Roundup: Halloween Spending Hits Record High in 2023

0:07 Coming up your weekly roundup of news from around the haunt industry. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip on the HN Show. We bring you the haunt news, information, and education you need to prepare for Halloween. On Tuesdays, we bring you a roundup of news from haunts worldwide. Read more about these stories and so much more in our free weekly newsletter. Subscribe at the link in the show notes. And as always for the news roundup, I'm passing it off to Darryl Across. The US National Retail Foundation the NRAF expects twenty twenty three is Halloween spending to hit a record twelve point two billion dollars, exceeding last year's record of ten point six billion. RF data shows Americans spend an average of one hundred and eight dollars on a mix of costumes, candy, home decorps, and party supplies. About thirty two percent of respondents say they planned to throw or attend to Halloween. The last time that number was anywhere near that was twenty nineteen, right before the pandemic, says Philip Wrist, a US based retail analysis and executive vice president of strategy at Prosper Insights and analytics. Why are Americans spending this much on Halloween? Even as consumers tighten their budgets with the rising cost of living. Economic uncertainty leads to consumers clinging to rituals, agree experts, especially ones that don't require a major spending and familial expectations of more religious holidays. Social media can also drive sales as users share their Halloween stories, decorations, and costumes. It's very easy for people to share their creativity more broadly and to see what other people are

1:38 doing, says Catherine Cullen, vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights at the NRF. I think it's continued to give life to the holiday and kept it in the forefront for a lot of consumers. According to Goodwill Industries Internationals helloween survey, four and five Americans, eighty one percent plans to celebrate Halloween this year. Aside from wearing a costume, the most popular ways people plan to celebrate include giving out candy to trick or treaters at fifty three percent, decorating their homes at forty three percent, and or attending a party with family. In France thirty four percent. Three to five adults of fifty nine percent say that because of rising costs due to inflation, they are more likely to create DIY Halloween costumes and purchase from a store. Among those who preferre DIY Halloween costumes, seventy percent would rather shop in store for DIY costume materials, compared to just thirteen percent who prefer to shof online. Halloween is Goodwill's busiest season as customers embraced to do it yourself costume into course shopping at Goodwill stores, said Annie Crowley, chief Marketing Officer of Goodwill Industries International. Explore costume ideas, DII to core and makeup tutorials and more at Goodwill's official website follow the links in our show notes. From October twenty ninth to October thirty first, Hulu is taking over the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California for its immersive puluen Now Screaming Experience. This Haunted Maze experience will be filled with the collection of screen worthy experiences highlighting some of the scariest titles streaming on Hulu, including FX's American horror story Goosebumps, Annabel, The Boogeyman, and more.

3:09 If viewers thought these were scary on screen. This brand new activation will bring them to life in a more frightening way than could ever be imagined. Guests will never know what's lurking just around the corner, but those brave enough we'll find out. Guests may enter at their own risk from four pm to ten forty five pm each day, and reservations can be made via fever. Admission is free and there will be a standby line for those who did not secure an appointment. The twenty fifth annual Douglas Halloween Parade for adults will take place in downtown Douglas, Michigan, on Saturday, October twenty eighth. The lineup begins at nine pm, in the parade starting at ten pm. Each year, this event draws ten thousand plus people to Douglas to witness the sixtravaganza of creativity and costuming and performing arts. The party starts early with a DJ Eddy dropping beats on Center Street and continues around town with costume competitions and all kinds of other funs. To participate in the parade, just show up in your costume and line up on Center Street next to the Old Schoolhouse. No preregistration is required. Children are allowed to attend the parade, but as the name suggests, this is an adult event and some costumes may have an adult themes.

4:15 Learn more at the event's official website. Have a love for both all things spooky and the sea, join dozens of kindred spirits in Morero Bay, a Ventura Harbor Village, California with their annual Witches and Warlocks Paddle event. Break out your broomstick and get out on the water with a paddle border kayak for a spooky Halloween experience. Venture A Harbor Village will host their event on Friday, October twenty seventh at four pm. More O Bay will host their event October twenty ninth from eleven am to twelve thirty. Home hunters Holly and Mark Graves in Brandon, Missouri, were featured on their local news station for their yearly display. Every year, the Graves have a theme to their yard and house and the theme carries over to Halloween party. This year's themes which as in Warlocks, they said, so naturally we will with a witch's cauldron and that's the main centerpiece. They did the torture rack to go along with it and the graveyard scene. Every year we say at this at the end of the year, I think we need to tone it back. Then, October first hits and it's like the bug. Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced the return of the Boo Rito, the brand's annual Halloween tradition, with a traditional six dollars digital entree offer from three pm local time to close on October thirty first, or Chipotle Rewards members. New for twenty twenty three, the brand is extending these operating hours for the Witching Hour midnight at fifty three select college town locations. Chippotele is also turning up the heat on digital orders after hours.

5:40 The first one hundred digital orders placed between ten pm local time and midnight at each of the fifty three locations open late will receive an exclusive bottle of Tabasco brands Scorpion Sauce, the spookiest hot sauce made with the world's most intense peppers, the Scorpion. To participate in the Boo Rito Halloween tradition, you must be a Chipotle Rewards member. Simply use the promo code Boo Rito when ordering digitally on October thirty first, from three pm local time until closing to enjoy a six dollars entree. The offer is exclusively available to digital orders on the Chipotle app and chapote dot com limit one per transaction. Step. Beside zombies and vampires, the Sour Patch Kid's brand is launching a hauntingly fund online experience a hauntingly fund online experience Cringe or Candy, which encourages fans to dig up their horrifying photos for a chance to win spectacular prizes with a grand prize of five thousand dollars including Sour Patch Kids Halloween candy. Fans can participate in a digital photo challenge by uploading their personal cringe pictures online and playing the odds for a sweet reward. From October seventeenth to thirty first. With a click of a button, the fans will immediately learn their fate, a sour trick of potentially having their cringe photo shared on the Cringe or Candy online photo gallery, or a sweet reward for free Sour Patch Kids candy. Visit the brand's official website to enter and for the official rules. Americans prepare for Halloween this year, American Humane is reminding pet owners to think about their four legged friends a little bit of planning will go a long way as Halloween, says doctor Thomas Edling, the Chief Veterinary Officer of American Humane. By choosing costumes that

7:14 don't interfere with your pets breathing, walking, vision, and hearing, your furry friend can safely join in on the fun. When trick or treaders come to the door, keep your guard up so pets don't escape, and also make sure they have a quiet, secure place that's away from visitors and parties. And as children bring home their sweet stash, remember to keep all candy away from animals, especially products with artificial sweetener. Halloween doesn't need to be tricky this year. By just taking a few precautions, the festivities can be a treat for all of the members of the family. Some upcoming events from this October to November include the Iappa Expo in Orlando, Florida, from November thirteenth to seventeenth, and Creep a Real oc festive in Santa Ana, California, November seventeenth through eighteen. And that's all for the news That's Today's episode was produced by me Philip Bernandez, with reporting by Daryl Plunky post production by David Swope. This haunt News Update is a production of the Haunted Attraction Network and you can sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hantattraction network dot com.

8:15 Support for this episode comes from Gantam Lighting and Controls. Until next time, Haunters, stay scary. This is a Haunted Attraction Network production.