Pets take center stage in Halloween spending spree
US consumers are expected to spend $860M on pet outfits, with millennials leading the charge and Instagram-ready looks driving sales.
As Halloween creeps closer, pet owners are increasing their retail spending to participate in holiday activities.
A survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) in September of 8,045 US consumers found that 23% plan to dress up their pets for Halloween.
This year, the NRF found that consumers are expected to spend $860 million (€738M) on costumes for their pets, up from $700 million (€645M) in 2024. By comparison, adult costume spending is expected to reach $2 billion (€1.8B) this year, while children’s costume spending is estimated at $1.4 billion (€1.3B).
Spending habits
In a separate survey conducted by MetLife Pet Insurance with 1,000 American cat and dog owners, 1 in 5 (20%) say they spend over $50 (€46) on their pet’s Halloween costume. On average, pet owners spend about $30 (€28) on costumes and accessories.
By generation, millennials are leading in pet costume spending at 57%, followed by Gen Z at 55% and baby boomers/Gen X at 46%. Notably, nearly 1 in 3 (32%) of respondents report spending more on their pet’s outfit than on their own.
Over 1 in 4 respondents to the MetLife survey state they bought a costume just for an Instagram or social media post (27%). This trend is particularly common among Gen Z (31%) and millennials (29%).
Breed breakdown
By breed, Rottweiler owners reportedly spend the most, at an average of $43 (€40), followed by Siberian husky owners ($37/€34), bulldog owners ($36/€33), German shepherd owners ($34/€31) and French bulldog owners ($33/€30).
Among cat owners, those with Maine coons spend the most at $38 (€35), followed by owners of Russian blues ($33/€30), ragdolls ($29/€27), American shorthairs ($29/€27), and domestic longhairs ($28/€26).
Overall, according to NRF, consumers tend to lean toward early shopping, with nearly half (49%) beginning their purchases in September or earlier this year.
Most popular pet costumes
MetLife found that online searches for “dog costume for Halloween” soared 154% in September, while “cat costumes” grew by 64%.
Meanwhile, NRF data reveals that pumpkin costumes are the most popular among pets at 9.8%, followed by hot dogs (5.4%), bumblebees (4%), ghosts (3.1%), and superhero (3.1%) costumes.
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