Although Halloween continues to be a popular holiday for American shoppers, the country's consumers are keeping a close eye on their budgets in the face of rising inflation and increased costs.
“Consumers continue to make Halloween a spending priority, but they are also approaching the season with affordability in mind,” said NRF VP of industry and consumer insights Allison Zeller in a September 22 release. "Shoppers are being thoughtful and strategic, looking for ways to maximize value throughout the season."
According to a National Retail Federation survey of 7,880 U.S. consumers conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, Americans are expected to spend up to $13.5 billion on Halloween shopping in the U.S. this year, up from $13.1 billion in 2025. Nearly half said that they planned to begin their Halloween shopping in September or earlier, roughly on par with last year, and 2% more than 2024. The percentage of Americans starting their Halloween shopping before October has also steadily grown over the last decade, rising from 34% in 2015, to 37% in 2019, 45% in 2021, and 47% in 2022.
As consumers have become increasingly cost conscious, value has played a significant part in Halloween shopping decisions, with 23% of Americans saying they purchased items earlier to spread out their budgets, while 21% were motivated by prices and promotions that were too good to pass up. Another 31% said that they comparatively shop if they encounter higher-than expected prices on Halloween items, 26% said that they look for coupons or sales, and 34% said that they look for items they can reuse in the future or repurpose for other occasions.
Discount stores are also the top choice for Halloween purchases at 39%, followed by speciality costume stores at 32%, and online shopping at 27%. Consumers are expected to spend an average of $115.14 per person, in line with 2025's average of $114.45 per person.
