Drastic drops in 2020 Halloween activities

Americans are anticipating drastic drops in Halloween activities this season

New wave of ongoing AMC Global consumer behavior study looks at projected spending, decorating and celebrating for Halloween in the United States

The eighteenth wave of our study with OpinionRoute was released today. The research focused on Americans’ anticipated behaviors regarding the upcoming Halloween holiday. Consumers predict that in-person activities, such as handing out candy and trick-or-treating, will be down this year. For those planning to hand out candy, most will do so at their door, utilizing many protective measures believed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. And while consumers report that purchasing is also down, decorating both inside and outside the home remains at levels similar to 2019. 

You can see a full representation of the Halloween behavioral data here or click on the callout below.

Key findings for the week of September 21: 

• Americans predict that Halloween purchasing will be reduced this year, with less consumers buying decorations in 2020 (42% vs. 51% in 2019) and costumes (27% vs. 39%).
  
  
• Halloween celebration activity shows marked reduction with only 43% of Americans (versus 63% in 2019) planning to hand out candy, trick-or-treating down to 20% in 2020 versus 39% in 2019, and Halloween parties down to 14% from 24%.
  
  
• If Americans decide to greet trick-or-treaters, they will be taking safety precautions like frequent hand washing (84%), provision of hand sanitizer (78%), wearing a protective face mask (77%) and keeping a six foot distance from trick-or-treaters (73%).

A complete graphical representation of the data can be found here.

New results and findings will be released on October 5. The study findings are designed to help clients and industry leaders navigate quickly changing consumer behavior during the pandemic. Want to find out how the pandemic might be affecting upcoming consumer events that are related to your business? Reach out to us to get started.