With the CDC recommending family-only pumpkin carving and virtual costume contests in lieu of traditional trick-or-treating because of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s clear that this Halloween will be a holiday like no other—scary, perhaps, for all the wrong reasons. And while candy sales have been healthy, only 66% of Americans say they will go door-to-door with their kids this year, according to the National Confectioners Association. Halloween spending is expected to dip 8% overall, according to the National Retail Federation, with much of that falloff hitting the costume business, where spending could be off as much as $550 million.
