Three trends shaping how consumers shop for and celebrate Halloween

The list

1. 01

   Cooler weather brings more seasonal shopping

   2016 was warmest Halloween since 1974; cooler weather drives hot drinks, firewood, fleece demand.

2. 02

   Where you live changes how you shop for and celebrate Halloween

   Regional differences let retailers localize marketing; Midwest decorates and trick-or-treats most, South searches online.

3. 03

   Pop culture's influence on Halloween grows

   Celebrity, TV and meme costumes rise; 17 percent of consumers cite pop culture, 34 percent among ages 18-24.

Facts from the original

• Halloween has grown in popularity among U.S. consumers and in importance within the retail calendar over the past decade.
• NRF's annual Halloween survey is conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics.
• 72 percent of U.S. adults will celebrate Halloween this year, compared with 59 percent in 2007.
• Expected spending on Halloween has grown from $5.1 billion to $9.1 billion over the same period.
• In 2016, NRF's research team noted shifts including growing Millennial engagement and gender-neutral kids' costumes.
• According to weather analytics firm Planalytics, 2016 was the warmest Halloween nationwide since 1974.
• Warm temperatures meant fewer consumers were in the mood for seasonal items they typically buy in the weeks before Halloween.
• Retailers can expect shoppers looking for hot drinks for Halloween parties, firewood for bonfires and fleece blankets for watching scary movies.
• Evan Gold is Executive Vice President of Global Services at Planalytics.
• Evan Gold says removing last year's warmth anomalies means retailers can expect a more cold-weather friendly environment, with favorable year-over-year demand for fleece, soup and outerwear.
• Halloween celebrations vary across the country depending on where consumers live.
• Consumers living in the Midwest are most likely to decorate their home or yard or take their kids trick-or-treating compared with other areas.
• Home Depot's Halloween Style Challenge showcases spaces designed by six influencers.
• Target's "Epic Halloween" Pinterest board features instructions for creating a haunted patio or a super-spooky mantel.
• Consumers in the South are more likely to find inspiration through an online search or Facebook than consumers in other areas.
• Witches and animals are always popular Halloween costumes.
• 17 percent of consumers report that pop culture would inspire their costumes, a 12 percent increase over last year.
• More than a third (34 percent) of younger consumers aged 18-24 say pop culture will influence their costume decisions.
• Costume designers for HBO's "Game of Thrones" used Ikea rugs as capes for some characters, after which Ikea released instructions for a DIY Jon Snow cape.
• AMC and Mountain Dew created a Pokémon-Go style app based on "The Walking Dead" where fans scan Mountain Dew products in stores to unlock and collect new "Walkers."
• Amazon and Etsy both have dedicated sections on their Halloween pages for character costumes and for shoppers taking advantage of 2017's unicorn trend.
• Pinterest partnered with L'Oreal and Kellogg's Rice Krispies to create a virtual haunted house.
• Pinterest's virtual haunted house lets consumers explore rooms while browsing DIY treats, Halloween make-up tutorials and decorations.
• An infographic in the article showcases additional regional differences.