or partners might both want to dress up as M&Ms. Halloween home décor
asylum. Barr says, “Customers can come in and interact with our store displays. Our goal is to provide a unique shopping experience.”
Trendy tricks In terms of Halloween trends, Purifico said it’s a little too early to tell if there is a specific costume that will be a huge holiday hit, but he adds, “I predict this year to be a more eclectic season since there wasn’t a dominant blockbuster movie hit.” Purifico prefers years like this since it’s impossible to replenish costumes during the season. He says that it’s better for retailers when the buy is generic across the board because it’s easier to send your customers home with a costume. One of the broader Halloween trends is for a larger range of
different age consumers to dress up. Notably Moms and Dads dress up in much larger numbers than ever before. Barr says, “Halloween has gone beyond trick-or-treating. Halloween is a celebration and it’s no longer just for kids. It’s a holiday where kids and adults can live out fantasies and have some fun.” Purifico explained, “And with younger adults, they want to look the best they can for adult Halloween costume parties. This trend is also helping sales.” Jonathan Erwin, an organizer for the Halloween & Party Expo, a Halloween tradeshow, added, “It’s an adult event, a teen event, a family event. The retailers who understand this are cashing in. In contrast, the retailers who just grab a few items at a gift or general merchandise show in order to have something Halloween-ish in their stores are missing sales—lots of sales.” Purifico pointed out another trend that is driving sales is
that couples are dressing up in complementary or matching themed costumes. For example, he might sell a flapper costume to the woman and a gangster costume to the man,
106 Specialty Retail Report n Fall 2013
is also continuing to grow. Purifico explains, “There is no other holiday that compares in terms of outdoor decorating.” However, according to Erwin, “If you really want to be in the Halloween business, you need
to do so in a comprehensive way. Adding a few gift items or decorations won’t cut it because the consumer won’t think of you for their Halloween purchases unless you make a statement.”
Future growth When asked about some of the challenges of Halloween retailing, Purifico explained that the Internet is a factor. However, the vast number of customers still want to try costumes on before buying them, “and that’s a distinct advantage of a brick-and-mortar store,” Joe says. He also adds, “my staff can take customers by the hand and help them find a complete look, from a costume to accessories and customers can try them on in our dressing rooms before leaving the store to ensure a proper fit.” Purifico is also adding retail technology to aid the sales
process. In the past if a customer went into the store and a specific costume was sold out, they left empty handed. However, today, the sales team can access additional online inventory through a consumer website that Purifico also operates. All employees have been trained on how to place orders online. As an added benefit, there is no delivery charge. This is helping capture additional sales that would not have been made in the past. While competition has been steadily increasing over the
years, both Spirit Halloween and Halloween Adventure believe there is room in the market for additional growth—great news for entrepreneurs looking to get into this market. The future for this category is all treats and hardly any tricks!
Patricia Norins is the publisher of Specialty Retail Report. She can be reached at
Norins@specialtyretail.com.
SpecialtyRetail.com
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