Executive Summary: US pet owners are projected to spend USD 920 million on Halloween costumes in 2026, up 7% on last year, per a National Retail Federation survey. PetSmart, Pets at Home and Aldi expanded seasonal pet ranges as 86% of households plan to mark the holiday.
Key Facts
- Market
- Pet market USA — USD 158 billion in 2025 on the GPI orientation figure
- Data source
- National Retail Federation survey of 7,889 consumers, 1–9 September 2026
- US pet costume spend
- USD 920 million projected for 2026, against USD 860 million in 2025
- Growth
- About 7% year on year for pet costumes
- Comparison
- Adult costumes USD 2 billion; children’s costumes USD 1.5 billion
- Top costumes
- Pumpkins 11.6%, hot dogs 5.9%, ghosts 2.8%
- Household participation
- 86% of US consumers plan to mark Halloween, up from 78% in 2025 (PwC)
- Average spend
- USD 263 per celebrating consumer, down from USD 289 (PwC)
- Retail response
- PetSmart, PetSmart Canada, Pets at Home, Aldi, Rural King and independent brands all launched seasonal pet ranges
What Happened
US pet owners are expected to spend USD 920 million on Halloween costumes in 2026, up from USD 860 million last year, according to a National Retail Federation survey of 7,889 consumers conducted between 1 and 9 September. That is roughly 7% growth in a category that sits outside the food and veterinary spending that defines the pet market.
Pumpkins are the top choice at 11.6% of buyers, followed by hot dogs at 5.9% and ghosts at 2.8%, with bats, bees and spiders tied for fourth. A separate Google Trends analysis by the dog daycare and boarding franchise Camp Bow Wow found hot dogs the most-searched dog costume this year, with Wyoming leading state-level interest ahead of New Hampshire, Utah, California and Colorado.
Retailers treated the season as a full campaign rather than a shelf promotion. PetSmart ran in-store events on 17, 18 and 25 October, including a live-animal session, while Rural King held a costume contest for pets and livestock on 24 October. PetSmart Canada, Pets at Home, Aldi and a group of independent brands including Joyride Dogs and Paleo Ridge all built dedicated ranges.
Background
Halloween costume spending is the clearest annual test of whether owners treat pets as household members with their own wardrobes. It is also a low-margin, high-velocity business: costumes are single-season items, ordered months ahead, and unsold stock has almost no value in November.
The category has professionalised over the past five years. Where supermarket chains once carried a few generic outfits, pet specialty retailers now build ranges with sizes for dogs, cats and small animals, and brands design glow-in-the-dark leashes and harnesses as part of the same drop. That shift moved the business from impulse purchase to planned purchase, which is why retailers now start promoting in early October rather than on the last weekend.
Prices reflect that. UK entry-level costumes in the Pets at Home range start in single-figure pounds, while US seasonal kits sell between USD 10 and USD 30. Volume, not margin, is what makes the season worth running.
Industry Context
US pet spending is heavily weighted to food, veterinary care and supplies, so seasonal accessories are a small share of the total. GPI’s pet market USA figure is USD 158 billion for 2025, which puts USD 920 million of costume spending at roughly 0.6% of annual value concentrated in eight weeks.
The more useful signal is participation. PwC found 86% of US consumers plan to mark Halloween, up from 78% in 2025, while average spending among those celebrating falls to USD 263 from USD 289. More households, smaller baskets. That pattern favours retailers with a wide price ladder and short order cycles over brands selling a single premium item.
The same survey found 25% of consumers plan to make their own costumes or their pets’ costumes, against 30% buying ready-made. For suppliers, that split caps how far unit prices can rise in a season where social media, not advertising, drives which designs sell.
Market & Business Impact
For pet specialty retailers, the season’s value is traffic rather than margin. In-store events give a reason to visit in a month with no other pet occasion, and costume buyers tend to leave with treats and toys. Rural King’s decision to run a contest for pets and livestock shows the format travelling beyond pet specialty into farm and home retail.
For apparel manufacturers, the buying calendar is the constraint. Costumes must be committed before spring, which means a design that misses the trend carries the whole season’s write-off. The concentration of demand in two weeks makes forecasting error expensive, and it explains why the pet apparel side of the business is dominated by suppliers who also produce year-round harnesses and coats.
For brands outside apparel, the season works as a sampling moment. Purina’s Beggin’ released three limited-edition bacon treats, and Paleo Ridge built a duck, beef and pumpkin-seed recipe in seasonal packaging. Both put a product in front of a shopper who is already spending on the pet, at a lower cost than a new listing.
Companies & Brands Involved
PetSmart ran the most extensive US programme, with two Tricks for Treats sessions and a separate exotic-animal event, and its Canadian arm launched a Thrills & Chills collection covering dogs, cats, reptiles and small pets. Pets at Home built a UK range of costumes, bedding, toys and treats; Aldi added costumes, cat scratching houses and dog toys to its seasonal aisle.
On the brand side, Joyride Dogs, based in California, launched a Halloween collection built around glow-in-the-dark leashes and harnesses. Paleo Ridge, a UK pet food maker, produced a limited-edition recipe in seasonal packaging. Purina’s Beggin’ brand released three limited-edition bacon treats.
GPI tracks the pet apparel manufacturer companies behind these ranges and maintains a pet apparel retailer directory of the chains that stock them, alongside the US market data that frames how much of annual spending seasonal accessories represent.
Data & Evidence
Pet costumes: USD 920 million projected for 2026, USD 860 million in 2025, growth of about 7%. Adult costumes: USD 2 billion. Children’s costumes: USD 1.5 billion. NRF survey: 7,889 consumers, 1–9 September 2026. Top pet costumes: pumpkins 11.6%, hot dogs 5.9%, ghosts 2.8%. Meijer survey: 1,003 respondents across six Midwestern states, 24–26 August 2026, 33% planning to dress a pet. PwC poll: 2,028 US adults, 21–26 August 2026, 86% celebrating against 78% in 2025, average spend USD 263 against USD 289, millennials USD 368, homemade costumes 25% against 30% buying ready-made. Seasonal cost of the global pet spending picture: USD 920 million is about 0.6% of GPI’s USD 158 billion US market size figure for 2025.
What This Means for the Pet Industry
Seasonal accessory spending is a demand signal rather than a revenue line. When 86% of US households mark Halloween and a third of Midwesterners dress a pet, the pet has moved into the same discretionary budget as the rest of the family, and that is the behaviour premium food and pet technology brands are pricing against all year. The commercial gap is planning: most suppliers still treat the season as a promotional afterthought with short lead times, while the retailers running events and exclusives are building the customer relationship that carries into Christmas.
Key Takeaways
- US pet owners are projected to spend USD 920 million on Halloween costumes in 2026, 7% more than the USD 860 million recorded in 2025, according to a National Retail Federation survey of 7,889 consumers.
- Pet costumes remain a small line next to adult costumes at USD 2 billion and children’s costumes at USD 1.5 billion, but the pet line is growing while average seasonal spending per consumer falls to USD 263 from USD 289.
- Pumpkins are the most popular pet costume at 11.6% of buyers, followed by hot dogs at 5.9% and ghosts at 2.8%, with hot dogs also the most-searched dog costume in Google Trends data analysed by Camp Bow Wow.
- Retailers moved earlier and wider this year, with PetSmart running in-store events, PetSmart Canada and Pets at Home building seasonal ranges, and Aldi and Rural King adding pet-specific promotions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do US owners spend on pet Halloween costumes?
The National Retail Federation projects USD 920 million for 2026, up from USD 860 million in 2025, an increase of about 7%. The figure comes from a survey of 7,889 consumers conducted between 1 and 9 September 2026.
Which costumes sell best for pets?
Pumpkins lead at 11.6% of buyers, followed by hot dogs at 5.9% and ghosts at 2.8%. Bats, bees and spiders tie for fourth place. Google Trends data analysed by Camp Bow Wow also put hot dogs first among the most-searched dog costumes.
Is overall Halloween spending rising?
Not per person. PwC found 86% of US consumers plan to celebrate, up from 78%, but average spending among those celebrating falls to USD 263 from USD 289. More households taking part at a lower average is what keeps the category flat overall.
Where does Halloween fit in the US pet market?
It is a seasonal accessory category rather than a core one. The USD 920 million of projected costume spending is roughly 0.6% of the USD 158 billion US pet market size GPI uses for orientation, and it lands almost entirely in September and October.
Sources
- Primary — GlobalPETS, report on Halloween spending with National Retail Federation, PwC, Meijer and Camp Bow Wow data, https://globalpetindustry.com/news/pet-brands-and-retailers-tap-into-the-halloween-spending-spree, 26 Oct 2026
- Secondary — National Retail Federation survey of 7,889 consumers, 1–9 September 2026, cited in the report
