Halloween creep is haunting Christmas as it becomes retail's new rising star
As Halloween decorations creep onto store shelves earlier each year, America’s spookiest holiday is casting an ever-longer shadow over the retail landscape. With projected spending of $11.6 billion in 2024, Halloween is inching closer to Christmas-level importance for retailers and consumers alike.
This “Halloween creep” phenomenon reflects a broader shift in consumer behavior and retail strategy. Driven by social media hype, nostalgia, and a desire for escapism, Halloween has evolved from a single-day celebration to a season-long retail event.
Retailers are capitalizing on this trend by extending the Halloween shopping window, offering exclusive products, and tapping into the holiday’s unique blend of creativity and fun. As Halloween’s economic impact grows, it’s challenging the traditional retail calendar and raising questions about the future hierarchy of American holiday spending.
Whether that means celebrating “Summerween” with coffin-shaped ice cream sandwiches or dropping a pumpkin spice treat earlier than ever before (ahem, Starbucks), the holiday creep is making the traditional retail calendar less relevant, Andy Keenan, executive vice president at business consulting firm, Advantage Solutions (ADV), told Quartz.
Keenan argues that the Halloween creep “has been happening for a while,” but has now become “so pronounced that it’s almost uncommon not to be in an extended holiday season.”
Retailers are moving Halloween earlier because it is a major revenue driver and offers a unique blend of nostalgia and escapism, according to Ryan Waite, vice president of public affairs at the marketing firm Think Big.
“Halloween is ripe for innovation and disruption,” Waite said. “It’s a holiday consumers can have fun with and get some attention.”
This year, Halloween shopping started earlier than ever thanks to inflation, with 56% of shoppers between the ages of 25 to 34 making their purchases before October, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). As inflation pushes prices up, many shoppers who still want to enjoy holiday festivities are opting to space out their purchases to manage their budgets more effectively.
Overall spending in 2024 is projected to reach $11.6 billion, down from last year’s record high of $12.2 billion, but still higher than the $8 billion recorded in 2020. Candy, as usual, will be the top seller, accounting for an estimated $3.5 billion of this year’s sales.
Waite said that Halloween is “recession-resistant,” and that even if consumers cut back on big-ticket items like DIY projects (we’re looking at you, Lowe’s and Home Depot), they will still splurge candy and costumes, like these Chipotleunitards.
The Halloween retail strategy increasingly parallels Christmas, with shoppers starting their holiday purchases even before Halloween this year. Both seasons emphasize extended selling periods, but with distinct market positioning. While Christmas retail emphasizes tradition and family-centric marketing, Halloween capitalizes on themes of self-expression and novelty. Nonetheless, Waite said retailers can glean lessons from the Christmas creep: start early, create emotional engagement, and avoid consumer fatigue.
“Consumers love the early shopping window, but pushing it too far risks backlash,” he said. “Like with Christmas, brands should focus on exclusive, limited-time products to build excitement.”
Waite argues that by carefully curating promotions and ensuring new offerings feel fresh and special, retailers can keep customers engaged throughout the season.
The expanding Halloween retail season is a deliberate business tactic, not a coincidence. Retailers are carefully orchestrating a seamless transition between seasonal merchandise, while striving to minimize holiday overlap that could fatigue consumers.
“The strategy is intentional,” said Bobby Meixner, senior director at User Testing. “It’s designed to meet customer demand, drive sales, and make room for ever-shifting inventory as the next holiday or season approaches.
Meixner, a former eBay (EBAY) senior manager who partnered with sales and product management teams, said it’s important to consider the limited attention span of consumers and their desire for change. By maintaining “a steady rotation of new and trending items,” retailers can “keep consumers engaged and coming back for more.”
There’s a sense of excitement for limited-time events like Halloween, which only comes once a year, Michael Barbera, professor of consumer behavior and marketing at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, told Quartz.
“This scarcity can lead to FOMO (fear of missing out), which encourages people to buy decorations and costumes early to secure the best items,” Barbera said.
