Key facts
- Home Depot's 12-foot Skelly, launched in 2020, is credited with popularizing giant Halloween skeletons.
- Sam's Club's 11-foot Reaper Halloween decoration has exceeded sales expectations.
- The Reaper has become one of Sam's Club's top ten selling Halloween items.
- Online visits to Sam's Club's Halloween decor listings were up 67% in July year-over-year.
- Some giant skeleton decorations are displayed year-round.
The popularity of oversized Halloween decorations, particularly giant skeletons, continues to grow in the United States. What was once an uncommon sight has become a significant trend since Home Depot launched its 12-foot Skelly in 2020, which reportedly drove record Halloween sales for the company.
The trend shows no signs of slowing down, with numerous online communities dedicated to these large-scale decorations. A Facebook group focused on supersized skeletons has amassed nearly 300,000 members.
Retailers are capitalizing on this demand. Sam's Club, a Walmart-owned chain, has seen strong sales of its 11-foot Reaper decoration, which was launched in June and quickly became one of the store's top ten Halloween items, selling out at some locations by Friday.
Kara Deleon, Senior Director of Seasonal Merchandising at Sam's Club, noted that Halloween has evolved into a full season, akin to Christmas, with a much larger cultural presence than in the past. This sentiment is echoed by the 67% increase in online visits to Sam's Club's Halloween decor product listings in July compared to the previous year.
Some consumers, like Phil Michalski near Philadelphia, display their giant skeletons year-round, sometimes dressing them up for different holidays. Michalski owns both the Home Depot Skelly and the Sam's Club Reaper, along with other large decorations. He mentioned that while many are displayed year-round, weather conditions have impacted their durability.
Nelson Bairos, an engineer near Boston, has turned the demand for durable decorations into a side hustle, 3D printing repair parts for the original Home Depot Skelly. He observes a direct correlation between severe weather events in the US and orders for these parts, indicating the decorations' susceptibility to damage and the need for repairs.
Bairos noted that while other retailers like Lowe's offer variations, the original Home Depot Skelly appears to have the most staying power, based on the volume of repair requests he receives. He maintains two Skellies, one complete and another used for parts.
Bobbi Austin, a merchant for seasonal goods at Sam's Club, explained that the Reaper's design, featuring a silver and black color scheme, sickle, robe, and animatronics, aims for exclusivity and durability. New jumbo decor designs are typically sold for a single season, encouraging club members to build collections over time.