Halloween hits Atlanta stores early this year

It's still swimsuit season — but the giant skeletons are already stirring this Summerween.

Why it matters: Big-box retailers — including Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart and Costco — are moving early on Halloween as tariffs threaten to raise prices and fuel even more urgency among consumers.

• Home Depot is scheduled to launch its full Halloween collection online on Monday, and in stores ahead of Labor Day.

Zoom out: Halloween is big money for retailers, which is why Summerween has turned the spooky season into a summer shopping event.

• Last year's holiday sales were projected to reach $11.6 billion, according to the National Retail Federation's annual survey.

The big picture: The October holiday is one of the seasonal events most affected by tariffs, with the majority of Halloween items imported from China.

• The Halloween and Costume Association warned in April that tariffs were threatening to "wipe out Halloween and severely disrupt Christmas."

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