DALLAS — What was your Halloween budget this year? Some of you have answered on Facebook saying that you aren’t planning to spend anything for the holiday this year, with others saying they’ll spend up to a couple hundred dollars.
Some of you have also been sending photos of some elaborate home displays. If that sounds like you, you may be part of the reason that Americans are expected to spend $10.14 billion on Halloween in 2021.
That projection comes from the National Retail Federation, which says the amount is a record for Halloween spending.
The predicted outlays include much more spending than previous years on decorations and greeting cards. Who knew that Halloween greeting cards were even a thing? Also, Americans are expected to put down $3 billion for candy this Halloween.
You may have already noticed some empty store shelves when shopping for costumes, too.
The NRF predicts consumers will be spending more than in recent years on costumes. Some reports show averages of $25 to $40 for kids and $30 to $60 for adults.
By the way, what really has U.S. shoppers spooked right now are the supply chain and delivery hiccups going into the next holiday.
A new survey from Deloitte shows 63% of D-FW shoppers have already started or are starting now to shop for the Christmas/Hanukkah season. And local shoppers plan to spend 7% more than the average American.
On the subject of shopping, a recent NCS Consumer Survey found almost half of people are influenced by product images and almost three-quarters say it’s the product images that help them decide what to buy when they are shopping online.
If you are trying to keep your holiday spending down…just don’t look at the pictures.
Want more stories like these? Watch our Right on the Money series during WFAA News at 10 p.m. Check wfaa.com/RightOnTheMoney for the latest segments.