You can look in nearly every direction and find something that tariffs have affected, but as we draw closer to October 31, there’s one in particular that we’ll all be feeling soon.
Halloween is immensely popular in this country, where over two-thirds of Americans celebrate the holiday. As we head into the spooky season, when shoppers buy costumes, candy, and decor, here are a few ways that tariffs could make Halloween prices frightening this year.
Decorations Will Be More Expensive
People are likely to spend more on decorations this year — or scale back their plans. Because so many Halloween decorations are produced overseas — roughly 90%, many from China — tariffs have already had a significant impact on what stores can stock and how much they charge. While companies may absorb some of the initial cost increases, the rest of it will be passed along to consumers, according to CNN. Some shoppers have seen price increases of anywhere between $20 and $200 on certain Halloween decor, according to Homecrux.
Costume Prices Are Up
You can look to spend a whopping $5 to $10 more on costumes this year than you have in the past. That brings the average cost of Halloween shopping per person to about $115, which Newsweek notes is $11 higher than last year due to the tariffs. Other reports suggest that some costumes could double in price as a result of the tariffs.
Stores Will Have Less Variety
Not everything that is produced for Halloween will end up on the shelves this year, especially when it comes to larger, more expensive decorations. One major supplier told CNN that it won’t be carrying certain large animatronic decorations because the tariffs would have increased the price by $200, too much to pass on to customers. Other retailers are expected to cut back on ordering large or elaborate decor as well.
Luckily, Candy Prices Won’t Change Much
There’s one saving grace here, and it’s that most candy won’t be too heavily affected. Most of the candy we consume on Halloween in this country is made in the United States, and with only a two to five percent increase in candy, it may not be that noticeable for us.
People Are Planning to Spend More
According to the National Retail Fund, Halloween shoppers will collectively spend $4.2 billion this year — a $1.6 billion increase from only six years ago. While some of the increase may be attributed to tariffs and inflation, some is due to a growing trend of people spending more on decor than on costumes and candy.
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