Summary: 

•  Halloween spending hits records – $13.1B projected in 2025, with strong growth across costumes, décor, and candy.
• Know your audience – each generation celebrates differently, from Gen Z partygoers to Millennial parents, Gen X planners, and tradition-focused Boomers.
• Audience insights drive ROI – granular data on behavior, intent, and lifestyle improves targeting and conversions.
• Omnichannel is key – reach audiences across CTV, social media, mobile, and programmatic display with tailored per generation approach. 
• Timing matters – engage early planners in September and capture last-minute buyers in the final week before Halloween.

Halloween is one of the most competitive marketing moments of the year. Agencies, brands and media planners face a crowded marketplace where grabbing attention of their target audience is harder than usual. The challenge lies in connecting with the right Halloween audience. Offering them products that satisfy their needs and desires while keeping the budget under control and campaign cost-efficient. 

But how to achieve it? 

It all comes down to knowing your audience and showing up where they are most engaged.

Get the complete 2025 Halloween Audience Guide with a full breakdown of top segments.

Halloween Audiences

Launch Powerful Halloween Campaigns - Download a PDF

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Halloween Statistics 2025 

Halloween remains one of the widest-reaching seasonal moments for retailers. In 2024 year only in the U.S. 73% of consumers celebrated, spending $11.6B (avg. $103.63). 

In 2025, the National Retail Federation projects a record $13.1B (+13% YoY) and $114.45 per person, with big lines in costumes $4.3B, décor $4.2B, and candy $3.9B. 

Adult participation keeps climbing—over half of celebrating adults plan to dress up, a third will dress their pets, and most will decorate or attend parties. 

How AI Has Changed the Digital Market? 

The digital and advertising market has changed a lot over the past two years, with technology playing a bigger role in how people get ready for the holiday. Rising prices and inflation makes shoppers hunt for bargains. Many online users now use AI tools to compare costs, spot deals, or spark new costume ideas. Therefore, choosing the right Halloween audience data has become more important than ever.

Download our full 2025 Halloween Audience Guide for the complete breakdown of top segments.

Download the Halloween Guide

How to Reach The Right Halloween Audience? 

Choosing the right Halloween audience is one of the most important steps, as it directly affects your ability to reach people effectively and increases the chances of conversion.

Brands, marketers, and agencies increasingly rely on granular insights—such as behavior, demographics, interests, intent, and lifestyle traits—to build accurate personas and engage them across CTV, mobile, social, and desktop channels. As a result, brands are increasingly tailoring strategies by generation.

Wide Range of Audiences by OnAudience 

OnAudience, as a data provider, offers access to a wide range of Halloween audiences for effective targeting in the programmatic advertising space. Check some of them and reach your key audiences who are actively looking to celebrate and ready to buy: 

• Costume Shoppers – users looking for Halloween outfits, accessories, and dress-up apparel to stand out at parties.
• Parents Planning Family Halloween – organizing safe trick-or-treat nights, buying kids’ costumes, candy, and home decorations.
• Deal Hunters – searching for seasonal discounts, promo codes, and last-minute Halloween sales.
• DIY Makers & Crafters – creating homemade decorations, pumpkin carvings, and spooky arts and crafts.
• Horror & Movie Fans – streaming thrillers, watching scary films, or joining horror marathon nights with friends.

Get the full list of Halloween segments to explore more audiences and activate the perfect mix for your campaigns.

Download the Halloween Guide

Why Audience Insights Matter for Targeting? 

Halloween is just one day in a year, but each generation celebrates it in their own way. Understanding these differences allows brands to tailor campaigns and receive better return on investment with effective messages, offers, based on their fundamental needs: 

• Gen Z ($435 average spend) wants to show off by purchasing costumes and attending parties, dressing up pets. They are inspired by what they have seen online and make sure to share their stories as well. 

• Millennials ($522 average spend) are mostly parents, spending on their kid’s costumes, decorations and family activities. At the same time, they still enjoy the social side of Halloween, which means participating in themed parties and weekend trips.

• Gen X ($325 average spend) celebrates in a more balanced way. They watch their budget, spending mainly for trick-or-treats and a few decorations. Having a practical approach without going over the top. 

• Baby Boomers ($89 average spend) keep things simple and stick to the basics by handing out candy, carving pumpkins and putting a few decorations. 

From Gen Z costumes to Boomers’ back-to-basics, use superior audience data to allocate spend where it converts.

Download the Halloween Guide

How generations shop tendencies & differences? 

Take a look to learn when to start your campaigns aimed at specific generation groups and how much of your budget should you invest in the online channel: 

Most teens, young adults, and high-spending consumers now do much of their Halloween shopping online, so using the right Halloween data helps brands reach and engage them effectively — ultimately boosting campaign performance and overall return on investment.

How to Reach The Target Audience Effectively? 

Agencies, marketers, and brands that want to connect with audiences need to examine how their target personas consume media in order to choose the right channels for each group, for instance: 

When to Reach Halloween Audiences? 

Halloween campaigns usually begin in early September, with activity peaking in October. There are two main groups and their motivations towards Halloween shopping: 

• Early planners – they start to buy weeks ahead, often in September. They want to avoid crowds, rising pricing at the last minute, and fear of product shortages. 
• Last-minute shoppers – they purchase costumes and candy in the final week before Halloween. They shop at the last minute as they expect more promotions and deals. 

With the right Halloween audience data, marketers, brands, and agencies can hit both groups—at real scale.

Match timing to intent, not guesswork.

Download the Halloween Guide

FAQ

Can I create custom Halloween audience segments? 

OnAudience provides access to a unique AI-powered tool that helps build custom audiences out of charge, download them and activate on a selected DSP. Check this link – AI Audiences. 

How can I activate the audience segments?

Once you’ve contacted our team and the segment was created, our team will upload it to your DSP, so you can easily apply the segment during campaign setup. 

Is the Halloween audience data for various devices? 

Yes, OnAudience Halloween data is for various devices such as mobile, desktop/PCs, and CTV/OTT.