Halloween was once a time of both tricks and treats. Lately, Halloween has become one big treat for businesses, with consumers spending an estimated US$11.6 billion on this one-night holiday .
That’s roughly the same amount of money as Americans spend on children’s books each year. This massive amount of spending is puzzling, given the media is filled with stories about the economic hardships many families face. As a business school professor who has written previously about Halloween , I was curious why Halloween spending is just below all-time highs at the same time many people report high levels of economic angst .
The best data on Halloween spending comes each year from the National Retail Federation , which surveys Americans about their shopping plans just before the holiday. It found that U.S.
consumers will spend over $11 billion this year, which is about half the amount spent annually on dental care for children under age 17 . The most recent survey also shows that about three out of four Americans will celebrate in some fashion. Because not everyone observes the holiday, the federation calculates that the typical person celebrating will spend $104 on Halloween.
The federation breaks down spending into four categories . About one-third of spending will be on costumes for children, adults and pets. Another third will be spent on decorations like giant skeletons.
About a final third is spent on candy, and the remaining sliver is spent on greeting cards. Back in 2005.
