Goodwill® 2018 Halloween Survey Fact Sheet

What’s Hot and  What’s Not for Costume Planning this Halloween

About the Goodwill National Halloween Poll
The 2018 Goodwill National Halloween Poll was conducted by Engine, an independent research organization, for Goodwill Industries International. The online poll took place from September 4–9, 2018, and included a sample size of 2,005 self-selected adults. Responses were weighted by age, gender, geographic region, race and education.

WitchesSurvey Responses

  • More than half of people who plan to dress up (57 percent) say they’ll coordinate their costume with another individual or group.
  • Of those who are coordinating costumes, 58 percent say they’ll dress up with their spouse or significant other, while 41 percent will coordinate with children and 24 percent with friends.
  • Ten percent say they will dress up their pet for Halloween, a trend that’s particularly popular among millennials, with 15 percent in that demographic group saying their pet will wear a costume.
  • The most popular costume style among respondents who plan to dress up this Halloween is a unique, one-of-a-kind costume (25 percent), followed by costumes that are funny (19 percent), scary or gory (17 percent), cute (15 percent) and sexy (14 percent).
  • Costumes based on pop culture trends and characters from movies, TV shows and books (40 percent) are more popular among those who will dress up than classic costumes such as witches and werewolves (29 percent), animals (14 percent) and professions (8 percent). Political or historical costumes are the least popular type, at just 5 percent.
    • Pop culture costumes are particularly popular with millennials (46 percent), while baby boomers favor the iconic classic Halloween costumes (45 percent).
  • Online networks are driving how people dress up, with a majority of people (69 percent) who prefer DIY costumes naming social media or other websites as the place they look for ideas and inspiration.
    • Pinterest (40 percent) is the most popular platform for DIY costume inspiration, followed by YouTube (27 percent), Facebook (23 percent) and Instagram (14 percent).
  • Of those who plan to purchase, re-use or create costumes for themselves or others in their household this year, 34 percent plan to start their shopping by the end of September.
    • Another 45 percent will start their shopping in the first two weeks of October, and only 12 percent will wait to start shopping until the last two weeks of October.
  • Forty-six percent of respondents plan to host or participate in a Halloween party this year.
    • Millennials (65 percent) are most likely to host or attend a party, followed by Gen-X (52 percent) and Baby Boomers (25 percent).
  • Fifty-three percent of respondents say they will decorate their home this Halloween.

About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International (GII) is a network of 161 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. GII is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is recognized by GuideStar with its Platinum Seal of Approval, the organization’s highest rating for charities. For the past three years, Goodwill was ranked in the top five brands that inspired consumers the most with its mission in the World Value Index commissioned by the creative agency, enso. Goodwill has been on the Forbes‘ list of top 20 most inspiring companies for three consecutive years – the only nonprofit featured on that list

Local Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that offer job placement and training services, and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,300 stores collectively and online at http://shopgoodwill.com®.

Goodwill helps people facing challenges to finding employment including people with disabilities; veterans and military families; youth and young adults; older workers; people reintegrating into society; and others working to advance their careers. Local Goodwill organizations build revenues and expand employment opportunities by contracting with commercial, state, government and non-government organizations to provide a wide range of business services, including janitorial and grounds maintenance, flexible staffing, food service, manufacturing and contracts packaging, reverse logistics, document imaging and shredding, and laundry services.

Last year, local Goodwill organizations collectively placed more than 288,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 38 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills, and more than two million people received in-person services.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook and Instagram: GoodwillIntl.

For more information:
Lauren Lawson-Zilai
Senior Director of Public Relations
(240) 333-5266
[email protected]