Holiday creep used to be something that only happened during the Christmas season. But as Halloween has become a bigger money maker for retailers and pumpkin spice everything begins to pop up in stores, The Home Depot is launching spooky season in July. [Photo: courtesy Home Depot] There’s a good reason for that. Last year, consumers spent an estimated $12.2 billion on Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation, a 50% increase from 2020. And total spending on decorations, which grew in popularity during the pandemic, was expected to reach $3.9 billion. The chain has unveiled its 2024 collection of Halloween animatronics and decorations—and Skelly, the iconic 12-foot skeleton, will be getting some new friends to haunt with, as well as some upgrades. Even as temperatures hit highs in the 90s and 100s in most of the country this week, the retailer’s Halloween sales will get underway (online) on Thursday, July 18. Lance Allen, senior merchant of decorative holiday at The Home Depot, says eager shoppers who want to pick up some of the most anticipated items should plan on being ready to hit “buy” at around 5 a.m. ET. Products will begin appearing in stores in August and will be fully on display by Labor Day weekend.  Online supplies will be refreshed at that time, as well. [Photo: courtesy Home Depot] Skelly, the 12-foot-tall skeleton that first took the country by storm five years ago, remains the star of the show, even with all of the new animatronics on the way. This year, Skelly will once again be priced at $299, but this year’s model will come with LED eyes that have eight different options, including ice blue and hazel “normal” eyes, dragon eyes, and hypnotic spiraling eyes. And for those who keep Skelly up all year long, you’ll also have the option of heart eyes (for Valentine’s Day), firework eyes (for Fourth of July), and eyes of flame (for . . . Christmas?). The Home Depot is also offering a servo-powered Skelly this year, whose head will move, for $379. And a seven-foot Skelly dog is also going to be available for $199. Got an older Skelly and feeling some FOMO? You’ll be able to buy a kit to install the new eyes ($30) and a scarier head for Skelly ($80). There are even some dress up options for Skelly, available for $50. [Photo: courtesy Home Depot] Skelly will be getting a new 12-foot companion this year, also, in the form of the 12-foot Levitating Reaper ($299), who is supported by his large scythe and whose flowing gown will give the illusion of flight with a slight breeze. Last year’s 13-foot animated Jack Skellington will return this year, as well as the 12.5-foot Inferno Deadwood Skeleton. (The giant werewolf is not being offered for sale—R.I.P.) If giant skeletons aren’t your thing, perhaps haunts from the past will help you decorate. This year’s collection is following a “Fears Through the Years” theme, pulling nightmares from as far back as the 16th Century to haunt your yard or party. The Knight Dullahan ($379), based on an Irish folklore creature, is a headless rider on a black horse, measuring 8.5 feet. The Plague Doctor ($199) is a 7-foot animated character with color changing eyes and a bird-like plague mask—a kind of steampunk scare, if you will. And Captain Cuts ($249) is a 7-foot swashbuckler, with a parrot on his shoulder, a hook for a left hand and cutlass in his right, along with a scarred face and a glass eye. The Plague Doctor [Photo: courtesy Home Depot] Moving into the 19th Century fears, the company is showcasing a Murderous Maple tree ($249), a 9-foot tall evil stump that glows in different colors. A Victorian Vampire ($199) could be poised to be a big seller, if for no other reason than the details on the animatronic. This 7-foot Nosferatu comes to life with bushy eyebrows, details in his teeth, distinctive velour clothing and fangs, and six phrases. (Working against him, though, is the fact that the vampire is only rated for indoor use.) The 5.5-foot Fear Valley Wolf ($199) will snarl and bare its teeth and has a coat that mixes thick fur and exposed flesh from previous battles. Willow Tree [Photo: courtesy Home Depot] As for more modern horrors, The Home Depot has collaborated with Universal Products and Experiences to create a 3.5-foot animated Chucky Doll ($199), who eerily re-creates the smile and head movements of the onscreen character, as well as a seven-foot Frankenstein’s Monster ($279), which grunts and growls and re-creates the 1931 character faithfully, down to the widening eyes. Given the success of the recent USA Network show and an expected film in the coming years, Chucky may be one of this year’s fastest sellouts.  “It’s fun to create licensed products, because you get to work with the studio that brought these characters to life on screen,” said Allen. “We want to take them off of the screen and bring them to life in people’s yards.” [Photo: courtesy Home Depot] The company will also offer its usual wide assortment of tombstones and smaller skeletons, including one disturbingly named the Ultra Pose-N-Stay Corpse, which will let you pose them in pretty much any position you can imagine, something that might be especially appealing to people who go all out during the season.  As in past years, the company said it expects to sell out of many Halloween decorations long before the holiday arrives.

View Entire Post