Spooky season costs Americans an estimated $9B

Halloween is big business.

In fact, it's almost scary how much people (and goblins) will spend this year on candy, costumes, party supplies and decorations ranging from simple carved pumpkins to elaborate home accessories that will turn any ordinary dwelling into a spirit-filled haunted house.

Five-year-old Walker Evans of Cape Girardeau checks out an animated Halloween creature at the Spirit Halloween store in the Town Plaza Shopping Center.Jay Wolz

In the weeks leading up to the "All Hallow's Eve" Thursday, the National Retail Federation estimates Americans will have spent close to $9 billion to get into the "spirit" of the season.

"Nine billion? I can believe that," said Bambi Eilers, manager of the Spirit Halloween store in Cape Girardeau's Town Plaza Shopping Center. This is Eiler's 14th Halloween season with the company, which has been a subsidiary of Spencer Gifts since 1983. In addition to the Cape Girardeau location, Eilers manages a Spirit Halloween store in Arnold, Missouri, and two in Illinois.

While some Spirit Halloween stores opened as early as August, the Cape Girardeau location didn't open until September. It will remain open through Nov. 2 and will feature "end of season" sales after Halloween.

What Halloween costumes are "hot" this year? "'Fortnite' is huge along with 'Toy Story 4'," Eilers reported, adding steampunk and vampire costumes are also popular.

"Steampunk" is described as a science fiction genre incorporating technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th century steam-powered industrial machines.

"We try to cater to everyone of all ages, young and old," Eilers said. "We have some kids who are scared to come into our stores and some never want to leave."

Nicole Evans of Cape Girardeau and her 5-year-old son, Walker, are frequent customers. "We've been in here a lot," she said as Walker, who plans to be a zombie when he trick-or-treats Thursday night, checked out some of the store's animated ghouls.

"This is his favorite store," Walker's mother said. "I'd say we've been in here every other day for the past couple of weeks."

A few aisles away, Ryan Gibson of Cape Girardeau was deciding what to wear to his company's Halloween gathering. "My boss throws a party every year for Halloween with a big tent in his yard," Gibson said. "I'm thinking about going as a Viking because I already have a beard and a mug made out of a horn that I can carry and drink beer out of, so I already have a prop."

In addition to costumes, Eilers said Halloween home decorations are popular with everything from yard tombstones to animatronic, motion-activated witches.

Skeleton decorations are seen on shelves at the Spirit Halloween store in the Town Plaza Shopping Center.Jay Wolz

At Younghouse Pop & Party's Halloween Dungeon, on the lower level of the North Kingshighway store, employee Alicia Kneeland stood behind the checkout counter wearing a temporary tattoo on her face that resembled a skull. "During the day, I don't even realize it's on me," she said and admitted once or twice she's gone to the grocery store after work and didn't remember she was still in makeup until she got home.

"I love my job," she said. "I wear a new costume every day with crazy makeup."

The Younghouse Halloween Dungeon opened in September and will remain open for at least a couple of days after Halloween.

Costumes based on characters from scary movies and popular television shows have been big sellers this year at the Younghouse Dungeon. "Pennywise from the movie 'It' has been popular and characters from the TV show 'Descendents' have also been big," Kneeland said. "Steampunk-theme costumes and superheroes are always popular and then there's a lot of classic stuff everyone wants like the 'Flintstones', 'Cat in the Hat' and the 'Wizard of Oz'. Costumes from various decades, such as the '20s, '30s, '50s and '60s, are also popular with our customers."

Regardless of the costume, Kneeland said safety and visibility are important factors that should be taken into consideration, especially for children's costumes. "Trick-or-treaters need to be able to see and be seen," she said.

Of the $9 billion the National Retail Federation says will be spent on Halloween this year, an estimated $3.2 billion will be spent on costumes, $2.6 billion on candy, $2.7 billion on decorations and $390 million on Halloween greeting cards.

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