The hedges leading to her home are adorned with giant spiders and zombie hands peeking out of the mulch in her yard. Creepy figures and at least one bright orange, disembodied foot hang from the trees — decorations chosen in part by her children, she said.

Neighbor Amy Langlois was an early adopter of the inflatable trend, picking up the pumpkin-headed giants that flank the front door of her Toronto home about eight years ago.

With a school nearby, Langlois said she hopes the little kids get a kick out of the festive display.

She said more people in her neighborhood have embraced decorations this year.

“I think maybe because of the pandemic, people are excited to celebrate this year because they couldn’t last year,” she said.

Retailers also said they noticed the trend.

“Over the past few years, while many of us have stayed home, outdoor Halloween decorating has become a great way to connect and celebrate safely with your community,” said Konstance Sevastos, holiday decorative retailer at Home Depot Canada.

She said customers are shopping earlier and more often to decorate their homes for Halloween.

The retailer went viral online last year for one particular decoration: Skelly.

The blown plastic skeleton dwarfs trick-or-treaters at 3.5 meters high, has LED eyes that move and has captured the hearts and minds of Twitter two years in a row.

“There is definitely a push towards bigger is better,” Sevastos said in an emailed statement.

While Skelly’s goal is to scare — or at least shock — the bouncers tend to be a bit more “playful,” she said.

Walmart Canada has seen a similar boost in the Halloween spirit.

“We’re seeing faster resale this year and higher sales of our Halloween decor,” spokeswoman Stephanie Fusco said in an email. “This year, our customers have been drawn to our vast selection of fun and spooky larger inflatable and animated decor options, such as our inflatable pumpkin monster and animated reaper.”

Neither company offered specific sales data.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on October 30, 2021.

Nicole Thompson and Adina Bresge, the Canadian Press