Halloween 2013: Hauntingly Reminiscent of Pop Culture
With the weather starting to cool and the leaves beginning to fall, nearly 158 million Americans are preparing to join in the festivities for one of our country’s most beloved holidays — Halloween1. From carving pumpkins and trick-or-treating to going haunted housing and watching horror flicks, young and old alike will get into the Halloween spirit and showcase their creativity. What’s more, the average person is expected to spend just over $75 celebrating the holiday, mainly on home and yard decorations and, of course, creating costumes!
When trying to think up the perfect Halloween costume to scare, shock or surprise your friends, where do you turn for inspiration? According to a recent survey conducted by retailer Savers, Inc., nearly 50% of consumers will turn to current movies and television shows to help them determine their attire this Halloween season. Whether you’re planning to purchase a costume ready-made or create your own from scratch, consider some of these popular 2013 trends:
- Camo-themed clothing and big beards, particularly if you’re going as a group, in celebration of Duck Dynasty
- Zombie-inspired looks from The Walking Dead
- The ever-popular superhero look, from Wolverine to Iron Man to Superman
- Animated character garb from Monsters University, Despicable Me 2 and Planes
- Creative, crafty looks and donated costumes purchased from a thrift shop, Macklemore style
If you’re still having trouble finding just the right look, join the nearly 70% of typical costume wearers who plan to use social media, including Facebook and Pinterest, to influence their decisions. This same group of consumers also plans on posting an average of 10 photos of themselves in their Halloween getups to a social media channel to share with friends and family. And who could forget about Fido? Not only are many shoppers planning for their personal attire and for their children’s, 4 in 10 are planning to dress up their pets for a complete family celebration!
Once you’ve laid out your plans for Halloween, it’s a good idea to double-check that they match your anticipated budget for the holiday before doing any shopping. If you’re looking for a few ways to minimize your expenditures, consider shopping at a warehouse store to buy your candy in bulk, participating in a free community Halloween party, or hosting a scary movie marathon at home instead of splurging at the theater. Or, if you’re thinking of going all out in your celebration, contact a Waldo General store near you for a convenient installment loan that’s easy to obtain and straightforward to pay back.
1 NRF’s 2013 Halloween Consumer Spending Survey