Peter Schorsch
Halloween is a sweet holiday for many. But that’s especially true this year for those selling candy and costumes.
The Florida Retail Federation (FRF), an advocacy group for Sunshine State sellers, highlighted data this week showing that Americans will spend more this spooky season compared to 2022. The numbers suggest that consumers plan to spend a record $108.24 per person, an increase of more than $8 since 2022.
“More Floridians plan to celebrate Halloween this year, many of which have already started their shopping,” said FRF President and CEO Scott Shalley. “Florida retailers are prepared to help shoppers get into the holiday spirit and ensure they find all their decor, costumes and other supplies for Halloween festivities.”
The forecast comes from FRF’s national counterpart, which conducted and released a survey ahead of October.
The retailers expect a record $12.2 billion in Halloween spending across the nation. About half of shoppers (45%) will start shopping before September’s end.
Costumes remain the most popular purchase as total spending is forecasted to reach $4.1 billion. Candy comes in at a close second, with $3.6 billion in sales expected for the sweet staple.
The retailers’ data shows that nearly 70% of shoppers hand out candy for the holiday and a few more (73%) will celebrate.
In terms of costumes, Spiderman continues to dominate the field. The friendly neighborhood superhero is the number one choice among children’s Halloween-wear for the third consecutive year.
Other top choices include a mix of the generic and specific: princess, ghost, superhero, witch, Batman, Barbie, zombie, Mario and Wednesday Addams.
The top five pet costumes? They are pumpkin, hot dog, bat, bumblebee and spider.
The FRF emphasizes local shopping, and has a “Find it in Florida” store locator here. However, discount stores, specialty stores and web stores are the top three destinations for most Halloween purchasers.
