Spirit Halloween, America's largest Halloween retailer, revealed the costumes consumers are purchasing this fall and Hollywood is having a big influence.
Characters from Marvel's “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which had the biggest opening ever for an R-rated movie in July, remain fan favorites and drive demand for costumes. Pet costumes, especially Dogpool and Ladypool, are also popular this year.
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For families interested in G- or PG-rated group costumes, the “Inside Out 2” characters (Anxiety, Sadness and Disgust) are making retailers happy. “Inside Out 2” was the highest-grossing film of the year to date.
And of course, there's no movie more appropriate for Halloween than “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and Spirit has the cult classic character costumes for Beetlejuice, Lydia and Astrid in various versions.
Last year the most popular costumes were Barbie and Spiderman, according to Google (GOOGLE) charging geist tool (which has a “costume suggestion” feature if you're looking for a costume for 2024).
“Halloween isn't just a holiday – it's about where each person's imagination can take them, and we can't wait to see how our fans take these trends and make them their own this year,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit. Halloween, in a press release.
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For those who don't want to dress up as movie characters, there's always Mob Wife, Country Chic, and don't forget Travis and Taylor.
“Halloween fans come to Spirit Halloween year after year because they can find the best looks of the season, and our selection for 2024 won't disappoint. Whether you have a character in mind or are looking for inspiration, our variety of costumes and accessories for The whole family offers endless combinations and a world of possibilities,” Silverstein added.
Overall Halloween spending expected to be lower this year
Halloween is big business for retailers. Consumers will spend about $3.8 billion on costumes this year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). They will spend another $3.8 billion on decorations and $3.5 billion on candy, for a total of $11.6 billion. That's about 5% less than the $12.2 billion spent last year.
Each year, the NRF surveys consumers about their retail spending plans. This year, the organization noted that 47% of respondents said they planned to start their Halloween shopping before October.
It's not necessarily kids who drag their parents to stores like Spirit. “Interest in early Halloween shopping continues to be dominated by the 25-34 age group, with 56% of shoppers in this group starting their purchases before October,” said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at Prosper Insight & Analytics, which works with NRF on survey data. “Their love of the holidays is a key factor in this trend, with nearly half of this segment sharing that they plan to shop early because Halloween is their favorite holiday.”
Seventy-two percent of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween this year, in line with last year's record of 73 percent. Top Christmas activities include handing out candy (67%), decorating your home or garden (52%), dressing up in costumes (49%), carving a pumpkin (43%), and hosting or attending a party (29%).
Spirit has 1,525 locations in shopping centers and malls throughout North America. Spirits stores are seasonal (typically open for 60 to 90 days starting in mid-August) and occupy empty retail spaces.
Spirit's parent company, Spencer Gifts, is owned by Palladin Consumer Retail Partners, a Massachusetts-based private investment firm.
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