How Lucrative is Halloween?

Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold.
~Judith Olney

6 billion US dollars spent on Halloween. That is a LOT of cash! 161 million people will be participating this year, a record high since such things have been recorded. Some statistics regarding the $ that will be spent this year.

What the above referenced article does not mention is how much of the money spent on costumes is spent on costumes for pets. 15% of people will spend approximately $300 million dollars making Fido and Fluffy look frightening (which of course means cute) this year on Halloween. When "pet costumes" are mentioned, I would guess "dog costumes" is what is really meant, as I have never known a cat that went in for that sort of thing.

Dino Dog:

Note: Time writer Martha C. White speculates that a sluggish economy fuels our desire to play make-believe:
… it appears that troubled times drive our zeal for escapism; romance-novel sales boomed during the last recession, just like extravagant musicals that were popular during the Depression. Add to that the fact that Halloween has undergone a shift from a sort of silly, kid- and candy-centric affair to a full-blown event for adults.


Something else I learned: There is a National Retail Trade Association, the National Retail Federation (NRF). Their stated mission is: To advance the interests of the retail industry through advocacy, communications and education.