Holidays seem to start earlier every year and Halloween is no exception. Marketers are already trotting out the jack-o-lanterns and spooky skeletons nearly three months before Halloween.
Kohl's, Mars, Lillian Vernon and Ballard Designs are among the companies looking for an early boost from this profitable holiday. Halloween generated an estimated $5.07 billion in sales last year, per the National Retail Federation, Washington.
Home furnishings and accessories retailer Ballard, for one, decided to start early based on last year's trends. A post-Halloween analysis of search behavior at BallardDesigns.com showed that people were browsing for Halloween merchandise as early as July. They bought elsewhere after not finding much of a selection at Ballard. "We missed the boat," said a rep for Ballard, Atlanta.
The company started its Halloween planning in January. It created a holiday cause marketing promotion with Ronald McDonald House Charities, and launched its online catalog of Halloween-themed party d
