Best Halloween Sales 2026: Early Deals Live Right Now

Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31, and the shopping season opened far earlier than the date suggests. Home Depot put its collection online on July 16, Spirit Halloween had more than 1,550 stores trading by mid-August, and the craft and décor chains have been selling since June. Here’s what’s actually discounted right now, in early September.

Shopping early only pays on some of it. Animatronics and licensed costumes sell out and never come back, so buy those now. Candy and party supplies keep getting cheaper right up to October 31, and the clearance that starts on November 1 goes deeper than either. Here’s what’s urgent and what isn’t.

Author Note from Irina Vasilescu (Senior Deal Analyst)

Halloween is the one season where waiting for a discount can cost you the item entirely. Nobody ever marked down the 12-foot skeleton: it just stopped being available. So I've sorted this by what sells out, not by what's cheapest. You'll know what to grab today and what can wait three weeks. Every price and code below comes from the retailer's own page or announcement, and I re-check them as the season moves.

When Do the Halloween Sales Start in 2026?

Earlier every year. Each phase is good for something different, so it’s worth knowing which one you’re in:

• June to July: Décor previews and pre-orders. Michaels put its 2026 Halloween collections on site in late June, and Home Depot’s collection went live online on July 16. No discounts yet, but it’s the only stretch where the animatronics everyone wants are actually in stock.
• Mid-August: The seasonal stores open. Spirit Halloween had 1,550+ locations trading by August 18, and Home Depot moved its collection into stores in late August.
• September: The first real discounts. Costume retailers start running sitewide percentages and free-shipping promos: that’s where we are now.
• October 1 to 25: The deep season. Percentages get larger and more frequent, but selection on costumes and licensed pieces thins out fast.
• The last week of October: Candy, generic accessories and party supplies hit their lowest pre-holiday price. Costumes in popular sizes are gone.
• November 1 onward: Clearance, typically starting at 50% and reaching 75 to 90% within a week or two. Everything is picked over, and it’s the right time to buy for next year.

The reason the calendar runs this way: Halloween stock has no second life. Nobody can hold a witch costume for eleven months and sell it at full price, so whatever’s left on November 1 gets dumped. It’s also why the discounts before Halloween are thinner than you’d expect. The store knows you have a deadline.

Trending Halloween Costumes 2026

HalloweenCostumes.com published its most-searched-costume study by state on August 25, and it’s the clearest read available on what people are actually buying this year. Here’s the ranking, and where each one costs what.

• KPop Demon Hunters: the top costume search in 12 states, more than any other franchise. The Girl’s Classic Rumi costume runs $39.99, with Rumi, Zoey and Mira wigs sold separately, so a group of three is the natural buy. This is the one that sells out. See more HalloweenCostumes.com deals.
• Plus size: led searches in 13 states, ahead of every named franchise. It’s a fit query rather than a character, and it tells you something useful: plus sizes sell through earliest, so this is the group with the least room to wait.
• Witch: number one in Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin, and the costume that never leaves the top ten. Stock stays deep into October, which makes it the safe late buy.
• Dinosaur: top search in Minnesota, Oklahoma and South Dakota. The inflatable T-rex is the family and office-party pick, and it’s one of the few costumes that gets discounted rather than sold out.
• Disney: leads in Hawaii, Louisiana and Virginia. The Women’s Descendants Wicked Wonderland Queen of Hearts is $69.99, and the licensed Disney pieces are the ones that go first in adult sizes.
• Ghostbusters: number one in Tennessee and North Carolina, and the best group costume of the year because the jumpsuits work for four people without anyone drawing the short straw. Proton packs are sold separately.
• Spider-Man: new for 2026 rather than trending by state, but the Zentai suits are the ones people ask about. The women’s suit is $99.99, and the Boy’s Spider-Man 2099 PS5 version is $59.99.
• Pokémon: the Kid’s Prestige Charizard is $69.99, one of the stronger kids’ licenses this year and worth ordering early in the popular sizes.

Two things to note about the list. Star Wars, Pirate, Devil and Clown each led a single state, so they’re still worth checking if nothing above fits. And the National Retail Federation publishes its annual Halloween consumer survey in late September, which usually reshuffles the top five.

Halloween Costume Deals 2026

Buy the costume now. Licensed characters and adult M and L go first, and the mid-October restocks are smaller than most people assume.

• KPop Demon Hunters: the top costume search in 12 states, more than any other franchise. The Girl’s Classic Rumi costume runs $39.99, with Rumi, Zoey and Mira wigs sold separately, so a group of three is the natural buy. This is the one that sells out. See more HalloweenCostumes.com deals.
• Plus size: led searches in 13 states, ahead of every named franchise. It’s a fit query rather than a character, and it tells you something useful: plus sizes sell through earliest, so this is the group with the least room to wait.
• Witch: number one in Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin, and the costume that never leaves the top ten. Stock stays deep into October, which makes it the safe late buy.
• Dinosaur: top search in Minnesota, Oklahoma and South Dakota. The inflatable T-rex is the family and office-party pick, and it’s one of the few costumes that gets discounted rather than sold out.
• Disney: leads in Hawaii, Louisiana and Virginia. The Women’s Descendants Wicked Wonderland Queen of Hearts is $69.99, and the licensed Disney pieces are the ones that go first in adult sizes.
• Ghostbusters: number one in Tennessee and North Carolina, and the best group costume of the year because the jumpsuits work for four people without anyone drawing the short straw. Proton packs are sold separately.
• Spider-Man: new for 2026 rather than trending by state, but the Zentai suits are the ones people ask about. The women’s suit starts at $99.99 and prices climb with the size, while the Boy’s Spider-Man 2099 PS5 version is a flat $59.99.
• Pokémon: the Kid’s Prestige Charizard is $69.99, one of the stronger kids’ licenses this year and worth ordering early in the popular sizes.

Order the costume before the accessories. Wigs, makeup and props are still on shelves on October 30, long after the sizes have gone.

Halloween Decorations and Animatronics 2026

Don’t wait for a discount here: there won’t be one. The large animatronics are priced at launch and hold that price until they’re gone, which for the popular models means September or October.

• Home Depot: The 2026 collection has been online since July 16 and in stores since late August, and every in-store giant animatronic is priced under $300. The 12-foot Skelly holds at $299 with app-enabled voice modulation and servo movement, and the 11-foot LED Mummy and 8-foot Perilous Plant Monster sit just below it. See more Home Depot deals.
• At Home: More than 1,000 Halloween items across five collections, the largest assortment the chain has run. There’s no sitewide percentage, just per-item cuts: $50 off the larger pieces, $10 off and 25% off smaller décor. See more At Home deals.
• Michaels: Code WOW40 takes 40% off every regular-price purchase, which covers the Spooky Town village pieces. Fall décor is separately up to 50% off. See more Michaels deals.

Animatronics aren’t discounted before Halloween. Not at any retailer, not in any year. The price you see in September is the price, and the only thing that changes is whether it’s still there: the models that go viral disappear within days of a restock. If you want one, buy it when you see it.

Halloween Party Supplies and Decorations

Don’t buy any of this yet. Tableware, balloons and generic decorations get restocked all season and bottom out in the final week.

• Oriental Trading: The Halloween Sale runs at up to 50% off, the largest Halloween percentage running this early. Everything ships in bulk packs, which makes it the place to go for a classroom or trick-or-treat handouts. See more Oriental Trading deals.
• Party City: More than 900 locations and free shipping over $50, but no Halloween percentage yet. It usually lands in October.

Halloween Candy Deals 2026

Wait on candy. There’s more supply this year than any before it, so the grocery and drug chains fight over price in October, not September.

• Hershey: The 2026 Halloween portfolio is the largest the company has run, with more than 20 new items across chocolate, sweets and salty snacks. Buying direct makes sense for the novelty formats and the bulk assortment bags; the standard bags are cheaper at a grocery chain once the October offers start. See more Hershey’s deals.

What actually moves the price:

• Timing. Multi-buy offers on the large bags concentrate in the last ten days, once retailers know how much stock they still need to clear.
• Bag size. Party-size and assortment bags come in well under the per-piece price of standard bags holding the same candy.
• Loyalty pricing. Grocery chains hide their candy offers behind the store app instead of a public code. You won’t see the real price until you’re signed in.

Halloween Home Fragrance and Beauty

Small category, real seasonal pricing. The scents and packaging are dated, so they can’t be sold once November arrives.

• Bath & Body Works: The Halloween Collection is live and the standing mix-and-match offers apply to it: buy 3, get 1 free on body care, plus 5 for $28 and 6 for $10 tiers depending on the line. Build the collection into a mix-and-match set: that’s where the price actually drops. See more Bath & Body Works deals.

After-Halloween Clearance: November 1 Onward

The best Halloween prices of the year land the day after, and the curve is predictable. Most general retailers open at 50% off on November 1, hit 75% within a week, and go to 90% wherever stock is still sitting there.

What’s worth buying then:

• Décor and animatronics. The pieces you talked yourself out of in September. They store fine and they’re identical next year.
• Costumes for children. Buy a size up, at 75% off, for next October.
• Candy for baking. Fun-size chocolate stays good well past the holiday and is a fraction of the price.

What isn’t: anything with 2026 printed on it, latex masks and cheap props that fall apart in storage, and adult costumes in common sizes, which are picked over long before the price drops.

What to Buy Now and What to Wait On

✅ Buy now

• Licensed and adult costumes. HalloweenCostumes.com’s 15 to 20% off is about as good as this category gets before the holiday, and the sizes go long before the discount deepens.
• Large animatronics and statement décor. They don’t get cheaper. They just run out.
• Anything you need in a specific size or character. Wait and you’ll be choosing from what’s left.

⏳ Wait

• Candy. The last ten days of October, without exception.
• Party supplies, tableware and balloons. Generic, restocked, and cheapest in the final week.
• Pumpkins and fresh décor. Buying in September means replacing them before Halloween.
• Everything you can postpone a year. Nothing on sale now comes near November 1 at 75% off.

Halloween Sales 2026 FAQs

What are the most popular Halloween costumes in 2026?

KPop Demon Hunters is the top costume search in 12 states, more than any other franchise, according to HalloweenCostumes.com’s state-by-state study published August 25. Plus size leads in 13 states, Witch and Dinosaur in three each, Disney in three, and Ghostbusters in two. Star Wars, Pirate, Devil and Clown each top a single state.

When do Halloween sales start in 2026?

The season opened in June and July with décor previews, and Home Depot put its 2026 collection online on July 16. Seasonal stores followed in mid-August, with more than 1,550 Spirit Halloween locations trading by August 18. The first real discounts arrive in September, and the deepest pre-holiday pricing lands in the last week of October.

Is it cheaper to buy Halloween costumes early or late?

Discounts deepen through October, but adult sizes M and L and the licensed characters sell out well before the price bottoms out. If you need a specific costume, buy it in September at 15 to 20% off. If you’re flexible about what you wear, wait.

Do Halloween animatronics ever go on sale?

Not before October 31. The large animatronics at Home Depot and Spirit Halloween hold their launch price all season: Home Depot’s 12-foot Skelly stays at $299 and every in-store giant is under $300. They’re only discounted in the November clearance, and by then the popular models are gone.

How much is Halloween clearance after the holiday?

It starts at about 50% off on November 1, reaches 75% within roughly a week, and hits 90% on slow-moving stock. Décor and children’s costumes bought a size up are the best value. Anything dated 2026 or made of latex isn’t worth storing.

When is Halloween candy cheapest?

In the last ten days of October, before the holiday. Hershey has released its largest Halloween portfolio to date for 2026, so supply is high and retailers fight over price late rather than early. Buy in September and you’ll pay more for the same bag.

Halloween or Black Friday for decorations?

Halloween clearance on November 1. Black Friday barely touches seasonal décor: by then the shelf space belongs to Christmas. That 75% off in the first week of November is the lowest these items go all year.

Sources

1. The Home Depot – 2026 Halloween collection announcement: July 16 online launch, late-August in-store rollout, the $299 Skelly and the under-$300 pricing on all in-store giants (2026)
2. Spirit Halloween – 2026 season opening announcement: 1,550+ North American locations trading as of August 18 (2026)
3. Michaels – 2026 Halloween décor collections: June preview date and the collection rollout schedule (2026)
4. At Home – 1,000+ décor finds across five collections: assortment size and collection structure (2026)
5. The Hershey Company – 2026 Halloween portfolio: largest portfolio to date, 20+ new items across chocolate, sweets and salty snacks (2026)
6. HalloweenCostumes.com – most-searched costumes by state: the 2026 state-by-state ranking, published August 25 (2026)
7. HalloweenCostumes.com – 2026 costume collection: product pricing for the Rumi, Queen of Hearts, Spider-Man Zentai and Charizard costumes (2026)
8. HalloweenCostumes.com – Orange Tuesday Sale: 15% off sitewide, 20% off with email and SMS signup (2026)
9. Spirit Halloween – shipping offer: free shipping over $40 with code DELIVER40, $5 below it (2026)
10. Oriental Trading – Halloween Sale: up to 50% off (2026)
11. At Home – Halloween shop: item-level discounts of $50 off, $10 off and 25% off (2026)
12. Michaels – WOW40 offer: 40% off every regular-price purchase, fall décor up to 50% off (2026)
13. Costume SuperCenter – shipping threshold: free shipping over $75 (2026)
14. Hot Topic – sitewide offer: 20% off across the site, clearance up to 60% off (2026)
15. Party City – deals page: free shipping over $50, 900+ locations, no Halloween percentage yet (2026)
16. Bath & Body Works – Halloween Collection and mix-and-match offers: buy 3 get 1 free, 5 for $28, 6 for $10 (2026)

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