Halloween falls on a Friday for the first time in nearly a decade this year, which — despite economic concerns — is driving up spending.
“If it's a weekend, it does impact sales,” said Cherry Gott of Aurora’s Gott-A-Costume. “I always buy more for Friday and Saturday Halloweens than Monday through Thursday because there are more parties the weeks before and after.”
Spending for Halloween is expected to hit a record $13.1 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey done by Prosper Insights & Analytics. That projection exceeds last year’s $11.6 billion and the previous record — $12.2 billion set in 2023.
Per person spending is reaching a record high.
The demand is even more notable given the current tariffs impacting many costumes and accessories.
“Costumes are up 20 to 25 percent this year because of tariffs,” said Gott. “The sellers do pass that on to us.”
Gott says her shop is seeing a higher volume of people and sales, but less spending per shopper. Halloween regularly falls in the top three most celebrated holidays in the U.S., typically following Christmas and Thanksgiving.
“It’s a big deal everywhere, not just in Denver, not just in Colorado,” said Gott.
In her experience, local shops do the majority of their sales in the two weeks leading up to Oct. 31. But nationally, people are doing their shopping earlier and earlier each year.
“For consumers looking to balance their budgets, strategies such as buying early to spread out purchases or shopping at discount stores are just some ways they are being mindful of costs,” Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said. “Despite these budget considerations, consumers are committed to prioritizing Halloween celebrations to create special memories with their loved ones.”
Those 90s Halloween Kids are all grown up
The need for escapism may also influence the number of people who partake. Once viewed as a children’s holiday, Halloween is now widely celebrated by American adults, opening up spending on lavish parties and experiences.
At Gott’s shop, the largest group of customers are parents shopping for kids. But, she says adults tend to spend more on average for themselves.
“That’s just because the price of adult costumes are greater. Children start between $25 and $50, and adults start at $40 to $90.”
The National Retail Federation’s survey found that per-person spending has reached a record high in 2025 of $114.45, nearly $11 more than last year.
That spending includes candy, decorations, costumes, event tickets, and even greeting cards.
Data shows warmer weather on Halloween leads to higher spending.
This year, costumes from the Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters are topping charts for kid favorites in Colorado.
Gott, who has a young grandchild, was ahead of the trend. “I ordered over a hundred costumes after it came out, taking a chance, and it proved to be like the best seller ever,” Gott said.
Go to other retailers, like Spirit Halloween, and you’ll find those costumes are limited to one per customer due to popularity.
Gott told CPR News it’s important to stay on top of trends when buying for the season because it can put her ahead of larger retailers that make it difficult for smaller shops to stay in business.
“They do their ordering in January. That movie came out in August. But it's really a gamble,” she said. “You have to constantly be aware of anything new that comes out that people are going to catch onto. Advertisements, popular YouTube videos, movies, video games — they all impact what people want to wear.”
The year car insurance company Progressive began releasing commercials with the character Flo, Gott had loads of customers looking for blue aprons. “It’s really hard to keep up with. It’s a year-round thing — listening, talking to people.”
Despite tariffs and trends, some classics persist.
One costume Gott always stocks up on? The villain from the popular movie franchise Scream. “Ghostface is still the number one scary costume that I sell. It always sells out,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if I buy 50 or 100.”
Other top costumes for kids this year include Spider-Man, Wednesday Addams, and classics like a princess or super hero. For adults, popular costumes lean more toward the classic side with witch, vampire, and pirate topping the national charts.
“Adults don’t follow pop culture trends as much,” Gott said. “With kids the trends are crystal clear. For adults, especially couples, it’s the women who decide, and the men just go along with it.”
Weather can also impact how much Americans spend on Halloween. In Colorado, much of the state is expecting an average October night, with temps in the low 60s.
The NRF’s data show milder weather does encourage people to spend more, especially on candy for trick or treaters and other must-haves for the holiday.
