By now we are used to the Christmas creep -- every year it seems that stores start dragging their Christmas displays out earlier and earlier.
Now some people are noticing the same trend with spooky season. Giant skeletons and fun-size candy bars started popping up in stores starting in August this year. And while it may be hard to get into a Halloween headspace when it is 95 degrees and humid out, retailers say customers are the reason for the change.
According to Medium, consumer demand for Halloween items has surged with shoppers asking for it earlier and earlier each year. And of course, stores are willing to capitalize on that demand.
According to the National Retail Foundation, Halloween spending reached an all-time high in 2023 with consumers shelling out $12.2 billion for the holiday. Back in 2020, that number was $8 billion.
So how early is early? Lowes, Home Depot, and the Disney Store all started rolling out their spooky items in July, according to Gizmodo. Some of the rarer items were snatched up by resellers before you even recovered from your Fourth of July party, but retailers are assuring customers some of those hard-to-get items will be restocked as we get closer to the actual holiday.