Halloween: a 550 million market, but spending is slowing this year

In a year marked by caution and the high cost of living, consumers are cutting back on their spending plans for Halloween too. For tomorrow evening’s celebrations, 51 per cent of Italians plan to make purchases, but 25 per cent will spend less than in 2025 and only 4 per cent will increase their budget.

The Ipsos survey for Confesercenti, previewed in *Il Sole 24 Ore*, confirms the impact of the new public holiday: “It has now become a well-established event for our businesses too, from local shops to hospitality venues,” says Dario Domenichini, national vice-president of Confesercenti. However, the trend is down on last year, when 61 per cent of the public expected to spend at least something to celebrate: “The figures confirm the significance of the event, but they also reveal a growing focus on budgets.”

Halloween has really taken off in Italia, particularly since the 1990s, after becoming familiar through American comics and films. The rise in popularity of fancy-dress parties and ‘trick-or-treating’ has been accompanied by a range of related products: decorations, costumes and sweets, as well as themed evenings in bars and clubs and special menus in restaurants. 31 October has thus become part of the Italian commercial calendar: ‘An occasion that boosts local economies, creating opportunities for spending and socialising in neighbourhoods and city centres,’ continues Domenichini.

The sectors involved range from the food retail sector to entertainment, with spending split between takeaways and nights out. According to estimates by Confesercenti, last year this trend generated revenue of over half a billion euros: around 300 million for sweets and themed products; a further 250 million on parties, events and spending in bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The association tracks Italians’ habits using historical data. These analyses show that the most popular way to celebrate is by buying sweets and confectionery, with six in ten people taking part; 45 per cent decorate their homes and over a third plan to dress their children up in fancy dress. Social occasions also play a significant role: over half of those surveyed opt for parties at home or at friends’ houses, whilst around one in three cite cafés, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs as places to celebrate. When it comes to festive shopping, supermarkets are the main retail channel, followed by shopping centres. According to this year’s projected figures, young people are the most likely to take part in the celebrations. Among those aged between 18 and 34, around 60 per cent plan to spend money, compared with 47 per cent of those aged between 35 and 65. Young people want to celebrate but are also finding it harder to cover the costs: 27.4 per cent of them will reduce their budget compared with 2025.

Halloween also puts children at the centre of the celebrations. In fact, it is mainly families with young children who are driving sales, with 64 per cent of them planning to make purchases, compared with 43 per cent of families without young children. The presence of young children is also linked to saving money and keeping a close eye on the budget: 30.3 per cent of respondents with children in their household plan to cut back on spending. “Families aren’t necessarily giving up on celebrating; rather, they’re trying to do so whilst keeping costs down,” observes Domenichini. “This is a sign of the caution that is currently characterising Italians’ consumer choices.”