Even amid ongoing economic headwinds, Circana insights indicate that budget-minded consumers are still intent on celebrating the season, adjusting what they buy instead of not participating. For example, do-it-yourself (DIY) costumes and makeup helped drive growth last Halloween, another time of macroeconomic uncertainty. 

Consumers are also stretching out their spending. Over the past few years, Halloween has shifted from a single event on October 31 to a longer season that starts with “Summerween” in July, extending over several weeks through the holiday itself, and reaching the Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 cultural observation of Día de Muertos. This year, Halloween falls on a Saturday, which means the last weekend of the month will be especially jam-packed and likely to include more celebratory experiences, both at home and away from home.

“Halloween is beginning to resemble a seasonal lifestyle more than just a holiday. Although some activities will be condensed in one weekend, manufacturers and retailers can benefit from a longer selling season by supporting multiple occasions, from early-season gatherings to trunk-or-treat parties to scary movie nights,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, global EVP and chief advisor, consumer goods and foodservice insights at Circana.

In addition to capturing extended enthusiasm by meeting both preseason demands and last-minute needs, brands and sellers can tap into Circana’s complete view of the consumer and market to carve out their own success and scare up sales. Below are some category trends to help bewitch buyers in 2026.

Unwrapping Candy Shifts

Last year, higher cocoa prices contributed to a four-point gain in non-chocolate seasonal candy sales during the week of Halloween. Chocolate candy edged out non-chocolate candy 51% to 49% during Halloween 2025. That compares to a 55% share for chocolate and a 45% share for non-chocolate in 2024.

As trick-or-treat time rolls around in 2026, chocolate continues to face greater pricing pressure than non-chocolate due to elevated cocoa costs. This will likely lead consumers to become even more strategic about how they build their Halloween baskets, setting the stage for continued growth in mixed assortments and value-oriented packages, Circana projects.

“We’ve also seen momentum around more sensory and experiential products,” said Lyons Wyatt. “Shape, texture, color, and interactive elements are becoming increasingly important, and people always like limited-time offers, collaborations, and seasonal flavors.”

Costume Customs

Circana data shows that children’s costumes and accessories still account for the lion’s share (60%) of costume dollar sales. Sales of these products rose five points in 2025 compared to 2024. 

So, how are kids dressing up for trick-or-treating or other Halloween events? Sales of costumes based on celebrity/TV/movie/video game characters increased last year, as did historical costumes and clown costumes. Outfits and accessories based on skeletons, horror, and certain careers (like a nurse or construction worker) were down during that same period.

Adult costumes comprised 40% of Halloween costume sales last year, which shows that dressing up appeals to a broad range of teens and adults.

Best Face Forward

Makeup was a bright spot during the 2025 spooky season. Prestige eyeshadow had the biggest year-over-year dollar sales lift (20%) during the two-week period ending Nov. 1, while artificial nails and accessories enjoyed a 10% dollar sales bump in that time frame.

There is a broad audience for beauty products this time of year. “Different generations tap into different areas of beauty when it comes to Halloween dress-up. The week of Halloween 2025, millennials increased their cumulative week-over-week spend on false eyelashes by 30%, which was the strongest increase among all generations. Gen Z went for hairspray, increasing week-over-week spend by 68%,” said Larissa Jensen, senior vice president and global beauty industry advisor at Circana.

Putting the “Boo” in Books

The appeal of Halloween-related tales was evident in book sales data in 2025. Juvenile holiday titles grew 6% last year, and kids’ Halloween titles were among the top 10 bestsellers during September.

Books are a common addition to “boo baskets,” another growing Halloween trend. These baskets continue to gain in popularity as a fun and personalized way to mark the occasion. 

What’s on the Halloween Menu?

Restaurants get their piece of the Halloween pie, too — especially pizza pies. Circana data shows that, on average, large restaurant chains get a 0.6% lift in transactions during the week of Halloween compared to the prior week. Quick-service restaurant (QSR) pizza chains get the biggest lift, at 6% more than the week before. This is one of the best-performing weeks of the year for QSR pizza chains; in fact, performance is often stronger than it is during the week of football’s big game in February. 

Besides pizza businesses, other types of foodservice operations can get a holiday boost. Circana data shows that consumers are 23% more likely to order delivery from restaurants on Halloween compared to a regular day, signaling that convenience is important on a day with other events like trick-or-treating taking the main stage.

The fact that Halloween lands on a Saturday this year points to other growth opportunities, from getting patronsin the mood early with decorations to offering special menu items. “It should be a big day for pizza chains and other delivery/takeout dependent restaurant formats. In general, restaurants that lean into the holiday and have fun with spooky-themed promotions do well,” said Brooks Berrodin, director of foodservice insights at Circana.

The flattening of holiday seasons also means that even as Halloween peaks, shoppers can browse other holiday merchandise. “People love fall because you have Halloween, Thanksgiving, and it leads into the holidays,” said Lyons Wyatt.

Little Big News

Finally, demographic data shows some interesting generational movements that may influence Halloween behaviors this year. Although there was a decline in U.S. birth rates throughout the 2000s, there was a 1% increase in 2021 and a flat rate in 2022 before the downward trend continued again. That Covid-era uptick may not be a large increase but enough to cause some holiday ripples.

“A 1% growth is worth noting and asking the question, ‘Now that these children are four and five years old, and some with newer siblings, what are the big behavior changes a household goes through at that stage?’ They go to school and they love to celebrate holidays like Halloween, so we see more decorations, more baking, and more storage needs for these decorations at Halloween time,” said Joe Derochowski, VP, home and home improvement industry advisor at Circana. “Bottom line: this slight bump where kids are now changing tastes and going through different experiences since school age is creating growth opportunities for manufacturers and retailers this Halloween and into the holiday season.”

Stay tuned for Circana’s annual Purchase Intentions report, available in mid-October.