Retailers are expanding the Halloween season, treating it as a full fiscal quarter. According to the National Retail Federation, consumer spending on Halloween reached a record $13,1 billion in 2025, with $4,3 billion spent on costumes, $4,2 billion on decorations, and $3,9 billion on candy.
Early consumer data from the NRF indicates that 25% of shoppers had purchased at least one Halloween item by early August. Retailer Michaels launched its largest crafting collection, Hobbyween, following a 530% increase in searches for Summerween and a 583% rise in searches for Halloween crochet kits.
Artificial intelligence is playing a significant role in this year's retail strategy. The brand Fanta partnered with studio GRAiL to launch Fanta’s Haunted Universe, featuring AI-generated monsters and limited-edition products. The project aims to establish proprietary characters for the brand.
Technology is also integrated into physical decorations. Home Depot updated its 12-foot Skelly model with mobile app-controlled speech and movement. Lowe’s introduced a 15-foot headless Watcher figure priced at $429, which features motion-activated eyes to scan surroundings.