Stevens, PA  August 29, 2007 --  When it comes to decorating for Halloween, it isn't good enough any more to spend a few dollars at the farm stand for a pumpkin to carve.  For more Americans Halloween decorating has gone over the top with items like the full-sized animated Halloween witch ready to greet neighborhood trick-or-treaters as she stirs her cauldron with flashing eyes and a sinister cackle, all for $229 from the Grandin Road catalog.

In 2006 American consumers spent $3.2 billion buying Halloween decorations, which is more than 21 percent over sales in 2005.  This makes Halloween second only to Christmas for holiday decorating, according to a new study of the seasonal decorations market from Unity Marketing.

"We expect this Halloween season to be even stronger thanks to people's fascination with ghosts and the supernatural spawned by popular cable shows like The Travel Channel's Most Haunted and SciFi's Ghost Hunters," said Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Shopping:  Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience. 

"And its not just Halloween decorations that are in demand this fall.  About $5 billion of the industry's $19.2 billion in retail sales were generated from fall decorations, including back-to-school, Halloween, Thanksgiving and harvest home seasonal decorations."

These statistics and more about the seasonal decorations market are available in a new Unity Marketing market research study,  The Seasonal Decorations Report, 2007 Update.  Based upon research conducted with active holiday and seasonal decorations buyers, including results of surveys of 2,000 consumers in 2005 and 2006, this report is prepared for product designers, marketers and retailers that target the holiday and seasonal decorations market and who need to know the latest trends in holiday decorating.

Commenting on the new study, Danziger said, "Today the fall decorations market has become a big business.  It is about half the size of the Christmas decorations market, yet many retailers and manufacturers still focus primarily on Christmas.  They are missing a big opportunity by not broadening their scope to present dynamic and fun seasonal decorations for fall.  As usual, consumers have a lot to teach marketers about what they really want."

With a focus on the consumer, their needs, desires and preferences, this research study includes research data and statistics about:

• Market Size and Growth -- The report breaks down sales in the $19.3 billion retail industry by holiday and season, by type of indoor and outdoor decorations and channels of distribution.  It also provides growth statistics from 2003 to 2006 and sales projections through 2015.
• Holidays and Events that Stimulate Decorations Purchases -- Provides details about decorations buyer demographics, the holidays they decorate for, attitudes about decorating, what decorations they purchased and how much they spent. 
• Types of Decorations -- Reports on details concerning what consumers use for each holiday and event, including Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and other major holidays, as well as parties and other events.
• Top Brands and Competitors --  The report profiles key competitors in the holiday and decorations market, including:
•  American Greetings and Carlson Cards;
•  Boyds Bears/Boyds Collection;
•  Bronner's; 
•  Walt Disney Company;
•  Demdaco, including Silvestri;
•  Enesco; Hallmark;
•  Kurt Adler;
•  Lenox Group, including Department 56;
•  Midwest of Cannon Falls;
•  Old World Christmas;
•  Pacific Rim;
•  Precious Moments;
•  Rauch Industries including Christopher Radko;
•  Things Remembered; and
•  Yankee Candle.
• Where They Shop -- Which stores they favor and the key factors that influence shoppers in their store selections for decorations shopping.
• Personalities --  Provides profiles of five different types of seasonal decorators and provides guidance to marketers in how to use these psychographic insights to sell more.
• Trends in the Market for Decorations  -- Identifies five key opportunities for marketers now and in the future, as well as an important marketing vulnerability marketers must be careful to avoid.