Consumers kicking off Halloween shopping earlier than ever

Early Halloween shopping is getting earlier as 47% of consumers are shopping before October, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation.

The survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, revealed early shopping is up 37% compared to five years ago. Total Halloween spend is projected to reach $11.6 billion — a robust increase compared to last year’s record-setting $12.2 billion, according to a press release on the survey’s findings.

“Halloween marks the official transition to the fall season for many Americans, and consumers are eager to get a jump start on purchasing new seasonal décor and other autumnal items,” NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said in the release. “Retailers are prepared to meet this early demand by offering shoppers all the holiday essentials to make this year’s celebrations memorable.”

Top reasons shared by early shoppers include looking forward to the fall season (48%), avoiding the stress of last-minute shopping (38%) or because Halloween is one of their favorite holidays (37%).

“Interest in early Halloween shopping continues to be dominated by the 25-34 age group, with 56% of shoppers in this group kicking off their shopping before October,” Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said in the release. “Their love of the holiday is a key factor in this trend, with nearly half of this segment sharing that they plan to shop early because Halloween is their favorite holiday.”

Those taking part in the spooky season plan to spend an average of $103.63, about $4.62 less than last year’s record of $108.24.