(WTAJ) — The holiday season used to kick off with major shopping day Black Friday, but with massive spending on costumes and decorations, Halloween may officially be lumped in with high-dollar holidays.

Despite a sluggish economy, shoppers are showing no signs of cutting back on purchasing costumes, candy and Halloween decor. Between rising costs and growing popularity among consumers, Halloween has turned into a billion-dollar holiday.

"In 2024, $11.6 billion in revenue was generated in the United States due to Halloween. That's billion with a B" said Martin McDermott, a professor of Marketing at Purdue Global who has been studying the Halloween franchise. "The National Retail Federation (NRF) this year is predicting $13.1 billion in sales due to Halloween related products."

Inflation

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