Halloween has become serious business in America, and even the family dog is getting a piece of the action.
Americans expect to spend $13.5 billion celebrating Halloween in 2026, including approximately $920 million on costumes for their pets, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics.
With Halloween falling on Saturday, October 31, families have a full weekend to celebrate. But the festivities carry a considerable price tag.
The NRF projects average spending of $115.14 per consumer, compared with $114.45 in 2025. If spending meets the projection, the total would exceed last year’s $13.1 billion record.
And while witches, vampires and superheroes remain popular, some of the most entertaining costume choices belong to four-legged family members.
Among planned pet costumes, pumpkins lead at 11.6%, followed by hot dogs at 5.9% and ghosts at 2.8%.
For humans, the competition looks considerably different.
An estimated 4.8 million adults plan to dress as witches, while 4.2 million favor vampires. Another 2 million adults plan to dress as Batman, according to the NRF.
Children favor a different kind of hero. Approximately 4.6 million plan to dress as Spider-Man, the most popular costume choice for children in the survey.
Candy, Costumes And Decorations Drive Spending
The NRF expects Americans to spend $4.4 billion on costumes, $4.3 billion on decorations and $4.1 billion on candy.
Candy tops the shopping list: 96% of Halloween shoppers surveyed plan to buy sweets. About 74% of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween this year.
Among planned activities, 61% expect to hand out candy, 50% plan to wear costumes and 42% intend to decorate their homes or yards. The same share plans to carve pumpkins or watch scary movies.
Halloween candy can also bring a less festive consequence. Coverage from The Dallas Express has perviously examined the health concerns that accompany overindulging in holiday sweets.
Even Halloween Shoppers Are Turning To AI
Artificial intelligence has joined the Halloween planning process.
The NRF found that 47% of surveyed consumers use AI tools to help with Halloween shopping, including brainstorming costumes, researching products and gathering decorating ideas.
But shoppers continue to watch their budgets.
Nearly eight in 10 shoppers, 79%, expect tariffs to push Halloween prices higher, according to a separate NRF analysis. Consumers say they will compare prices, look for discounts and reuse decorations and costume pieces.
The survey also found that 13% of consumers plan to shop at local or small businesses for Halloween, nearly double the 7% who said so a decade earlier. The survey asked 7,889 U.S. consumers about their plans September 1-9. Its margin of error was plus or minus 1.1 percentage points. The dollar totals represent forecasts, not completed sales.
Provided by Dallas Express
