49% of Halloween shoppers start planning before October

Here’s the deal:

Summer’s almost over, so you know what that means: Spooky season is near. This year’s revelry could be another sales record-breaker for retailers as research shows planning for everyone’s favorite fright night starts long before beach balls and bathing suits are stowed away.

Nearly half of Halloween shoppers (49%) start planning before October, according to the National Retail Federation.¹ Platform insights from The Trade Desk show that planning behavior surfaces as early as July across the open internet, signaling opportunities for brands to reach people as they decide what to wear, make, buy and eat.

Data debrief:

The Trade Desk platform insights reveal that Halloween content consumption starts rising well before the holiday, increasing 22% from July to August and another 25% into September before surging 58% in October. Weekly consumption nearly doubled from late July to late September, accelerating another 70% through late October; and the same early momentum appears across EMEA and APAC.²

As consumers turn to the open internet to research costume ideas, decor inspiration, party planning, spooky recipes and Halloween events,³ brands across retail, grocery, entertainment, restaurants, travel and local services have an opportunity to engage consumers before demand peaks.

For instance, quick-service restaurants see seasonal momentum around Halloween. Across S4D’s QSR partner network, October orders increased 50% year over year, driven largely by Halloween limited-time offers.⁴

Of course, there’s no Halloween without candy, and 2025 saw a record spend on confectionery sales. Spending reached $7.4 billion, representing 18% of annual sales in the category. Candy remains a widely shared part of the holiday: 94% of Americans share candy with friends and family, while 84% of trick-or-treat households hand it out.⁵

What it means:

Instead of waiting for late October, marketers are best positioned to begin Halloween campaigns in the weeks and months leading up to the holiday when consumers are actively planning.

That early planning window offers a chance to reach shoppers before decisions are made, which can matter immensely for costume selection, party planning, grocery lists, entertainment choices, restaurant orders and seasonal purchases. 

Sources: 

1. National Retail Federation, Halloween trends: What’s driving record spending, 2025. 

2. The Trade Desk platform insights, 2025.   

3. Datacy, 10,000 Halloween-related consumer interactions, July–October 2025. 

4. S4D, Halloween QSR Marketing Report, 2025.   

5. National Confectioners Association, Confectionery Sales Report, 2026.   

The Current is owned and operated by The Trade Desk Inc.