Pet costume spending will hit $920 million this year

Pet costume spending in the U.S. is projected to reach $920 million this Halloween, up 7% from $860 million last year, according to a National Retail Federation survey of 7,889 consumers conducted between September 1 and 9.

Buyers are deciding if Halloween justifies permanent seasonal space

Buyers are asking whether the category's growth justifies expanding linear feet for seasonal pet products, or whether the short selling window makes it a margin trap. The NRF data puts pet costumes at roughly half the size of adult costume spending, which is projected to reach $2 billion. For context, spending on children's costumes is expected to total $1.5 billion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 31% of U.S. consumers planned to start shopping for Halloween before September, based on a survey of 2,028 adults conducted between August 21 and 26.

Retailers are moving Halloween merchandising earlier

Retailers are scheduling events and stocking earlier. PetSmart scheduled two Tricks for Treats events on October 17 and 25, plus a Meet the Spooky Pets event on October 18. Rural King set up Pet-O-Ween, a no-charge in-store costume contest, on October 24 at participating stores. PetSmart Canada launched its 2026 Thrills & Chills collection, and in the UK, Pets at Home rolled out a Halloween line that includes costumes, bedding, toys and treats. Aldi is offering costumes styled as Dracula, Pumpkin and Witch characters, plus Halloween-themed cat scratching houses and dog toys.

A separate Meijer survey of 1,003 people across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, conducted between August 24 and 26, found that 33% of Midwesterners intend to put their pets in costume for Halloween this year.

Brands are rolling out products aimed specifically at the season. Joyride Dogs, based in California, launched a Halloween collection that includes glow-in-the-dark leashes and harnesses. Paleo Ridge, a UK pet food maker, rolled out a limited-edition Essentials Halloween recipe that blends duck, beef, vegetables and pumpkin seeds in October-themed packaging. Purina's Beggin' dog treat line put out three limited-edition Halloween treats that contain bacon.

The assortment risk

The NRF survey found that the most popular pet costumes are pumpkins, cited by 11.6% of respondents, hot dogs at 5.9%, and ghosts at 2.8%. Tied for fourth place are bats, bees and spiders, followed by cats, superheroes, Batman and dogs, witches, and lions and vampires. Camp Bow Wow, a dog daycare and boarding franchise, ran a Google Trends analysis that showed hot dogs rank as the most-searched dog costumes in the U.S. this year. The next nine most-searched styles are chicken, shark, spider, princess, ghost, dinosaur, pumpkin, dragon and lion.

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PwC reported that 86% of consumers intend to celebrate Halloween this October, up from 78% in the prior year, and that share climbs to 93% for Gen Z. Average spending is projected to reach $263 per consumer celebrating Halloween, down from $289 in 2025, while millennials are expected to spend an average of $368.

But 25% of consumers say they will make their own costumes for themselves or their pets, compared with 30% who plan to purchase ready-made options, according to the PwC survey.

Deciding on Halloween space

Retailers are stocking this category and running events in mid-October. The NRF data shows pumpkins, hot dogs, and ghosts as the top three costume types by consumer preference.

Our read: the category justifies space if you stock early and watch SKU discipline. Focus on the costume types the data supports rather than covering every possible option. The window is short, and the category moves fast when it moves.

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