By Cindy Walker Burton

Oh those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Summer typically evokes images of vacations and visits, sunglasses and sunburns, swimming and sandals, boating and beaching, baseball and barbecue, camping and cold bevs, golfing and gardening, mowing and movies, fireworks and fireflies, ghosts and goblins.

Hold your horses! Who said giddy up to ghosts and wahoo to witches? Why are bad luck black cats already appearing on store shelves with jaunty jack-o-lanterns and gelatin skeletons? Summer clearance meets Halloween adherance? It’s eerily simple, folks. While you were chilling and grilling, July was melting and smelting into Julytober.

Don’t be scared. I’ll reveal the retail store logic regarding the creepy crawly Halloween roll-out we now see in patriotic July. First, be assured that stores are not trying to haunt or taunt you. Second, they are not summarily squashing your summer into a Halloween bummer. My research reveals that the ever early, hurly burly Halloween hullabaloo happens for three specific reasons: to prevent inventory bottlenecks, capture early sales, and capitalize on viral social media hype. It’s not a trick. It’s a retail treat. The reason for the season is immense dollars and sense. In 2025, Halloween sales screamed to a monstrous $13.1 BILLION. Now that’s very scary!

While soaking up the summer, some are not thrilled to see a ghost with the most. Others grimace at miles of aisles festooned with costumes. Many choose to ditch the witch kitsch.

If you choose to celebrate Summerween, you can carve up a watermelon just like a jack-o-lantern (yep, it’s a watermelon-o-lantern). Throw a costume party for your ghoul friends. Watch scary movies and consume tons of candy.

Whether a thriller or a mood killer, Julytober is here. Boo! Happy Summerween!