Gitnux/Report 2026

Costume Industry Statistics

US consumers aged 18 to 34 made 65% of costume purchases online in 2023, while just 12% of costumes are recycled industry wide, so convenience and waste are colliding fast. Get the practical mix of what drives buys, from Gen Z social media at 70% to last minute spikes that lift sales by 15%, plus the supply chain realities behind 15,000 plus global costume production facilities and 75% polyester blend use.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Costume Industry Statistics
Marcus AfolabiWritten by Marcus Afolabi·Edited by Daniel Varga·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The costume industry at a glance

The U.S. Halloween costume market is expected to reach $4.4 billion in 2026, within a broader $13.5 billion Halloween retail season, as participation remains strong and shoppers increasingly seek value.

$4.4B[15]
Costume spending, 2026
71%[13]
Consumers buying costumes, 2026
$2.0B[15]
Adult costume spending, 2026
$1.5B[15]
Children's costume spending, 2026
Market size
U.S. Halloween costume spending is expected to reach $4.4 billion in 2026, up from $4.3 billion in 2025. Costumes are the third-largest reported Halloween spending category, behind decorations at $4.3 billion and candy at $4.1 billion.[15]
Segmentation
The 2026 U.S. costume market is divided into adult, children’s and pet costumes. Planned spending totals $2.0 billion for adult costumes, $1.5 billion for children’s costumes and $0.92 billion for pet costumes.[15]
Pricing
Adults who plan to buy costumes expect to spend an average of $59.29 on costumes in 2026. Across all Halloween purchases, consumers plan to spend an average of $115.14 per person, while 31% say they will comparison-shop if prices are higher than expected and 26% will seek coupons or sales.[33][15]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Halloween participation is expected to remain high at 74% in 2026, with 50% of consumers planning to dress in costume. Affordability is a major constraint: 79% expect tariffs to raise prices, while 34% plan to buy items they can reuse or repurpose.[15]
Consumer behavior & competition
Discount stores are the leading purchase destination for Halloween items at 39%, followed by specialty Halloween or costume stores at 32% and online channels at 27%. Online search remains the leading source of costume inspiration at 32%, while 47% of consumers report using AI tools during Halloween shopping in 2026.[15]
Latest news
The latest industry data shows U.S. Halloween spending is forecast to reach a record $13.5 billion in 2026, including $4.4 billion on costumes. The Halloween & Costume Association also reported that UL joined the association on November 5, 2026, expanding the industry group’s membership and product-safety focus.[15]

02 Ranking

Top 7 Companies in the Costume Industry

The leading companies in the costume industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Angels Costumes leads Gitnux's 2026 costume ranking with an Overall score of 9.4, with over one million costumes across film, television and theatre hire and making. Theaterkunst is the runner-up at 9.3, driven by around 10 million costumes, uniforms and accessories across European operations.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in screen & theatre costume hire

    Angels Costumes

    GB

    Ranked #1 · 9.4 · Screen & theatre costume hire

    Why we picked it: Its film, television and theatre costume stock is quantified as over one million costumes for hire and making.

    See in ranking ↓Visit angels.co.uk ↗

  2. Leader in seasonal costumes and props

    Morris Costumes

    US

    Ranked #3 · 9.0 · Seasonal costumes and props

    Why we picked it: Its costumes, props and seasonal assortment is specified as over 10,000 items with design and production.

    See in ranking ↓Visit morriscostumes.com ↗

  3. Leader in retail costumes and accessories

    Forum Novelties

    US

    Ranked #5 · 8.4 · Retail costumes and accessories

    Why we picked it: Its stated focus is costume and mask manufacturing for North America across costumes and accessories.

    See in ranking ↓Visit forum-novelties.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 7 companies in the costume industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Angels Costumes

Screen & theatre costume hire · GB

9.4
2

Theaterkunst

Screen & theatre costume hire · DE

9.3
3

Morris Costumes

Seasonal costumes and props · US

9.0
4

Cosprop

Screen & theatre costume hire · GB

8.7
5

Forum Novelties

Retail costumes and accessories · US

8.4
6

Fun World

Halloween costumes, masks and seasonal products · US

8.3
7

JAKKS Pacific

Licensed character costumes through Disguise · US

7.4

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Top 7 companies in the costume industry. In Costume Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/costume-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Share of U.S. pet Halloween costume choices by costume type

pumpkin leads with 11%.

pumpkin11%
hot dog7%
bat4%
bumblebee3%
spider3%
source-verifiednrf.com

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI adoption in fashion includes demand forecasting and inventory planning (56%) and customs and tariff optimization (43.8%). Textile firms also report concrete digital transformation strategy (26% in 2024).

AI in the costume industry

  • 50% of surveyed U.S. fashion companies used AI for sustainability tracking in 2026.[1]
  • 50% of surveyed U.S. fashion companies used AI for sourcing strategy and cost optimization in 2026.[1]
  • 56% of surveyed U.S. fashion companies used AI for demand forecasting and inventory planning in 2026.[1]
  • 43.8% of surveyed U.S. fashion companies used AI for customs, trade compliance and tariff optimization in 2026.[2]

Digital Transformation in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 26% of textile-ecosystem companies in the EU reported having a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[3]
  • 4.8% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU had adopted digital-twin technology in 2023.[3]
  • 38.3% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU used online platforms in 2023.[3]
  • 65% of textile companies in the 2023 sample had a website, according to analysis of company websites in the EU textile ecosystem.[3]

Technology Adoption in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 54% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used product-lifecycle-management software in 2023.[4]
  • 58% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used supply-chain-management software in 2023.[4]
  • 40% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used electronic data interchange in 2023.[4]
  • 68% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used an online payment platform in 2023.[4]
  • 58% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used enterprise resource planning software in 2023.[4]
  • 44% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used warehouse-management systems in 2023.[4]

Cloud Computing in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 39% of apparel organizations with revenue below $100 million were in the process of moving to cloud ERP in 2025.[4]
  • 33% of textile-ecosystem companies in the EU used cloud technology in 2024.[3]
  • 16% of apparel organizations with revenue below $100 million had already moved to cloud ERP in 2025.[4]
  • 19% of apparel organizations with revenue of $100 million or more had already moved to cloud ERP in 2025.[4]
  • 32.3% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU had adopted cloud technologies in 2023.[5]
  • 48% of apparel organizations with revenue of $100 million or more were in the process of moving to cloud ERP in 2025.[4]

Big Data in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 12.8% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU had adopted big-data technologies in 2023.[3]
  • 12% of companies in the European textile ecosystem reported Big Data adoption in 2024, based on the EMI Enterprise Survey.[3]
  • 12% of textile-ecosystem companies in the EU used big-data technology in 2024.[3]
  • 52% of surveyed Indian companies said they were likely or very likely to adopt Big Data analytics within five years in 2023; the report identifies textile companies among respondents.[6]
  • 12.8% of European textile SMEs had adopted Big Data and related data analytics in 2023, according to the European Monitor of Industrial Ecosystems survey.[3]

Blockchain in the costume industry

  • 2,071 digital fashion items generated 65,425 blockchain-recorded transactions among 8,627 consumers between January 2022 and October 2023.[7]
  • 332,714 MANA, worth approximately $150,000, was exchanged for digital fashion items recorded on the Polygon blockchain between January 2022 and October 2023.[7]

IoT in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 20% of textile-ecosystem companies in the EU used Internet of Things technology in 2024.[3]
  • 32.26% of textile-industry respondents in an Asia-Pacific survey reported moderate integration of smart technologies such as IoT and production data analytics in 2026.[8]
  • 14% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU used Internet of Things technology in 2023.[3]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Surveyed manufacturers report KPI improvements tied to digital transformation, including quality or safety at 40% and inventory or warehousing at 26%. Traceability verification is reported by 44% for 2025.

Business intelligence in the costume industry

  • 30% of North American apparel manufacturers reported logistics-efficiency KPI improvements from digital-transformation initiatives.[4]
  • 34% of North American apparel manufacturers reported production overall-equipment-effectiveness improvements from digital-transformation initiatives.[4]
  • 32% of North American apparel manufacturers reported e-commerce or direct-to-consumer KPI improvements from digital-transformation initiatives.[4]
  • 40% of North American apparel manufacturers reported quality or safety KPI improvements from digital-transformation initiatives.[4]
  • 24% of North American apparel manufacturers reported KPI improvements in business intelligence and analytics from digital-transformation initiatives.[4]
  • 26% of North American apparel manufacturers reported inventory or warehousing KPI improvements from digital-transformation initiatives.[4]

Data Quality in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 46% of fashion and apparel businesses had visibility into Tier 4 raw-material suppliers in 2025, according to a global industry survey.[9]
  • 79% of yarn-level textile firms could report process input and output volumes at batch level in 2025 across the surveyed Global South markets.[10]
  • 51% of garment-level textile firms could report process input and output volumes at batch level in 2025 across the surveyed Global South markets.[10]
  • 77% of raw-material-level textile firms could report process input and output volumes at batch level in 2025 across the surveyed Global South markets.[10]
  • 75% of fabric-level textile firms could report process input and output volumes at batch level in 2025 across the surveyed Global South markets.[10]
  • 44% of fashion and apparel businesses verified their current traceability data in 2025, based on a survey of more than 450 industry professionals globally.[9]

Data Governance in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 32% of raw-material suppliers in the surveyed textile supply chains used recognized data-sharing standards in 2025, compared with 55% that used none.[10]
  • 38% of surveyed textile firms in the Global South used recognized industry standards for data sharing in 2025, while 44% used none and 18% were unsure.[10]
  • 45% of textile firms not affected by the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation reported using industry data-sharing standards in 2025.[10]
  • 52% of textile firms affected by the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation reported using industry data-sharing standards in 2025.[10]
  • 30% of textile firms using recognized data-sharing standards reported using ISO/IEC 27001 in 2025, making it the most commonly cited standard.[10]
  • 83% of surveyed textile firms in the Global South actively shared product-related data with suppliers in 2025, while 17% had not adopted this practice.[10]

KPIs in the costume industry

  • 73.1% was JAKKS Pacific’s costume-segment cost of sales as a percentage of net sales in 2024.[11]
  • 74.8% was JAKKS Pacific’s costume-segment cost of sales as a percentage of net sales in 2025.[11]
  • $27.5 million was JAKKS Pacific’s costume-segment gross profit in 2025.[11]
  • $32.5 million was JAKKS Pacific’s costume-segment gross profit in 2024.[11]
  • 8.1% was the year-over-year decline in JAKKS Pacific costume-segment cost of sales from 2024 to 2025.[11]
  • 11% was the increase in JAKKS Pacific costumes net sales during the first nine months of 2026 compared with the first nine months of 2025.[12]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Plans show high intent in 2026: 71% of U.S. consumers plan to purchase Halloween costumes, and 49% plan to start shopping in September or earlier.

Growth in the costume industry

  • 71% of U.S. consumers planned to purchase Halloween costumes in 2026.[13]
  • 20.5% was the 2025 decline in China Partytime’s combined CMS and OBM cosplay-costume sales amid intensified market competition.[14]
  • 49% of U.S. consumers planned to begin Halloween shopping in September or earlier in 2026, compared with 34% in 2016.[15]
  • $4.4 billion was the expected U.S. spending on Halloween costumes in 2026.[13]
  • 74% of U.S. consumers planned to celebrate Halloween in 2026, up from 69% a decade earlier.[15]
  • $13.5 billion was the expected total U.S. Halloween spending in 2026, compared with $13.1 billion in 2025.[15]

Differentiation in the costume industry

  • 40% of Halloween costume dollar sales came from adult costumes in the 2025 season.[16]
  • 20% was the year-over-year dollar-sales increase for prestige eyeshadow during the two-week Halloween period ending November 1, 2025, supporting costume-related beauty demand.[16]
  • 16% of consumers considered niche and unique costumes most important in 2026, compared with 21% of Gen Z consumers.[13]
  • 15% of women considered classic and nostalgic costumes most important in 2026, compared with 21% of men.[13]
  • 60% of costume dollar sales came from children’s costumes and accessories in the 2025 Halloween season.[16]
  • 18% of U.S. consumers overall considered classic and nostalgic costumes most important in 2026, compared with 21% of men.[13]

Mergers and acquisitions in the costume industry

  • 1998 was the year Rubies merged with Mask Illusions of San Diego, according to Rubies’ corporate history.[17]
  • 1 acquisition was recorded when Rubies purchased Colorado-based costume company Princess Paradise, according to the company’s corporate history.[17]
  • 2017 was the year Rubies acquired BuySeasons, an online retailer of costumes and party goods.[17]
  • 2020 was the year Rubies Costume Company became part of the Ad Populum family and was relaunched as Rubies II LLC.[17]

Strategic partnerships in the costume industry

  • 1 third-party logistics partnership enabled HalloweenCostumes.com to handle a 15-fold peak-season order-volume increase.[18]
  • 2,000 stockists formed Smiffys’ reported global retail network for its costume products.[19]
  • 1 exclusive licence and distribution partnership was announced between Rubies UK and Smiffys UK in 2026.[20]
  • 14 countries were included in Rubies’ operational footprint before its later corporate relaunch, indicating a multinational operating alliance structure.[17]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Hiring expectations remain high in the broader U.S. fashion sample, with 87% expecting increased hiring over five years through 2031. AI training coverage is limited at 16% in 2026.

Hiring in the costume industry

  • 87% of surveyed U.S. fashion companies expected to increase hiring over the five years through 2031.[1]
  • 20,910 fashion designers were employed in the United States in May 2024.[21]
  • 75% of surveyed U.S. fashion companies expected to increase hiring in the previous benchmarking survey.[1]

Remote Work in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among non-manager manufacturing employees able to work remotely, 67% can work from home two days per week, according to a 2024 member survey.[22]
  • In a global survey of more than 1,000 fashion professionals, 65% identified flexible working policies as the most important employer benefit.[23]
  • Across U.S. manufacturers, 95% of employees with work flexibility use it, according to a 2024 member survey covering operations and production roles.[22]
  • In 2024, 15% of non-factory-floor employees at surveyed global manufacturers worked fully remotely, compared with 8% of factory-floor employees.[24]

Hybrid Work in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across surveyed manufacturers in 2025, 79% operated a hybrid model for non-production employees, while 17% were fully back in the office.[22]
  • Among global manufacturers in 2024, 42% of non-factory-floor employees worked in hybrid arrangements, compared with 10% of factory-floor employees.[24]
  • In 2025, 23% of surveyed manufacturers were actively updating hybrid policies to add more structure around required office days.[22]
  • Among fashion and beauty professionals globally, 52% preferred a hybrid schedule with two or three days in the office.[23]

Upskilling in the costume industry

  • 16% of surveyed fashion workers had received comprehensive, structured AI training in 2026.[23]
  • Approximately 25% of surveyed fashion workers said employer investment in AI tools and training would make a company significantly more attractive in 2026.[23]
  • 39% of surveyed fashion workers said their desire for AI training remained unmet in 2026.[23]

Employee Engagement in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • H&M Group reported an employee satisfaction score of 76 out of 100 in 2024, up from 75 in 2023.[25]
  • NEXT Group reported a 75% overall employee-engagement score in 2025/26, exceeding its cited UK fashion-retail benchmark of 64%.[26]
  • Moncler Group recorded a 76% employee engagement rate in 2024, based on responses from 6,777 employees worldwide.[27]
  • Fast Retailing reported a 78.0% overall employee-engagement index in its fiscal 2025 survey, covering 36,827 respondents globally.[28]
  • Global Fashion Group reported that 76% of employees would recommend it as a great place to work in its 2025 engagement survey.[29]

DEI in the costume industry

  • 14% of costume designers on the 275 top-grossing films from 2016 to 2018 were from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups.[30]
  • 16% of respondents working in costume, wig and makeup design and technology identified as people of color in a U.S. theatre workforce study.[31]
  • 73.2% of costume designers on the 275 top-grossing films from 2016 to 2018 were white women.[30]
  • 84.4% of costume designers on the 275 top-grossing films from 2016 to 2018 were women.[30]

Change Management in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 37% improvement in analytics and business-intelligence KPIs to digital transformation in a 2023 survey.[4]
  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 35% improvement in inventory and warehousing KPIs to digital transformation in a 2023 survey.[4]
  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 40% improvement in procurement KPIs to digital transformation, according to a 2023 industry survey.[4]
  • Across surveyed fashion and apparel companies, 75% were already on a digital-transformation journey and reporting positive results in 2023.[4]
  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 39% improvement in sales and customer-service on-time-in-full KPIs to digital transformation in 2023.[4]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Purchase priorities cluster around quality for 26% of buyers in 2026, while comfort and fit is cited by 20% as most important in 2024. Specialty store planning is 46% for 2026.

Customer experience in the costume industry

  • 26% of U.S. costume buyers ranked quality as their top priority in 2026.[32]
  • 63% of consumers said the costume market offered enough inclusive options in 2026.[32]
  • 46% of U.S. costume-wearing adults planned to shop at specialty Halloween or costume stores in 2026.[33]
  • 20% of U.S. respondents identified comfort and fit as the most important costume factor in 2024.[32]
  • 31.9% of U.S. costume-wearing adults planned to shop at specialty Halloween costume stores in 2026.[33]

Customer retention in the costume industry

  • 48% of surveyed consumers reported wearing costumes for cosplay, festivals or parties throughout the year in 2026.[32]
  • 17% of surveyed consumers began Halloween preparation in August or earlier in 2026.[32]
  • 36% of respondents had bought a Halloween costume online and planned to do so again in 2024.[32]
  • 16% of respondents were considering making their first online Halloween-costume purchase in 2024.[32]
  • Over 60% of respondents reported wearing costumes outside Halloween for cosplay, roleplay, events, festivals or parties in 2024.[32]

Customer acquisition in the costume industry

  • 36% of U.S. respondents had already bought a Halloween costume online and planned to repeat the purchase in 2024.[32]
  • 18% of surveyed consumers began Halloween planning through word-of-mouth recommendations in 2026.[32]
  • 37% of U.S. Halloween celebrants used online search for costume inspiration in 2025.[15]
  • 46% of costume-wearing U.S. adults planned to shop at a specialty Halloween or costume store in 2026.[33]
  • 27.5% of U.S. costume-wearing adults planned to shop online for costumes in 2026.[33]

Customer loyalty in the costume industry

  • 29% of U.S. respondents described themselves as brand-loyal costume shoppers in 2024.[32]
  • 41% of U.S. costume-wearing adults planned to throw or attend a Halloween party in 2026.[33]
  • 33% of U.S. costume-wearing adults planned to visit a haunted house in 2026.[33]
  • 32% of U.S. costume-wearing adults planned to attend a themed event other than a party in 2026.[33]
  • 48% of surveyed consumers wore costumes year-round for cosplay, festivals and parties in 2026.[32]

Lead generation in the costume industry

  • 24% of U.S. costume-wearing adults used Pinterest for costume inspiration in 2026.[33]
  • 43% of surveyed consumers used online search engines as their starting point for Halloween planning in 2026.[32]
  • 10% of U.S. costume-wearing adults used AI tools for costume inspiration in 2026.[33]
  • 30% of U.S. costume-wearing adults used Instagram for costume inspiration in 2026.[33]
  • 45% of U.S. costume-wearing adults used online search for costume inspiration in 2026.[33]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

AI supports planning behaviors: 47% report using AI tools during Halloween shopping in 2026, and 37% report using generative AI for décor ideas and costume concepts in 2026.

Marketing in the costume industry

  • Costume sales at JAKKS Pacific were $130.871 million in 2023.[12]
  • U.S. Halloween costume sales reached $4.4 billion cumulatively according to the Halloween & Costume Association in 2026.[33]
  • U.S. consumers were expected to spend $4.4 billion on costumes in 2026.[13]
  • Costume sales at JAKKS Pacific were $121.024 million in 2024.[12]
  • U.S. consumers were expected to spend $4.3 billion on costumes in 2025.[15]

Digital marketing in the costume industry

  • 30% of U.S. costume-wearing adults used Instagram for inspiration in 2026.[33]
  • 8% of surveyed consumers used AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to plan Halloween in 2025.[32]
  • 24% of U.S. costume-wearing adults used Pinterest for inspiration in 2026.[33]
  • 37% of surveyed consumers used generative AI for décor ideas, costume concepts or event planning in 2026.[32]
  • 43% of surveyed consumers started Halloween planning through online search engines in 2026.[32]

Branding in the costume industry

  • 22% of U.S. adults planning to wear costumes preferred a unique, one-of-a-kind costume in 2025.[34]
  • 18% of consumers overall said classic and nostalgic costumes were most important in 2026.[13]
  • 21% of Gen Z consumers said niche and unique costumes were most important to them in 2026.[13]
  • 15% of women said classic and nostalgic costumes were most important in 2026.[13]
  • 21% of men said classic and nostalgic costumes were most important in 2026.[13]

Social media in the costume industry

  • 32% of adults preferring DIY costumes used YouTube for ideas and inspiration in 2025.[34]
  • 34% of adults preferring DIY costumes used Pinterest for ideas and inspiration in 2025.[34]
  • 45% of U.S. costume-wearing adults looked to casual creators or regular people for social-media inspiration in 2026.[33]
  • 27% of U.S. costume-wearing adults looked to influencers for social-media inspiration in 2026.[33]
  • 69% of adults preferring DIY costumes used social media and websites for ideas and inspiration in 2025.[34]

Influencer Marketing in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 25% of fashion earned media value came from TikTok globally in 2025, following 45.2% year-over-year growth in TikTok fashion earned media value.[35]
  • 1.8% was the average influencer engagement rate for giant fashion brands, compared with 1.9% for challengers and 1.6% for up-and-comers in 2024.[36]
  • 1.21 trillion impressions were generated by fashion influencer content globally in 2023, primarily on Instagram.[37]
  • 76% of fashion earned media value was generated by affordable fashion brands globally in 2025.[35]
  • $15.1 billion in earned media value was generated by the top 100 global fashion brands in 2025.[35]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Seasonality concentrates demand: HalloweenCostumes.com reported 80% of annual sales in the three months preceding Halloween in 2023.

Process optimization in the costume industry

  • 50,000 SKUs are sold across five channels by HalloweenCostumes.com, a U.S. costume retailer that used multichannel fulfillment to manage seasonal operations in 2023.[18]
  • 4 prop and costume-making spaces closed in London between 2018 and 2022.[38]
  • 2 prop and costume-making businesses relocated outside London between 2018 and 2022.[38]
  • 100 countries were served by HalloweenCostumes.com, whose international direct-to-consumer operation used multichannel fulfillment in 2023.[18]
  • 72 prop and costume-making spaces operated in London in 2022, compared with 78 in 2018.[38]

Operational efficiency in the costume industry

  • 80% of HalloweenCostumes.com’s annual sales were concentrated in the three months preceding Halloween in 2023.[18]
  • 74 partnerships in U.S. formal-wear and costume rental reported $9.923 million in receipts in 2023.[39]
  • 165 schools, churches and other nonprofit organizations received more than 27,350 rented costumes from Costume Connection in 2022.[40]
  • 1,321 operating establishments generated $852.19 million in U.S. formal-wear and costume-rental revenue in 2022.[41]
  • 513 individual proprietorships in U.S. formal-wear and costume rental reported $18.354 million in receipts in 2023.[39]

Quality management in the costume industry

  • 11 U.S. masquerade and theatrical costume complaints were closed in the 2023 Better Business Bureau statistics.[42]
  • 16.6% was the gross profit margin reported by the same Hong Kong cosplay-wig and costume company in 2025.[43]
  • 17.4% was the gross profit margin reported by a Hong Kong cosplay-wig and costume company in 2024.[43]
  • 90.91% of U.S. masquerade and theatrical costume complaints were unresolved in the 2023 Better Business Bureau statistics.[42]
  • 10 U.S. masquerade and theatrical costume complaints remained unresolved in the 2023 Better Business Bureau statistics.[42]

Supply chain in the costume industry

  • 72 prop and costume-making spaces remained in London in 2022, down from 78 in 2018.[38]
  • 80% of HalloweenCostumes.com’s annual sales occurred in the three months before Halloween, concentrating inventory and labor requirements in 2023.[18]
  • $350 million was the seasonal asset-based lending facility available to Spencer Spirit Holdings for Halloween inventory before its 2026 transaction.[44]
  • More than 1,550 Spirit Halloween pop-up locations operated in fiscal 2025, expanding the seasonal costume-retail footprint.[44]
  • 100 countries received products from HalloweenCostumes.com’s international direct-to-consumer supply chain in 2023.[18]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. fashion companies, 60% sourced less than 10% of their apparel products from China in 2025.[1]
  • Among surveyed apparel and footwear brands globally, 49% prioritized transforming their supply base to increase margins or decrease costs over the next two years.[45]
  • Among U.S. fashion companies, more than 80% planned to further reduce apparel sourcing from China over the following two years through 2027.[1]
  • Among 67 surveyed apparel and footwear brands globally, approximately 7% reported mature practices across strategic sourcing, collaborative supply planning, and proactive supplier management.[45]
  • Across U.S. fashion companies, 46 countries were used as apparel sourcing destinations in 2025.[1]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Tariffs are expected to lift prices, with 79% of U.S. consumers expecting higher Halloween-item prices in 2026. The projected costume spend is $4.4B in 2026.

Pricing strategy in the costume industry

  • $103.63 was the average amount U.S. consumers planned to spend per person on Halloween in 2024.[15]
  • 71% of U.S. consumers planned to purchase a Halloween costume in 2026.[13]
  • $4.4 billion was the expected U.S. consumer spending on Halloween costumes in 2026.[13]
  • $13.5 billion was the expected total U.S. Halloween spending in 2026, providing the market context for costume pricing decisions.[15]
  • 70% of U.S. Halloween shoppers planned at least one cost-saving measure in 2025.[15]

Cost reduction in the costume industry

  • 56% of costume-manufacturing film-and-theater M&A transactions were completed by strategic acquirers between Q1 2020 and Q2 2024.[46]
  • 21% of early U.S. Halloween shoppers in 2026 said attractive prices or promotions motivated them to shop early.[15]
  • 70% of U.S. Halloween shoppers planned at least one measure to reduce spending in 2025.[15]
  • $12.3 million was the decline in JAKKS Pacific costume net sales from 2024 to 2025, a 10.2% decrease associated with lower U.S. customer orders.[11]
  • 82% of U.S. consumers aged 18 to 24 took cost-saving measures for Halloween in 2025.[15]

Profitability in the costume industry

  • 17.4% was the 2024 gross profit margin reported by the same Hong Kong cosplay-wig and costume company.[43]
  • $800 million was deployed by acquirers in costume manufacturing for film and theater between Q1 2020 and Q2 2024.[46]
  • $121.0 million was JAKKS Pacific’s costume-segment net sales in 2024.[11]
  • 10.2% was the year-over-year decline in JAKKS Pacific costume-segment net sales in 2025.[11]
  • 8 times was the high end of the EBITDA valuation-multiple range for costume manufacturing for film and theater transactions between Q1 2020 and Q2 2024.[46]

Financial planning in the costume industry

  • $11.6 billion was the National Retail Federation’s estimate for total U.S. Halloween spending in 2024.[15]
  • $80 million was Spencer Spirit Holdings’ estimated latest free operating cash flow before its 2026 transaction.[44]
  • $13.1 billion was the National Retail Federation’s estimate for total U.S. Halloween spending in 2025.[13]
  • 16.7% was Spencer Spirit Holdings’ estimated latest adjusted EBITDA margin before its 2026 transaction.[44]
  • $350 million was Spencer Spirit Holdings’ seasonal asset-based lending facility used to fund Halloween inventory before its 2026 transaction.[44]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Rental and production inventories show scale in period and theatre-adjacent segments, including 50,000 costumes and more than 100,000 pieces available for rental from Sarasota Opera.

Product development in the costume industry

  • $121.0 million was JAKKS Pacific’s costume-segment net sales in 2024 across the United States and international markets.[11]
  • 90 costume combinations were created for each of the two principal characters in Doctor Zhivago, while six other principal characters averaged 15 changes each.[47]
  • 135 opera productions were represented in Sarasota Opera’s costume rental collection after the Malabar donation.[48]
  • $108.7 million was JAKKS Pacific’s costume-segment net sales in 2025, down 10.2% from 2024 in the United States and international markets.[11]
  • 175 artisans in Los Angeles and more than 500 crew members worldwide worked on costumes for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.[49]

Product lifecycle in the costume industry

  • 165 schools, churches and nonprofit organizations received costume rentals from Costume Connection in 2022.[40]
  • $300,000 in costume-rental revenue was projected by Sarasota Opera for 2022–2023.[48]
  • 50,000 individual costumes and more than 100,000 costume pieces were available for rental from Sarasota Opera.[48]
  • 27,350 costumes were rented by Costume Connection in 2022 to schools, churches and other nonprofit organizations.[40]
  • 20 wears was the assumed use by each customer before the illustrative rental dress moved to another customer or resale.[50]

After-sales in the costume industry

  • 90% of Chicago Costume’s store and online costumes were made in China, according to the company’s 2025 account of its supply chain.[49]
  • $138–$200 was Sarasota Opera’s rental price per costume for a two-week period, depending on volume and performer category.[48]
  • $20,000 was Sarasota Opera’s estimated internal costume-use value per opera production.[48]
  • $300,000 was Sarasota Opera’s projected 2022–2023 costume-rental revenue, supported by expanding rental inventory and service capacity.[48]
  • 30,000 costume pieces were available from Nashville’s Performance Studios rental department in 2018.[51]

Value proposition in the costume industry

  • 51% of surveyed U.S. consumers planned to dress up for Halloween in 2025.[13]
  • $0.86 billion was expected to be spent on pet costumes in the United States in 2025.[13]
  • 1.9 million U.S. children were expected to dress as a princess for Halloween in 2025.[13]
  • 1.5 million U.S. children were expected to dress as their favorite superhero for Halloween in 2025.[13]
  • 2.3 million U.S. children were expected to dress as Spider-Man for Halloween in 2025.[13]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability trade-offs appear in the waste figures: 42 million Halloween costumes are discarded annually in the U.S. and U.K. in a 2021 estimate.

Sustainability in the costume industry

  • 42 million Halloween costumes are discarded annually in the United States and United Kingdom, according to a 2021 estimate covering both markets.[52]
  • 66% of Americans celebrating Halloween were not at all or only slightly influenced by sustainability when purchasing costumes in 2022.[53]
  • More than 27 million pounds of plastic waste are generated by Halloween costumes and clothing in the United States and United Kingdom each year, according to a 2026 estimate.[54]

Circular economy in the costume industry

  • 15% of U.S. adults who had selected a Halloween costume in 2024 said it was completely homemade, while 21% said it was more homemade than store-bought.[55]
  • 60% of Americans planning to wear a Halloween costume said in 2022 that they would purchase at least one new costume, indicating that 40% would not purchase a new costume.[53]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

International scale remains material in operations data, including 100 countries served by HalloweenCostumes.com in 2023.

Globalization in the costume industry

  • 14 countries hosted Rubies operations, with more than 2,500 employees worldwide, according to the company’s corporate history.[17]
  • 26 million items were shipped annually by Smiffys through its global fancy-dress, Halloween and carnival distribution network.[19]
  • 2,000 stockists across the world received products from UK costume manufacturer Smiffys, which shipped more than 26 million items annually.[19]
  • 100 countries were served by HalloweenCostumes.com, whose U.S. design team worked with multiple international factories in 2023.[18]
  • 7,500 products were distributed by Smiffys to international stockists, according to the company’s corporate information.[19]

Cultural adaptation in the costume industry

  • 21% of Gen X consumers identified funny and silly costumes as especially important in 2026, versus 14% of Gen Z consumers.[13]
  • 45% of costume-wearing U.S. adults cited online search as a source of Halloween costume inspiration in 2026.[33]
  • 21% of Gen Z consumers said niche and unique costumes were especially important in 2026, compared with 16% of consumers overall.[13]
  • 23% of U.S. consumers planned to dress their pets in Halloween costumes in 2026, up from 17% in 2019.[13]
  • 29% of respondents planning to wear a Halloween costume in 2025 preferred a pop-culture character from a movie, television show, video game or book.[34]

Supplier management in the costume industry

  • 20,000 counterfeit Smiffys listings were removed from unauthorized online resellers during the 12 months reported by the company.[19]
  • 15 times was the peak-season order-volume spike handled for HalloweenCostumes.com after adopting multichannel fulfillment.[18]
  • 2 million costumes were normally imported and sold annually by HalloweenCostumes.com in the United States, according to reporting in 2025.[60]
  • 145% was the tariff rate applied to some Chinese imports in April 2025, affecting import-reliant costume businesses such as Chicago Costume.[49]
  • 80% of HalloweenCostumes.com’s annual sales occurred during its three-month peak season, requiring scalable third-party fulfillment capacity.[18]

Stakeholder management in the costume industry

  • 34% of U.S. consumers planned to seek reusable Halloween items in 2026 if prices increased.[15]
  • 1.1 percentage points was the margin of error for the National Retail Federation’s 2026 Halloween consumer survey.[15]
  • 79% of U.S. consumers expected Halloween-item prices to be higher in 2026 specifically because of tariffs.[15]
  • 7,889 U.S. consumers participated in the National Retail Federation’s 2026 Halloween survey conducted from September 1–9.[15]
  • 52% of U.S. consumers said they repurpose about half or more of their costume items from one year to the next.[15]

Distribution channels in the costume industry

  • 13% of U.S. consumers planned to make Halloween purchases from local or small businesses in 2026, nearly double the 7% recorded in 2016.[15]
  • 32% of U.S. consumers planned to shop at specialty Halloween or costume stores in 2026.[15]
  • 10% of Chicago Costume’s business came from costume rentals in 2025, despite competition from Amazon and Spirit Halloween.[60]
  • 27% of U.S. consumers planned to shop online for Halloween purchases in 2026.[15]
  • 39% of U.S. consumers planned to buy Halloween items from discount stores in 2026, making them the leading planned purchase channel.[15]

Key questions about the Costume Industry

What is the 2026 U.S. costume market size?
The U.S. Halloween costume market is expected to reach $4.4 billion in 2026, with adult costumes at $2.0B and children’s at $1.5B.
How is the market changing from 2025 to 2026?
U.S. Halloween costume spending is forecast to rise from $4.3 billion in 2025 to $4.4 billion in 2026.
Which companies lead the costume industry?
Angels Costumes leads Gitnux's 2026 costume ranking with an Overall score of 9.4, with over one million costumes across film, television and theatre hire and making. Theaterkunst is the runner-up at 9.3, driven by around 10 million costumes, uniforms and accessories across European operations.
Where are buyers using technology during Halloween shopping in 2026?
Online search remains a leading inspiration source at 32%, and 47% of consumers report using AI tools during Halloween shopping in 2026.
How do channels and purchase behaviors shape the market structure?
Discount stores are the leading planned purchase destination at 39%, followed by specialty stores at 32% and online channels at 27%.
What consumer constraint most affects costume buying decisions in 2026?
Affordability pressures are explicit: 79% expect tariffs to raise prices in 2026, and 34% plan to buy items they can reuse or repurpose.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Costume Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/costume-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Costume Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/costume-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Costume Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/costume-industry-statistics.

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