Findlay, Ohio – Retailers have nothing to fear this Halloween in terms of consumer spending. 92 percent of consumers who participate in Halloween activities plan to spend at least the same, if not more, than they did in 2006 on Halloween purchases, according to Corporate Research International (CRI), a market research and mystery shopping firm that specializes in tracking consumer trends through opinion surveys. CRI’s annual Halloween spending survey revealed that, while candy still tops the list for spending, the majority of respondents will extend their purchasing to decorations and costumes. More than half of respondents say they will purchase Halloween decorations this year. 38 percent of respondents say they purchase decorations every year, and 23 percent purchase every other year. Ghoulish garb is still popular, with 51 percent of those surveyed saying they will wear costumes. Although 21 percent of those plan to wear a costume from a previous year, 14 percent will spend $1-$25 and 15 percent will spend $25-$100 on their own costume. Only 1 percent of respondents say they will spend more than $100. “As retailers know, Halloween has turned into a full-blown event that stretches far beyond candy,” said Mike Mallett, CEO of Corporate Research International. “The steady spending trend continues from 2006 when consumers in our survey also indicated they planned to spend the same or more than they did in 2005. This is good news for retailers.” While 47 percent of respondents say they will spend $1-$50 on Halloween overall, others are willing to spend more. 24 percent say they will spend $50-$100, 12 percent plan to spend $100-$150, 7 percent between $150-$200, and 10 percent will spend more than $200. |
