Will rising costs scare off fans of Halloween?
Sean Nyberg is a professional investor who has been keeping track of the rising cost of attending Disneyland Resort’s annual Halloween celebration. The Seattle native posted a chart on Twitter showing that the average ticket price to the Oogie Boogie Bash has jumped 19% since 2019.
‘‘It seems that everything has gotten more expensive,’’ he said.
The cost of almost everything Halloween-related in the US is on the rise, with Americans spending more on candy, costumes, decorations, and tickets to events.
The average American household is expected to dole out US$100 (NZ$178) on Halloween this year, up from about US$86 (NZ$153) in 2019, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.
But Americans are not spooked by the higher prices.
Participation in Halloweenrelated activities is expected to reach 2019 levels this year, according to the retailer industry group. The
Oogie Boogie
Bash sold out in just three days this year, compared with
140 days in 2019.
Economists and Halloween experts attribute the increasing participation in the spookfest to a combination of factors, including a rebound in activities by Americans who stayed home in recent years due to the pandemic, and the continued popularity among young people of attending unique events so they can post photos and videos on social media sites.
Young adults aged 18 to 24, who stayed away from gatherings such as Halloween parties and haunted houses due to Covid-19, were making up for lost time and treating themselves to more outings this year, said Katherine Cullen, senior director of industry and consumer insights at the National Retail Federation.
Lee McPheters, an economics professor at Arizona State University, said many middle- and upper-middle-class Americans had built up a stash of savings over the last year or two from stimulus cheques and other outside funds, and were ready to spend it.
Americans are projected to spend the highest amount on record – a total of US$10.6 billion (NZ$18.9b), compared with US$10.1b (NZ$18b) in 2021 – on Halloween candy, costumes and decorations, according to the federation.
Hershey’s, the maker of Reese’s peanut butter cups, Kisses and Twizzlers, increased overall prices by 14% in June due to ‘‘increased cost pressures across our business’’ – but a company representative said the price hike did not target seasonal Halloween candy.