Hollywood Gothique
The Vault

Scary Halloween spending

The NY Sun posts an article telling us that spending is up during this Halloween season – a relief for retailers who were being cautious about pre-Christmas holiday business:

  • Americans expect to spend almost $65 apiece this year for candy, costumes, and decorations, up from $59 last year, according to a report recently released by the National Retail Federation.[…]Maybe it’s the gigantic success of Harry Potter, or a desire to escape reality – or maybe it’s just that boomers refuse to grow up. Whatever the reason, it appears that Americans are embracing Halloween as never before. One area of especial emphasis is ghoulish home decorations.That’s the message from the founder of consulting firm Unity Marketing, Pam Danziger, who just produced a study on the subject. She says the nation spent $3.2 billion last year on Halloween decorations — up 21% over the 2005 level, and second only to Christmas in terms of outlays.”Halloween has really come into its own in terms of home decorating. Ten or fifteen years ago the focus was entirely on Christmas.” Ms. Danziger says. “Adults are participating more — it’s not just about kids anymore.”