With feels-like-temperatures creeping toward triple digits, it sure doesn’t feel like Halloween, but the promise of a cool, crisp fall evening is part of the lure, as local retailers are getting a jump start on the trick-or-treat season.
Starbucks is expected to roll out its beloved pumpkin spice latte toward the end of this month; Home Depot’s 12-foot-tall skeleton is on display, retailing at $379; and Costco’s Halloween decorations are returning.
And, Michaels “100 Days to Halloween” campaign — Summerween — means Halloween decor greets customers who walk in the front door.
Plastic skeletons, engraved spider webs, table top displays, ghost pillows, and small, medium and large ceramic jack-o-lanterns are for sale.
“I’m not surprised, but I’m not ready for the summer to be over,” said one shopper, whose purchases at the Michaels in Dulles, Virginia, didn’t include decorations for Halloween.
Asked when she planned to begin decorating her home for Halloween, she laughed.
“I’m probably pretty last-minute, so maybe mid-October,” she said.
In announcing this year’s Summerween, Michaels said 73% of Americans participated in Halloween activities last year, and the holiday continues to grow in popularity, especially among Gen Z and millennials, who begin shopping for the holiday before or during September, according to the 2023 National Retail Federation Report.
Even though she’s not ready to decorate her home for Halloween yet, the shopper we spoke with understands the allure: “The kids get excited about dressing up and looking different, as someone or something they aren’t normally,” she said. “And that is fun!”
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