Party Themes & MotifsNo. 1666 · The 2026 edition
Top 2015 Halloween Trends
Get ready to spook in style! Discover the hottest Halloween trends that took 2015 by storm.
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at web.archive.org.
This article rounds up the top Halloween trends of 2015, from the most popular costumes like superheroes and scary clowns to the latest in party themes and DIY decorations. It highlights the year's biggest inspirations, including movie tie-ins and vintage horror revivals, ensuring your Halloween celebration is both trendy and terrifying.
About this
This 9-slide presentation from NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics reports findings from the 2015 Halloween Consumer Spending Survey, covering total spending, the share of Americans celebrating, costume and party participation, pet costumes, where millennials find costume inspiration, and when shoppers begin buying. Data is broken out for the overall population and for millennials aged 18-34. The survey polled 6,754 consumers September 1-8, 2015, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.3 percentage points.
Facts from the original
- NRF's 2015 Halloween Consumer Spending Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to Halloween spending.
- The survey was conducted for NRF by Prosper Insights & Analytics and polled 6,754 consumers September 1-8, 2015, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.3 percentage points.
- Total Halloween spending in 2015 reached $6.9 billion.
- 157 million Americans planned to celebrate Halloween in 2015.
- Average spending per person was $74.
- Adult costumes accounted for $1.2 billion in spending.
- Children's costumes accounted for $950 million in spending.
- 68 million Americans planned to dress in costume.
- 45% planned to decorate their home or yard.
- 49 million people planned to host or attend a Halloween party.
- A chart tracks total Halloween spending and the percentage of Americans celebrating from 2005 through 2015.
- 81% of consumers aged 18-34 planned to celebrate Halloween.
- 7 in 10 millennials dress in costume, versus 44% of the total population.
- Nearly half of millennials throw or attend a party (48%), versus 32% of the total population.
- One-third of millennials visit a haunted house.
- 1 in 5 millennials plan to dress their pets in costumes (20%), versus 13% of average adults.
- 20 million people planned to dress their pets in costumes.
- Total spending on pet costumes was $350 million.
- 25% of millennials use Pinterest for costume ideas, versus 13% of average adults.
- 16% of millennials use Instagram for costume ideas, versus 7% of average adults.
- How millennials look for costume ideas: online search 49%.
- Within a retail store or costume shop: 34%.
- Pop culture (celebrities, TV shows, movies): 24%.
- Current events: 11%.
- Facebook: 23%.
- Instagram: 16%.
- Pinterest: 25%.
- Twitter: 9%.
- YouTube: 15%.
- 4 in 10 Americans begin shopping for Halloween within the first two weeks of October (41%).
- 28% shop in the last two weeks of October, and about one-quarter wait until the last minute.
- 25% shop in September.
- 6% shop before September.
- The NRF/Prosper Halloween Spending Survey polls more than 6,000 consumers each year and has a margin of error between plus or minus 1 and 1.3 percentage points.
