Spooky Season 👻 is Big Business 💰

Issue #113

October 29th, 2024

Quick Hits:

🎃 When it comes to Halloween costumes, it’s not only dogs and cats

📸 The 2024 Dog Photography Awards winners have been announced, and these photos will give you all the feels.

😎 This popular groomer shares his best grooming tips

🐆 The Cincinnati Zoo has decided - no more cheetah dogs

❤️ Scientists have discovered a rather easy way to extend your dog’s life

💍 The best flower girl and ring bearer ever

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Halloween is only a couple of days away, so it would be “evil” of us not to take a look at the market, and explore how our pets have become part of the “October Scaries".

So let’s take a look 👀

With nearly every fur baby now rocking a miniature pumpkin suit or a Harry Paw-ter cape, pet costumes have gone from niche to… well, a much larger niche. Gone are the days when a simple pumpkin bandana would suffice; now it's all about pet vampires with tiny fangs, dogs rocking Elvis jumpsuits, and cats in full-on wizard cloaks.

In 2023, Americans spent a staggering $710 million on pet Halloween costumes alone, and that number is expected to climb higher this year. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that around 23 million people plan to dress their pets for Halloween this year, a 12% increase from 2023. Accessories like pet collars, hats, and spooky harnesses have also become popular topping the $200 million mark.

As a side note - $710 million is just a drop in the candy bucket. Last year, total Halloween spending surpassed $12 billion, which is larger than the GDP of some small countries.

Now, perhaps it was COVID that accelerated this, or maybe it was already in the works, but the shift is apparent and undeniable.

We are no longer pet owners - we’re pet parents, and we dote accordingly.

With fewer people having children (or delaying it), pets are filling that void with their bottomless capacity for love and affection—and our wallets are the proof.

Spending on pets has skyrocketed in recent years, fueled by an "anything-for-fluffy" mindset. Throw social media addiction into this cultural shift and you get the “I gotta buy that smores outfit I saw on TikTok for my chihuahua” consumer. I mean if you didn’t snap a photo of you and your golden doodle with matching inmate outfits and upload it to social media did Halloween even happen? I think not.

But seriously, who wouldn’t want to put this silly wig on their dog, get a Where’s Waldo costume, or perhaps purchase this adorable Robin costume for your furry sidekick? If you say not you, youre obviously lying to yourself.

Stats (we love numbers):

• 86% of Millennials and 81% of Gen Z dress their pets.

• The average pet parent spends $20-$40 per costume, with some investing more for elaborate, customized outfits.

• The global pet costume market is projected to grow from $5.79 billion in 2023 to $7.83 billion by 2030.

• North America dominated the pet clothing market with a 54.2% revenue share in 2023.

• The Asia Pacific pet clothing market is forecasted to grow at the fastest CAGR of 6.9% from 2024 to 2030.

So, what are the most popular pet costumes of 2023 you ask?

Apparently, we love to dress our pets as pumpkins on Halloween, who would’ve thunk of it?

We love seeing adorable animals in costumes, our brain just goes to mush. This is why platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest have appealed so much to pet lovers everywhere. The endless adorable, creative, and often humorous photos and videos of pets in costume are not only adorable and funny but lucrative. In recent years PetSmart, Chewy, and Amazon have all expanded their Halloween pet selections. Even high-end pet boutiques are getting in on the action, offering bespoke costumes that cost more than some humans’ entire wardrobes (I still have a shirt I bought in 2006 that’s in mint condition). Meanwhile, small businesses on Etsy are thriving, as pet parents seek unique one-of-a-kind artsy pieces to make their pets stand out. Will pumpkin be the number one costume again this year or will hot dog finally get the number 1 spot? Tensions are high, we will have to wait and see.

Events

If you love pets in costumes and you haven’t been to one of these events, do yourself a favor and go. There are hundreds of costume events for pets all across the country, from tiny ones in small-town USA to bigger ones in big metropolitan cities. Here are some of the more known ones:

• Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade (NYC)

• Great PUPkin Festival at Fort Greene Park (NYC)

• The Meatpacking District’s 6th Annual Dog Costume Contest (NYC)

• Dog Halloween at Washington Square Park (NYC)

• Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade in Long Beach (California)

• Spooky Pooch Parade (Chicago)

• Pug-O-Ween (Texas)

• Pet-O-Ween (Houston)

One thing is crystal clear - pets are no longer just companions; they’re an extension of our identity and a core part of our family. Dressing your pug as Darth Vader is becoming as normal as dressing your kid up as Darth Vader. No longer are you the “weirdo” who is buying an entire wardrobe for your Pitbull, but you are the mainstream looking at those who dont spoil their pitties with an entire wardrobe as “weird”.

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Finally, what was the name of the dog horror movie?

Vacuum On Elm Street.

See you Friday!