Summerween is here, according to Yelp

Spooky season is haunting the summer months. As we slowly transition from the heat of the current season to the cooling of the next one, people are showing their readiness for Halloween. This early preparation is known as ‘summerween’.

Yelp finds that consumers are already planning for Halloween festivities, with searches for popular costume chain Spirit Halloween up 83 percent, and searches for Halloween events up 130 percent, corn mazes up 30 percent and pumpkin patch up 24 percent.

Last month, we saw the pumpkin spice latte debut earlier than ever, and now people are planning their costumes months in advance and filling their calendars with Halloween activities like watching the newly-release Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in theaters.

This unofficial holiday season has inevitably led to an increase in spending. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF)’s research, last year’s total Halloween spending was expected to reach a record $12.2 billion, exceeding 2022’s record of $10.6 billion.

In 2024, the trend has really taken off in popularity thanks to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Retailers can look to take advantage by introducing limited time offers (LTOs) earlier than ever.

Another trend in the food and beverage world this month is multi-colored matcha. From orange matcha to blueberry matcha, vibrant hues are the latest craze for tea lovers. Yelp data shows combinations such as orange matcha (595 percent), strawberry matcha (240 percent) and blueberry matcha (176 percent) are heavily on the rise.