CHICAGO, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has released data on Halloween 2024, sourced from a sentiment survey of over 5,000 U.S. consumers on their Q4 2024 holiday intentions. Overall, nearly two-thirds of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, with participation even higher among Gen Z and Millennial consumers. The majority plan to decorate their homes, buy candy, and complete their Halloween shopping in-store rather than online. 

Consumer Survey Findings:

• Nearly two-thirds of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween 2024. 62% of US consumers say they will celebrate the spooky season, with participation highest among Gen Z & Millennials (73%).
• Almost half of consumers start prepping in advance of the holiday. 46% of consumers start planning for Halloween 1-2 months in advance, while another 32% plan 1-2 weeks in advance. Gen Z & Millennials are nearly twice as likely as all consumers (9% vs. 5%) to plan for Halloween more than six months in advance.
• Decorating is the most popular way to celebrate Halloween. 59% of celebrants plan to decorate their homes this year, with Boomers+ (63%) and consumers in the Northeast (65%) more likely to do so. After decorating, the top celebration plans are handing out candy (58%), gathering with family and friends (33%), and going (or accompanying someone) trick-or-treating (31%).
  • Consumers plan to decorate both inside and outside their homes – with more than 1 in 10 houses featuring large scale decorations. 83% of decorators plan to use Halloween decorations from past years, while 46% plan to purchase new and 28% plan to make DIY decorations. 47% will use fresh or natural decorations like pumpkins or corn stalks, and 15% will use large-scale decorations like giant skeletons or lawn inflatables.
  • Halloween decorators prefer fun and festive motifs over scary. When asked about their Halloween decoration style, nearly half (49%) of consumers described theirs as “fun”, followed by “festive” (46%), “cute” (36%), “spooky” (35%), “scary” (19%), and “creepy” (18%). Only 4% say their style is extravagant, while 23% say it is low-key.
  • Decorating styles differ by generation and regionality. Western consumers are more likely to go spooky with their decorations (42% vs. 35% of all consumers), Southern consumers are more likely to go for fun (53% vs. 49%), and Midwesterners go for festive (53% vs. 46%). Among generations, Gen Z & Millennials are more likely to go spooky (43% vs. 35%), while Gen X is more likely to go festive (49% vs. 46%)
  • Decorating is personal for nearly three-quarters of Halloween decorators. 74% say they decorate for personal enjoyment and creativity, 49% say decorating is a tradition, and 40% say they decorate to entertain trick-or-treaters.
• Halloween shoppers prefer to do their shopping in person. 64% of Halloween celebrators say they will do most or all of their shopping in-store, while only 12% say they will do most or all of their shopping online. The top planned shopping locations are big box stores like Walmart or Target (60%), grocery stores (44%), discount or dollar stores (35%), online retailers (35%), specialty retailers like Spirit Halloween or Hobby Lobby (18%), and local shops or small businesses (15%).
  • Candy is the top planned purchase for Halloween. 80% of Halloween celebrators plan to purchase candy, followed by decorations (48%), food (38%), apparel or costumes (37%), alcoholic beverages (23%), and party supplies (14%).
  • About a quarter of consumers plan to buy alcoholic beverages for the holiday. 23% of consumers plan to buy alcohol for their Halloween celebrations, compared to 12% who plan to buy non-alcoholic beverages. Among alcohol buyers, beer is most popular (62%), followed by spirits (51%), wine (42%), ready-to-drink cocktails (29%), and hard seltzers (25%). 

Numerator’s Q4 2024 Holiday Preview survey was fielded to 5,347 consumers in September 2024 and highlights consumers’ celebration, shopping and spending plans for five key holidays occurring in October, November, and December 2024. Over 1,000 shoppers shared details of their Halloween plans.

About Numerator:

Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to market research. Numerator blends first-party data from over 1 million US households with advanced technology to provide 360-degree consumer understanding for the market research industry that has been slow to change. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has 2,000 employees worldwide; 80 of the top 100 CPG brands’ manufacturers are Numerator clients.

Bob Richter
Numerator
212-802-8588
press@numerator.com