Halloween is now a season. Is your store ready?

The numbers from this year's National Retail Federation Halloween survey tell the story. US shoppers are expected to spend a record of $13.5 billion on Halloween, up from last year's record of $13.1 billion. Almost three in four (74%) plan to celebrate. 

What's really changed is timing. Nearly half (49%) of shoppers planned to start their Halloween shopping in September or earlier. Ten years ago, in 2016, that figure was 34%. 

Mars sees the same shift. In its 2026 Tricks, Treats and Trends report, 57% of US adults said Halloween is no longer a single day but a full season. There's even a name for the early start: Summerween, when Halloween parties, decorations and treats creep into the summer months. Mars credits its rise by helping stretch the season. 

Yes, Mars has a Chief Halloween Officer. That tells you how seriously the season is taken. 

So why start so early? For most people, it’s simply excitement. Of the shoppers who start before October, 42% say they just look forward to autumn and 34% say Halloween is one of their favourite holidays.

There’s a practical side too. Around 23% buy early to spread out their budget, and 21% say the deals were too good to pass up.

People also want the season to last. According to Mars, two-thirds of Americans wish they could buy their favourite Halloween candy all year round.

Here’s a fun one. In the Mars report, 75% of US adults agreed that a shared candy bowl builds community, and 71% said the candy they hand out says something about them.

In other words, people want to be the best house on the street. That opens the door for products that feel a little more special, whether that’s a hand-decorated cookie, a limited-edition sweet or a statement piece for the front porch.

Candy is still the most popular Halloween purchase, with 96% of shoppers planning to buy some. But it isn’t even the biggest category by spending. NRF expects shoppers to spend $4.4 billion on costumes, $4.3 billion on decorations and $4.1 billion on candy this year.

And the list keeps going. Greeting cards are more popular this year, with 42% of shoppers planning to buy them, up from 38% in 2025. Pets are part of the fun too, with $0.92 billion expected to be spent on pet costumes. The most popular choice? Dressing your pet as a pumpkin.

That means the spooky season is an opportunity for far more than sweet shops. Florists, garden centres, gift shops, homeware stores, stationers, pet boutiques and fashion retailers can all get a slice.

Physical stores play a big part in the ideas stage too. Shops and costume stores are the top source of decoration inspiration (31%) and the second most popular source for costume ideas (26%). A well-dressed window still sells.

There’s another encouraging number in the NRF survey. This year, 13% of shoppers plan to buy Halloween items from local and small businesses, almost double the 7% who did in 2016. Around 27% plan to shop online.

Shoppers are also thinking about value. The average spend is expected to be $115.14 per person, and 34% plan to look for items they can reuse in future years or for other occasions. Nearly one-third (31%) say they’ll compare prices if things cost more than expected.

For independent retailers, that’s a clear brief. Offer something people can’t get at a discount store, make it feel worth the money, and make it easy to buy.

Dress the window now. Stores are where people go for decoration ideas, so a spooky window display this week is free advertising. Link it to a small online collection so passers-by can order when they get home.

Make some things limited. A pumpkin arrangement for one weekend only, a small batch of pet costumes or a one-off decoration bundle tells customers they need to act now.

Sell the whole porch. With a third of shoppers looking for things they can reuse, bundle pumpkins, lanterns, wreaths and throws into a porch kit that still looks good after October 31.

Don’t forget the pets. If you sell anything for animals, pumpkin costumes are the obvious star. A pet photo corner in the store gives customers another reason to visit and share.

Be the last-minute hero. This year, Halloween falls on Saturday. Someone will always forget a costume or run out of decorations, so same-day collection that afternoon can win you a customer for life.

Zapiet’s Shopify apps are built for this kind of seasonal selling.

Zapiet Pickup + Delivery does the heavy lifting. Product date restrictions let you limit your Halloween range to the dates you choose. Customers pick a collection or local delivery date and time, and slot capacity per location stops you taking more orders than your team can handle. Cut-off times roll late orders into the next available window, and order-ready emails and SMS go out automatically. You can even make fragile or bulky items, like pumpkin displays or large decorations, available for pickup or local delivery only, and set up distance-based delivery pricing.

Zapiet Product Options lets customers build their own gift box, add a personalised message or choose paid extras like gift wrap, straight from the product page. It’s an easy way to turn a single purchase into a bigger order.

Selling food as well? If you run a café, bakery or restaurant, Zapiet Eats lets you schedule seasonal menus, so your pumpkin specials appear and disappear right on time.

Need some inspiration? Take a look at the spooky treats our merchants have made in past years.

Halloween used to be one busy evening. Now it’s weeks of decorating, dressing up, pet costumes and treats.

For Shopify retailers, that means more time to sell, more reasons to launch something new, and more chances to become someone’s favourite local shop.

From pickup and local delivery to product options and delivery rates, explore all of Zapiet’s Shopify apps and find the right tools to make this your best spooky season yet.