TAMPA, Fl. - Americans are gobbling up the goods this Halloween. The National Retail Federation estimates billions will be spent on what is becoming one of the most anticipated holidays of the year.
Business is good for General Manager J.B. Mason and his employees at Features Costumes and Bead Barn. So good, employees directing traffic!
It's non-stop traffic as customers hunt for the perfect costume. "A lot of super heroes because of all the superhero movies that came out in the past year, of course, the new Harry Potter saga is over with so a lot of people want to be Harry Potter," says Mason.
Americans aren't going low-key this year. Despite a frightening economy, they're going all out and spending big. The National Retail Federation says Americans will hand out 6 billion dollars this year. That's more than in almost a decade.
Mason is seeing that in his store.
"This year has really picked up from the past previous years. I think a lot of people are wanting to forget what the economy is doing and what's happening with politics, so they kind of want to enjoy themselves for this Halloween."
Joe Montgomery is one of those people. "I love to create and Halloween is the perfect time to do it." He holds the crown for best costume at work, so to keep his title, he's handing out the cash.
"Sometimes it costs me $40, $50, $60. This year, it'll cost me just a little bit more," he says.
It's a treat retailers like Features will take.
Here's how spending breaks down: the National Retail Federation says the average person will shell out $72.31 on decorations, costumes and candy. That's up from $66.28 last year.