Halloween 2019: What's Trending

halloween-trending-and-spendingOctober 15, 2019 | It’s all treats and no tricks when it comes to projected Halloween spending for 2019. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) latest annual survey, holiday sales are expected to reach $8.8 billion this year led by costumes, candy, and decorations.

While the NRF predicts the ongoing trade wars with China may impact some last-minute Halloween spending (sales down from $9 billion in 2018), the overall growth of the holiday (expected to be the third-highest in the NRF survey’s 15-year history) still presents toymakers and brand owners with opportunities to tap into this market in multiple ways.

"Halloween is a holiday that showcases the fun benefits of play. Kids can get into the Halloween spirit by roleplaying as a mad scientist mixing up slimy concoctions in the kitchen, playing a spooky-themed board game with friends and family, and more," said Adrienne Appell, The Toy Association’s leading trends expert.

Creative Costuming

Character-driven costumes maintain a stronghold on the category, with many children expected to dress up as their favorite princesses and superheroes. Not surprisingly, top predicted costumes for 2019 echo box office sales, evergreen character brands, and predicted hits to come with Spider-Man, Marvel Avengers (excluding Spider-Man), Batman, and Frozen character (Anna and Elsa) costumes. Kids can top off their Halloween look with items that deliver year-round fun such as Wicked Cool Toys’ Blinger, Nerf Fortnite blasters from Hasbro, or even a Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak from Wow! Stuff.

Ghoulish Games

Every good monster bash needs a game to get the party going. In addition to the classics like bobbing for apples, the following fun options range from silly skill-and-action gameplay to ghastly good strategy games.

  • Universal Monsters are the originals when it comes to bringing the scares, and as of late the property is seeing a resurgence, including in the toy aisles. Ravensburger’s Horrified board game pits players against Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The Universal Monsters are terrorizing a village, and it’s up to players to work together to bring them down and save the day.
  • IT: Chapter Two, dominated the box office in September, grossing more than $200 million to date. While the scare-factor is too high for kids to watch, they can experience some spooky gameplay inspired by the film thanks to the Monopoly: IT board game from USAopoly. The company also offers multiple other Halloween-ready game ideas to meet everyone’s fear factor.
  • Ryan’s World Springin’ Spiders game from Far Out Toys offers a web of fun for younger kids. Players take turns launching spiders into the air and onto a web to earn points. Knock opponents’ spiders off the web and be the player with the most spiders on at the end of the game to win.

Experience the Spooks

From pumpkin- and apple-picking to haunted houses and hayrides, fall is a season tailor-made for live experiences. With experiential marketing proving to be a successful avenue to reach fans in new ways, here are a couple brands offering themed scares for the season:

  • Fans of Stranger Things can travel to the Upside Down this fall in Universal Studios as part of the park’s Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and Los Angeles. This year’s new haunted house transports visitors to Hawkins, Indiana and the scariest scenes from seasons two and three of the Netflix series.
  • Across the pond, Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London is bringing back another year of haunting at Hogwarts for Harry Potter fans. The Hogwarts After Dark events feature magical floating pumpkins, desserts served in the Forbidden Forest, and Death Eaters roaming the tour.

No matter which way you choose to get your fear fix this Halloween, The Toy Association reminds families to have fun and play safe.