Shopify shoppers got serious about holiday shopping in September

Halloween-themed shopping, early holiday prep, and winter-related cozy home goods were trending on Shopify in September, according to the company’s monthly sales data shared first with Retail Brew.

Orders for Halloween costume onesies and jumpsuits for babies spiked in September at 209%, and demand for Halloween-themed costumes jumped 198%. Meanwhile, true to tradition, orders for cloaks and capes, as well as Halloween-themed dresses rose 157% and 95%, respectively. And, orders for fog machines notched up 46%.

Spending on Halloween is expected to hit $13.5 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey. That number is expected to be slightly higher than the $13.1 billion spent last year.

Wrapped in Santa: In addition to Halloween, people started preparations for end-of-year holidays in, well, September. Demand for holiday gifting items like Advent calendars went up 143%, while orders for Christmas tree skirts and ornaments rose 97% and 41% respectively.

Snow place like home: The holidays also means winter is coming, and consumers, true to form, shelled out to get their houses ready for those shorter days and longer nights by investing in items like firewood (up 129%), radiators (120%), and space heaters (118%). People also bought snow blowers (up 96%).

Getting fit: Some holiday shoppers purchased workout equipment, potentially to avoid holiday weight gain. Demand for adjustable exercise benches popped at 176% and orders for ankle weights peaked at 69%. Consumers also shopped for resistance bands (up 54%), and yoga and Pilates stretch straps and bands (up 50%).

Pet set: September also meant a fall wardrobe reset for the pets, as demand for pet hoodies soared at 142%. Orders for pet sweaters jumped 102%, and pet coats also took off with an 83% jump in orders.