Consumers Anticipate New Ways to Celebrate Halloween, Despite COVID-19

The list

1. 01

   princess

   Children's top costume; over 2.7 million kids planned to dress as a princess.

2. 02

   Spiderman

   Children's costume; more than 1.8 million planned to dress as Spiderman.

3. 03

   favorite superhero

   Children's costume; over 1.6 million planned to dress as a favorite superhero.

4. 04

   ghost

   Children's costume; more than 1.3 million planned to dress as a ghost.

5. 05

   Batman

   Children's costume; another 1.3 million planned to dress as Batman.

6. 01

   witch

   Adults' top costume; more than 4.6 million planned to dress as a witch.

7. 02

   vampire

   Adults' costume; more than 1.7 million planned to dress as a vampire.

8. 03

   cat

   Adults' costume; more than 1.3 million planned to dress as a cat.

9. 04

   Batman

   Adults' costume; more than 1.1 million planned to dress as Batman.

10. 05

    ghost

    Adults' costume; more than 1 million planned to dress as a ghost.

11. 01

    pumpkin

    Pet costume; 10 percent of pet lovers planned to dress their animal as a pumpkin.

12. 02

    hot dog

    Pet costume; 6 percent planned to dress their cat or dog as a hot dog.

13. 03

    superhero

    Pet costume; 5 percent planned to dress their pet as a superhero.

14. 04

    cat

    Pet costume; 3 percent planned to dress their pet as a cat.

Facts from the original

• More than 148 million U.S. adults planned to take part in Halloween-related activities in 2020.
• Among Halloween celebrants, 53% planned to decorate their homes, 46% planned to carve a pumpkin, and 18% planned to dress up their pet.
• More than three-quarters of respondents said the coronavirus was affecting their Halloween celebration plans, and overall participation fell to 58%.
• Plans for parties, trick-or-treating, handing out candy, and visiting haunted houses all declined because these activities are harder to do while social distancing.
• 17% of consumers said they planned to celebrate Halloween virtually.
• Expected Halloween consumer spending was $8.05 billion, down from $8.78 billion in 2019.
• Those celebrating planned to spend $92.12 on average, compared with $86.27 in 2019.
• Consumers spent more on home decorations, candy, and greeting cards to make the holiday special.
• Among consumers ages 18-24, fewer planned to celebrate, but those who did spent $11 more on average, mainly on decorations and candy.
• Halloween shopping started earlier in 2020, with four in 10 consumers planning to begin in September or earlier.
• The top shopping destinations remained discount stores, specialty Halloween stores, grocery stores, and online retailers.
• 30% planned to make Halloween purchases online, up from 25% the previous year.
• For children's costumes, more than 2.7 million planned to dress as a princess, more than 1.8 million as Spiderman, more than 1.6 million as a favorite superhero, more than 1.3 million as a ghost, and another 1.3 million as Batman.
• For adult costumes, nearly 70% of those planning to dress up already knew their costume; more than 4.6 million planned to be a witch, more than 1.7 million a vampire, more than 1.3 million a cat, more than 1.1 million Batman, and more than 1 million a ghost.
• For pet costumes, 10% of pet lovers planned a pumpkin costume, 6% a hot dog, 5% a superhero, and 3% a cat.
• The survey asked 7,644 consumers about Halloween shopping plans, was conducted September 1-9, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
• The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and advocates for the retail industry.
• Retail is the largest U.S. private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs, or 52 million working Americans.
• NRF has been a voice for retailers and retail jobs for over a century.
• Prosper Insights & Analytics is a global leader in consumer intent data serving financial services, marketing technology, and retail industries.
• Prosper provides market information on U.S. and China consumers and integrates economic, behavioral, and attitudinal data to help companies predict future behavior and improve marketing.
• Prosper's website is www.ProsperInsights.com.