Halloween – Big Business

Halloween is a big holiday for spending. Reports that the figure is between $5-7 billion in spending and the average adult spends $65 on the holiday. Just ask Kate Maloney who at 26 made the Inc 500 list as founder and CEO of Costume Craze.

Here’s how Halloween spending breaks down: $21 for candy, $12 for cards and $38.50 for costumes (see this post on popular costumes for the season). Halloween decorating is also a big industry, second only to Christmas. Unity Marketing says decoration sales grew 21 percent to $3.2 billion in 2006 over 2005.

I always enjoy how into Halloween and other holidays Google gets. I wish other retailers would follow suit. My question of the day – why the restaurant The Melting Pot doesn’t make a Halloween version of fondue. 

What is Halloween about for you? For me, forget candy, it’s all about the costumes. No other day of the year can you see an overweight man with a beard in a purple cape and underwear walking across the grocery store parking lot. I love the little bird costume I saw on a toddler with her teetering legs in tights poking out the bottom. It’s creativity that everyone can see.

Happy Howling!