Americans spent WAY more money on Halloween this year than you might think
In the age of DIY Pinterest costumes, you might think that the cost of Halloween is going down for the average consumer. After all, it should cost relatively little to make yourself into a glam deer Snapchat filter using only makeup, right?
Not so, according to a report from the National Retail Federation (NRF). The researchers estimate that Americans spent more on Halloween costumes, candy, and decorations this year than in any year since the group first began keeping track of the numbers 11 years ago — a whopping $8.4 billion.
Can you even believe that?!
According to the report, the 171 million Americans who took part in the holiday spent about $82.93 each, a significant increase from last year’s $74.34.
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The study says we spent $3.1 billion on costumes, $2.5 billion on candy, $2.4 billion on decorations, and $390 million on greeting cards.
Good. Grief.
Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the NRF, explained why this year’s Halloween cost us so very much.
"After a long summer, families are excited to welcome the fall season celebrating Halloween. Retailers are preparing for the day by offering a wide variety of options in costumes, decorations and candy, while being aggressive with their promotions to capture the most out of this shopping event."
Last year, the cost of Halloween was about $6.9 billion, which was down from the $7.4 billion we spent as a nation in 2014. The biggest Halloween expense? No surprise there — it’s Halloween candy. About 94% of people participating in the holiday planned to purchase those tasty treats.
The survey also found that the majority of revelers who dressed up in Halloween costumes drew inspiration for their outfits online, with 17% looking to Pinterest and an additional 17% getting their ideas from Facebook.
Now that we know how much this holiday cost us, we’ll be hiding out with our hoards of half-priced candy until all the holidays are over — our wallets need a break!
