MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -
Halloween is just two days away and people are embracing the holiday in a big way this year.
Since there are no major holidays immediately before Halloween, it gets more display time on store shelves than other holidays. Spending is expected to reach eight billion dollars this year. With seven in 10 Americans celebrating the holiday in some way this year, the average person will spend nearly 80 dollars on decorations, costumes and candy, up from 72 dollars per person last year.
Political costumes are hot this year, but classic costumes like witches and vampires for adults and princesses and super heroes for kids are still the most popular ones. The most popular candy this Halloween is still the classic candy corn. Fun sized chocolate bars are also big sellers.
Despite record spending figures for this year's Halloween holiday, one fourth of U.S. consumers say the sate of the economy will impact their Halloween plans. To compensate, most say they will spend less overall, while others will make a costume instead of buying one.
While roughly 40% of people still get costumes from retail stores, about 27 percent will look for costumes ideas from social media sites.
One thing driving Halloween spending is that Halloween is becoming more of an adult holiday, rather than just being about the kids.
Nancy Dennis of the Alabama Retail Association says, "It's really become an adult holiday. The parents get into it for the kids and then they just stay into it. There have been parties that have started this weekend and go through Wednesday night, so there's a lot of celebration. It's a time for adults to be silly and have fun."
The Alabama Retail association expects spending to be up for the entire holiday season.
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