If you take a quick walk around your neighborhood this time of year, you’re likely to see a giant ghoul looming over your neighbor’s front yard.
Giant skeletons, scarecrows, and spooky decorations of intimidating size are on the rise. One of this year’s standout newcomers is Home Depot’s Animated Worricrow. This is a towering straw man, 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide, that moves and lights up when activated by motion. (Currently $199, originally $399)
“Each year we try to develop innovative and unique products for Halloween lovers,” said Aubrey Horowitz, Home Depot Decoration Holiday Merchant. “It started with the 12-foot Skelly and has continued to add new giants every year since 2020.” Home Depot currently has six products in its Giants collection that are over 8 feet tall.
Lowe’s is also embracing the oversized trend.
“Halloween is a huge event,” said Melissa Handy, Lowe’s senior vice president and general merchandising manager. Lowe’s has a wide selection, including a 12-foot-tall animatronic scarecrow, a 10-foot-tall reaper, and even an underground kraken that sold out in just five hours in July 2024.
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“Our team loves creating unforgettable, eye-catching pieces for our customers, whether it’s a giant piece that you can see across the street or a skeleton that you can truly build yourself,” Horowitz said.
Halloween starts as early as April!
This year, Lowe’s began rolling out Halloween items online in April with its “Halfway to Hollywood” collection featuring Kraken and Reaper Band animatronics.
Lowe’s released Disney’s Haunted Mansion Collection in June. Handy said the Haunted Mansion hanging frame sold out in just one day, showing strong early interest.
That same month, Disney fans got their hands on a Halloween-themed Stitch. lilo & stitchIt also sold out on the same day.
fan of Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie An animatronic series debuted in June, featuring Victor and Emily, who are over 5 feet tall, and Sparky, who is 2 feet tall.
“Each year we’ve seen fans welcome spooky season early, and we’re here for the season with larger-than-life inflatables, fan-favorite animatronics, and new collections to help everyone bring home the magic,” Handy said.
Portions of this article were originally published in October 2024.
