Stretching the budget for Halloween

Halloween is just over two weeks away. Costumes, treat-or-treating, carving pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns, decorating, visiting haunted attractions, and watching horror movies are all in the mix of the day that kicks off the holiday season. It seems we blink and then it’s time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Look around at area stores, and you’ll see all three holidays at once.

First things first. Despite high gas and grocery prices, Halloween spending is up this year. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2026 survey, consumers are budgeting an average of $115.14 per person on “spooky season” this year, bringing total expected spending on the holiday to $13.5 billion.

The increased popularity comes with earlier shopping, which began in September, and stronger spending on categories such as costumes, candy and decorations. Even as they stretch their dollars, consumers continue to prioritize holidays in their budgets.

After a long hot summer, apparently everyone is ready for a cooler change of seasons with a little scary thrill around the corner. If you are old school, let us never forget the plastic masks we wore as kids. It could have been freezing outside, but those barely breathable masks were toasty. Of course, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown sealed the Halloween deal for families across the country when it debuted in 1966. It remains a favorite for kids, young and old, this time of year.

Hero costumes rule, except for your fur babies

For children, $1.5 billion is expected to be spent on costumes this year. Comic book characters dominate Halloween costume choices for kids, with 4.6 million children planning on dressing up as Spider-Man and 2.3 million as a superhero. Rounding out the top five are 2.2 million children dressing up as a princess, followed by 1.6 million as a witch and 1.6 million as a ghost.

Shoppers are expected to spend $2 billion on adult Halloween costumes this year. Classic Halloween characters are still popular, with 4.8 million planning to dress up as a witch and 4.2 million as a vampire. Other top costume choices include 2 million dressing up as Batman, 1.5 million as Spider-Man and 1.4 million as a ghost.

Four-legged family members are once again part of the Halloween festivities, with consumers planning on spending $0.92 billion on pet costumes. Popular costumes include a pumpkin (11.6%), a hot dog (5.9%) and a ghost (2.8%).

Discount stores are the top shopping destination, and small and local businesses are gaining popularity. “Nobody’s cutting out Halloween, as we can tell,” says Allison Zeller, NRF’s vice president of industry and consumer insights. “But they’re being savvy. They’re looking for ways to save money. They’re comparative shopping, looking for coupons and shopping around.”

Pop-up stores like Spirit Halloween remain popular because of their seasonal inventory. Spirit Halloween is located at 415 Hawthorne Avenue in Athens. Other options for costumes or decorating include The Party Shop, 300 Pearl Nix Parkway in Gainesville, and Michael’s Craft Store at 361 Habersham Village Circle in Cornelia.

Looking for items to reuse in the future is also one of the most popular courses of action overall, cited by 34% of respondents to NRF’s 2026 Halloween Survey. Maybe they’re grabbing a pair of cowboy boots they can wear for both their costume and an upcoming concert, or a sparkly dress they can repurpose for New Year’s Eve. Whatever it is, they’re shopping intentionally, making plans and thinking ahead.

Halloween-themed events grow in popularity

Many families are seeking new traditions in the events that have grown alongside Halloween’s popularity. Those with young children are more likely than adults overall to plan to attend a themed event other than a party, like a pumpkin patch, trunk-or-treat event, or another community celebration.