influencer marketing this spooky season? Check out our Halloween trends post. And take a gander at this 👇 EPIC infographic for more ideas. Bonus: there are campaign strategies, tricks, and treats at the bottom of this sucker!
COPY and PASTE THIS 👇 CODE to EMBED THIS ☝️GRAPHIC.
About This Author
Ariana Newhouse | B2B Writer
I am a freelance writer and comedian based in Los Angeles, and while making people laugh is my jam, it’s not always the company brand. So, I strive to make people feel something. My writing philosophy is collaborative, empathetic, and humanistic. At the end of the day, no matter the message, there are real people on both ends of the process.
