American consumers are used to seeing seasonal items in stores far in advance from when they take place; think back-to-school season and Christmas decor.

The newest holiday joining the early bird crowd might be Halloween, as evidenced by Spirit stores already popping up and home improvement retailers rolling out yard decorations early in August.

Data from the National Retail Federation shows that in 2024, 47% of consumers planned to shop Halloween items before October even began, compared to just 32% 10 years ago, or 40% five years ago.

Overall spending on Halloween decor is rising too.

From 2019 to 2024, total spending on Halloween decorations increased by 42%, up from $2.6 billion to $3.8 billion, according to the NRF.

Spirit Halloween has begun opening some of its pop-up locations in Colorado for 2025, including in Sheridan, Wadsworth Parkway, Orchard Towncenter, West Colfax Avenue, Denver Pavilions, Loveland East, Arapahoe Crossing, University Square, Cheyenne Plaza, Union Square, 1St Main and Broadmoor Town center locations.

Other Spirit Halloween locations in Colorado are set to open in August and September.

“With the anticipation for Halloween at an all-time high, we are committed to creating the same immersive experience that keeps our fans coming back year after year,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween in a news release.

A Lowe’s spokesperson said the home improvement store has seen customers wanting to celebrate Halloween earlier each year, with some decor coming out as early as April.

“We followed a similar phased rollout last year to give shoppers more time to decorate, celebrate, and enjoy the season — with our Halfway to Halloween launch in April, Early Halloween launch in June, and full in-store assortment in August,” said Courtney Wegel, a senior communications analyst for Lowe’s.

The 25-to-34-year-old Halloween consumers are the most likely to start preparing early, with 56% planning to start shopping for Halloween items before October, according to NRF.

Greg Reinke, owner and president of Reinke Brothers Halloween store in Littleton said his store stays busy all year round, especially as of late.

Reinke Brothers was first opened in 1971, but has been putting on its beloved local haunted house since 1958 according to Reinke.

Besides just the Halloween crowd, Reinke said that Christmas, Easter and even Pride brings lots of folks in for all their decor and costume needs.

Another potential factor is the chain retailer Party City, which filed for bankruptcy in 2024 and has closed multiple local stores in Colorado including the Fort Collins, Longmont, Westminster, Lakewood, Aurora, Denver, Centennial, Littleton and Colorado Springs locations.

Reinke said his store saw an impact almost immediately.

“The competition is gone,” he said. “I’ve noticed huge increases in my sales now that Party City is gone.” 

The store claims to have the largest selection of magic tricks and illusions in Denver and more than 20,000 costumes for sale or rent.

“There’s just such an array of things that go on that people don’t even think about. And where are you going to get this stuff?” Reinke said.