This summer is more than trips to the beach and backyard barbecues; it’s also about spooky skeletons and whimsical witches.
Welcome to the new shopping and decorating season: “Summerween.”
So what is Summerween? It’s basically a celebration of Halloween in the summertime.
Retailers embrace the trend
Retailers like Walgreens, Costco, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Dollar Tree and more roll out Halloween gear months ahead of schedule. Why? A mix of social media hype and economics.
“Summerween feels new, but it has honestly been brewing online for years. Gen Z and millennial shoppers have been decorating early, posting spooky hauls in July and turning Halloween into a summer vibe long before retailers caught up,” said Stephanie Carls, a retail insights expert with RetailMeNot.
Social media transforms Halloween into a summer vibe with hashtags like #Summerween and #CodeOrange, alerting fans when new merchandise hits shelves. But there’s more than just buzz behind the early rollout.
“Retailers finally leaned into this moment. It was partly, of course, because of social momentum and partly because of the looming August tariff timing,” Carls explained. So the shelves moved early because of cost, but then the content kept going because of culture.”
Costco’s new giant skeleton, complete with creepy LED eyes and a $259.99 price tag, is already turning heads. Many stores launch these spooky decorations back in July. However, experts say don’t expect deep discounts just yet, as early shoppers are paying for access, not savings.
“So if deals were what you were looking for, this might not have been the best time for those deals. In fact, it was probably 100% not the time to do it,” Carls said. “But this still could have been a great time where you could have had the latest and the greatest, you know, the inventory was there.”
Spooktacular summer shopping
Customers CBS News Miami talked to are both spooked and thrilled by the early rollout.
“I wasn’t ready for Halloween. It was beautiful though, as a decoration, but it didn’t flow with the summer yet the way I saw it,” one shopper said.
“Yeah, I had just put all my witches out. I had a witch collection because if they did it, why wouldn’t I do it?” Candi Ulrich said.
Carls said this trend is about more than just merchandise.
“This is more decor meets dopamine. In a high-stress world, early holiday decor can offer that hint of joy and maybe even a sense of control,” she said.
So whether you’re into dainty decorations or a red-cloaked oversized skeleton, one thing’s clear—Halloween is no longer just a fall affair.
