‘KPop Demon Hunters’ costumes will dominate Halloween this year. Can retailers keep up with demand?

KPop Demon Hunters took over Netflix when it debuted in August. Next, it’s coming for Halloween.

That’s according to Google’s annual Frightgeist report, which uses Google Trends search data to predict the year’s top Halloween costumes across a number of categories.

This year’s report, published on October 9, shows that characters from the hit animated movie musical KPop Demon Hunters have snagged all five of the list’s top spots.

KPop Demon Hunters centers on Huntr/x, a K-pop superstar trio who double as demon hunters. The members—Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—must protect their fans while facing down a rival boy band made up of demons in disguise, led by the singer Jinu.

Since the movie premiered on Netflix, it’s become the streamer’s most-watched film of all time; secured Netflix’s first-ever No. 1 box office title when it was shown in theaters; had four simultaneous top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100; and achieved Platinum status with its soundtrack.

In short, the film is a cultural phenomenon complete with a bevy of catchy, endlessly replayable songs—and it’s going to be totally unavoidable on Halloween. 

Which characters made the list?

Google Frightgeist found that the top five overall costumes of the year are, in order of popularity: Rumi, Zoey, Mira, Jinu, and Baby Saja (a minor antagonist and rapper in the K-pop group Saja Boys).

Derpy the Tiger, a supernatural blue feline from the film, is also eighth on this year’s list.

Fast-fashion brands including Shein and Aliexpress have anticipated the trend with their own versions of KPop Demon Hunters fashion.

Seasonal retailer Spirit Halloween is also offering officially licensed costumes of the show’s main characters, available in both kid and adult sizes—but it appears to be struggling to keep up with demand. As of this writing, every adult costume is sold out in every size, and kids’ costumes seem to be available exclusively in stores.

Spirit Halloween did not immediately respond to Fast Company’s request for comment on the costumes’ popularity. 

For businesses, there’s a lot at stake. According to a September survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Halloween spending, which includes stocking up on candy and pumpkins in addition to spending on costumes, is expected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year.

Amidst the sea of K-pop costumes that will dominate streets this year, trick-or-treaters can expect to see another familiar face in the crowd. Labubus, the collectible monster plush toys that are known for teetering on the line between ugly and cute, are the top costume search for dogs and the second-hottest costume search for kids.

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