Unique Costumes And Thrift Store Shopping Are Hot For Halloween This Year

Americans of all ages are most excited to wear unique, one-of-a-kind costumes this Halloween season, and thrift stores are the No. 1 place where shoppers plan to find materials for their do-it-yourself ensembles, according to the 2018 Goodwill Halloween Poll. Participants in this year’s survey responded to a series of online questions about Halloween costumes and decorating habits. More than half (56%) of respondents said at least one person or pet in their family/household will be wearing a costume this Halloween, while 53% said they will decorate their home this Halloween. Among other survey results:

• The most popular costume style among respondents who plan to dress up this Halloween is a unique, one-of-a-kind costume (25%), followed by costumes that are funny (19%), scary or gory (17%), cute (15%) and sexy (14%).
• Costumes based on pop culture trends and characters from movies, TV shows and books (40%) are more popular among those who will dress up than classic costumes such as witches and werewolves (29%), animals (14%) and professions (8%). Political or historical costumes are the least popular type, at just 5%.
• Couples and group costumes are in this year. More than half of respondents who plan to dress up (57%) say they’ll coordinate their costume with one or more people.
• Ten% of respondents say they will dress their pet up for Halloween, a trend that’s particularly popular among millennials, with 15% in that demographic group saying their pet will wear a costume.
• Online networks are driving how people dress up, with a majority of people (69%) who prefer DIY costumes naming social media or other websites as the place they look for ideas and inspiration. Pinterest (40%) is the most popular platform for DIY costume inspiration, followed by YouTube (27%) and Facebook (23%).
• Among those who prefer DIY costumes, the most popular places to shop for materials are thrift stores, at 52%.