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With the Fourth of July officially in the rearview mirror, retailers have already begun to switch over their shelves from stars and stripes to fall foliage and pumpkins. Halloween, it would seem, is right around the corner. And in light of the Christmas in July sales in the aftermath of Prime Day, it’s clear that shoppers are not slowing down.
The latest CivicScience data show that 31% of Americans report they’re looking forward to Halloween more this year than they usually do–an eight-percentage-point increase since 2024. Gen Z, men, and those who earn $50K or less annually are most likely to drive this increased enthusiasm.
This early uptrend in Halloween excitement is also translating into earlier shopping. This year, 23% of Halloween shoppers will begin (or have already begun) stocking up before September, a 64% increase from 2024. Consequently, the share of shoppers waiting until October is down from 56% in 2024 to 44% this year. Much has been made of the earlier start to winter holiday shopping, but it’s clear that Halloween is starting to steal some of that thunder.
Early Halloween Shoppers Opt for Online-Only Sites
When it comes to where they’re shopping this year, big-box stores are the most common destination overall, with tight competition among online-only shopping, discount/dollar stores, and seasonal pop-ups for second place. Consumers who begin shopping in the summer months are most likely to shop online, whereas October shoppers drive demand in big-box shopping. Interest in shopping at discount and dollar stores increases as Halloween gets closer.
Motivated by Fun, Early Halloween Shoppers Are Poised to Spend
Why buy Halloween decorations before the leaves even start to turn? For 36% of early shoppers, the answer is simple: “for fun.” Another 25% shop early to avoid missing out on sold-out items, while snagging a good deal was the lowest priority, with just 16% motivated by saving cash. This suggests that the early Halloween shopper is more likely to be driven by emotion and FOMO than by frugality.
Further insights from CivicScience paint a clearer picture of who these high-intent shoppers are, and why brands, retailers, and advertisers can’t afford to ignore them:
- The Impact of Nostalgia: Consumers who begin shopping for Halloween in the summer, before September, are more than twice as likely as the average American to say nostalgia holds ‘a lot’ of influence over their product purchasing (43% to 17%).
- Stress Fuels Purchasing Intent: Nearly two in five (37%) of summertime Halloween shoppers feel very strongly stressed lately, compared to 25% among the Gen Pop, suggesting this early buying intent may be serving as a form of stress relief and retail therapy.
- Big Spenders: This is a segment not afraid to open their wallets right now – 63% of summertime Halloween shoppers say they’re spending more overall than they typically would at this time of year, far higher than the 35% among Gen Pop.
- Winter Holiday Shopping Crossover: These early Halloween shoppers also outpace the average consumer in reporting they’ve already begun shopping for winter holidays by a margin of nearly 2-to-1.
Americans are increasingly looking forward to Halloween. With early Halloween shoppers prioritizing fun, seeking stress relief, and already opening their wallets, now is the ideal time for brands to engage them. CivicScience’s real-time, consumer-reported data equips clients to reach the right consumers at the moment when it matters most.
