Here’s a look at the scary-big business of Halloween and some trends

Want to hear something scary? OK, so maybe it’s more eye-opening than scary. Either way, it might make you scream – in surprise.

Halloween spending this year is expected to total $9 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey. That’s “billion” with a “b,” as in “boo.”

It’s a lot of money to spend for a good scare – real life these days can do it for free – but Americans, and a growing number of people abroad, are happy to shell it out.

Whether Halloween is actually the second most popular U.S. holiday, as widely touted, is open to debate. In fact, in dollars and cents, it definitely isn’t. A closer look at NRF statistics reveal that Americans actually spend more on a variety of holidays – Easter, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, even the Super Bowl – than Halloween. And all of them are dwarfed by the winner-for-life Christmas season and other winter holidays.

Still, Halloween is big business and continues to increase in terms of how much people are willing to spend. This year’s estimated $9 billion is down slightly from last year’s record $9.1 billion, but NRF tracking shows spending of at least $6.9 billion each year since 2012.

So with all these scary-big numbers being tossed about, what exactly are people spending it on? Obviously, there are costumes, candy, parties. But how else are people spending their time – and money – to celebrate?

We won’t recap the various local events that will help you get your spook on. Writer Bob Mehr already did that, and you can get the full rundown in his story at commercialappeal.com.

Instead, we offer a look at some Halloween facts and trends – some of which might open the creaking door to other ideas on how to observe the day, if you dare:

Escape your fears

A twist to the traditional haunted house, escape rooms are gaining in popularity as a destination for groups seeking a bit of a scare with a dash of challenge thrown into the mix.

“Everybody has kind of caught the bug,” says Kelly Verdoorn, manager of Breakout Games at 2965 N. Germantown Parkway. “Especially during holiday periods, when families are together, we get groups who want to get away from the electronics and do something together. This is a lot more socially interactive.”

Escape rooms have been on the scene for a number of years, and there are multiple businesses offering the experience in the Memphis metro area.

They are typically themed rooms in which groups work together to find clues that help them solve riddles and get out of the room within a specified period of time.

Breakout offers a dungeon-like room in which participants are led in blind-folded and handcuffed around a cot. After an audio introduction, blindfolds are removed and participants work to find keys that will allow them unlock the handcuffs and escape the room within an hour.

No one is actually locked in the room – participants can leave at any time – and they get clues to nudge them in the right direction on solving puzzles.

“I would say it’s more suspenseful than scary,” Verdoorn said of the experience, “although there are some creepy aspects to the game.”

Clues can be adjusted to accommodate different age groups and skill levels, said Verdoorn, adding that the real goal is just to have fun in a themed setting that promotes interactivity.

It’s all about the costume

The most expensive part of Halloween, according to The Balance personal finance website, is costumes. The site says nearly 70 percent of Americans will spend $3.2 billion on them.

These aren’t just the cheap, pre-packaged costumes with a rubber-band mask that many adults wore as kids. Adults also spend big bucks on elaborate party costumes that can quickly become costly. The most popular costumes? For adults, The Balance says the top picks for adults in 2018 are witches, vampires, zombies, pirates and Avengers characters.

For children, the top choices are princess, superhero, Batman, Star Wars character and a witch.

But those are just the generic costumes. Pop culture is always reflected in Halloween attire as well, with newsy events from the year sure to pop up at parties.

In that spirit, herd’s a sampling of costumes that elitedaily.com says you can expect to see, if you haven’t already, at parties this season:

❚ Royal weddings always inspire imitation in the form of Halloween costumes, and this one will be no exception. Expect to see plenty of couples at parties dressed as the royal couple.

❚ The gift that keeps on giving, figure skater Tonya Harding is a blast from the past who is sure to reappear this Halloween season, thanks to the 2017 movie “I, Tonya.”

❚ What is there to say? The hit movie “Black Panther” was a sure-fire candidate from the get-go.

MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY: TONYA HARDING: BLACK PANTHER: Well-dressed pets

And then there’s the dog, cat or other pet. They have to be well-dressed for the holiday also.

The Balance says 20 percent of Americans – up from 16 percent in 2017 – will buy costumes for their pets. Millennials are most likely to dress up Fluffy or Mr. Bojangles.

The top pet costumes are: Pumpkin, hot dog, bumble bee, devil and (for dogs) a cat. No word on whether cats are equally as excited about dressing up as a dog.

The bottom line

What’s the real takeaway from all this? Any real significance beyond some holiday fun? Well, yes. When dollars and cents are involved, there’s always a tangible bottom line.

The Balance notes that Halloween spending is an important indicator of how well retailers will do during the soon-to-follow holiday season, which is when roughly 20 percent of annual retail sales occur.

And good holiday sales means a good gross domestic product, which gets about 5.9 percent of its total from the retail industry.

“Strong retail sales make it more likely that the Fed will continue raising interest rates,” the website notes. “The Federal Open Market Committee is always looking for signs of a healthy economy.

“Record-setting retail sales are a critical component.”