Survey: 62% To Celebrate 2024 Halloween

Halloween is quickly approaching, and consumers are decorating their homes, buying candy, and getting ready to go trick-or-treating. Numerator, which tracks purchase data and surveys verified buyers, uncovered the following trends: 62% of U.S.

consumers plan to celebrate Halloween this year. The top purchases will be candy (80%), decorations (48%), food (38%), apparel or costumes (37%), alcoholic beverages (23%), and party supplies (14%). 64% of Halloween celebrators surveyed say they will do most or all of their shopping in-store while only 12% say they will do most or all of their shopping online.

The top planned shopping locations are big box stores like Walmart or Target (60%), grocery stores (44%), discount or dollar stores (35%), online retailers (35%), specialty retailers like Spirit Halloween or Hobby Lobby (18%), and local shops or small businesses (15%). The top ways to celebrate Halloween are decorating (59%), handing out candy (58%), gathering with family and friends (33%), and going (or accompanying someone) trick-or-treating (31%). 83% of decorators plan to use Halloween decorations from past years while 46% plan to purchase new, and 28% plan to make DIY decorations.

In addition, 47% will use fresh or natural decorations like pumpkins or corn stalks, and 15% will use large-scale decorations, like giant skeletons or lawn inflatables. When asked about their Halloween decoration style, nearly half (49%) of consumers described theirs as “fun” followed by “festive” (46%), “cute” (36%), “spooky” (35%), “scary” (19%), and “creepy” (18%). Western consumers are more likely to go spooky with their decorations (42% vs.

35% of all consumers), Southern consumers are more likely to go for fun (53% vs. 49%), and Midwesterners go for festive (53% vs. 46%).

Among generations, Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to go spooky (43% vs. 35%) while Gen X is more likely to go festive (49% vs. 46%).