The concept of Halloween has changed throughout the decades. More so now than ever before, the craze of buying candy, wearing the best costume or having the creepiest party is a high priority to the majority of the people in the U.S., as 69.1 percent of Americans celebrate Halloween.
Halloween costumes are just one of the sales that the National Retail Federation (NRF) observes. Out of all Halloween shoppers, 67 percent of them purchase costumes.
After 11 years of princess costumes being the top pick for children, superheroes take the number one slot for costume sales in 2016 according to the NRF’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights. Due to the survey not accounting for gender, the shift in the top pick is thought to be influenced by both boys and girls. An all-time high, this year children’s costumes are expected to reach a $1.17 billion in profit.
As of this year, consumers from ages 18 to 34 are the highest spenders on Halloween costumes. This age group spends an average of $42.39 in comparison to the average for adults at $31.03. From 2006, millennials planning on attending Halloween parties have increased 10.9 percent.
As seen on social media, one of the more popular aspects of Halloween has become dressing pets in costumes. Research has shown that 16 percent of all consumers purchase costumes for their pets. But the controversy behind this Halloween has stemmed from dog and cat costumes being considered sexist. The tags on the majority of costumes found in PetSmart have labeled “male” or “female” depending on the type of costume. Firefighter, police officer, mob boss and doctor are just some of the costumes labeled as “male” costumes. French maid, pink cowgirl and pink loofahs are just some of the more feminine costumes. The corresponding costumes and labels of these costumes have offended members from the public.
Many changes have altered the meaning and traditions of trick-or-treating. In recent years, children traveling from door to door for candy isn’t as prevalent as it has once been. The lack of trick-or-treating doesn’t mean the absence of celebration, but rather participation in alternative events.
Several of these substitute activities include fall festivals, community candy bashes and costume parties or balls. Some parents even go as far as saying that in this day and age, kids are safer without the conventional trick-or-treating. The idea of kids surrounded by strangers and traffic after dusk dissuades parents from permitting their children to go out on Halloween night.
There are also other dangers such as severe allergies to food ingredients like gluten and nuts in candy that have people concerned. On the other hand, the NRF predicted that 171 million Americans intend to partake in Halloween festivities this year, and seven in 10 consumers plan to hand out candy.
This year alone, approximately $3.1 billion was spent on costumes, $2.5 billion on candy, $2.4 billion on decorations and $390 million on greeting cards. This brings Halloween 2016 to have a price tag of around $8.4 billion. Last year, the number was much lower at $6.9 billion.
Due to the escalation of money spent for Halloween, it can be observed that the holiday has grown in popularity as well. With the usual trends and traditions of this holiday being a moment of the past, this year’s off-the-chart records pave the way for a new generation of All Hallows’ Eve.