Scare Tactics

Dress the part. Spooky signs, sweepstakes and an eclectic merchandise mix are all tactics for selling product during one of the biggest shopping events of the year: Halloween. But what happens the rest of the year? Most retailers find the same tactics work just fine with Halloween-themed products that can sell long after, or long before, October 31 has come and gone.

For Halloween-only stores, selling Halloween can become a challenge if you don't have products that can move all year. Props, costumes, accessories, collectibles and novelty items, when positioned as playthings, can move year-round.

Paul Blum, owner of Abracadabra, a Halloween shop in New York, sells Halloween merchandise all year by filling racks with a huge stock of costumes, novelty and “the largest selection of magic product in New York City.” In fact, his shop is known more for its magic goods than its spooky appeal. Blum's sales are still going strong long into Christmastime, with people buying Santa suits and accessories and product for parties, corporate events and other themed occasions. Prop rentals to movie and TV studios add ancillary revenue. All told, the 11,000 square-foot store keeps more than 3,000 masks and 50,000 costumes in stock for rent or purchase, as well as magician's supplies and novelty items. “Magic, makeup, wigs and costumes sell throughout the year,” Blum tells Playthings.

Blum is looking to increase the costume customer base even more with a new, dress-up holiday celebrating April Fool's Day, something he initially started eight years ago when one customer said, “I wish there was another holiday to dress up for.” Blum's April Fool's holiday involves dressing up as whatever you're a fool for. He hopes to market the new holiday next year.

On the costume front, dress-up sells all year—from role playing sets to actual character suits, kids and adults like to pretend to be something they're not, if only for a while. And this year, costume manufacturers are offering something new: Rubie's, New York, has several new categories of costumes and accessories for young and old to wear throughout the year. The first wave of costumes and accessories will launch this summer with a licensed property, Superman, to be released in time for the Superman Returns film.

Howard Beige, vice president sales at Rubie's, believes that the Superman costume and other items will be hot this year, reflecting an adult look with muted colors. Man of Steel costumes made of brighter hues will also be available for infants and toddlers. One costume even transforms from Clark Kent to Superman when the light blue jacket rips open to expose a muscular chest. The costume line will launch with the film's release this June, and be expanded during the fourth quarter.

Other licensed properties projected to be made into costumes this year include Curious George, Zorro, anime series Magical Do Re Mi, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi and Napoleon Dynamite. In an exclusive deal inspired by the 12 Dancing Princesses direct-to-DVD, a Barbie licensed product line will debut in September. Barbie Mermaidia merchandise, based on another DVD, is available this month.

All those licenses help keep product moving after the end of the traditional Halloween sales window, says Beige. “We sell throughout the year,” he says. “Unlike other companies, we stock all year long. This is our only business. We also stock to costume stores, and they don't want us to run out of products by November 15.”

Rubie's displays help retailers sell product during the Halloween season, and special signage is provided for exclusive releases, such as the upcoming Superman products. “We'll provide signage and the right product mix for consumers,” says Beige. “We try to give the right product assortment for the right age group, and help [retailers] by giving advice. We've learned a few things in the 56 years we've been in business, and now we even have a Web site that retailers find helpful in searching for product information and licensors.”

This year, Rubie's will release more than 800 new items, including an '80s category featuring Crocket and Tubbs costumes fashioned after the TV series Miami Vice, Magnum P.I. (including an image of Tom Selleck on packaging), Knight Rider (complete with talking watch) and The Dukes of Hazard costumes and accessories. General, unlicensed categories will include a black robe with a mask with different features (for men), ninja costumes, Brotherhood of the Dragon, and Drama Queens for tweens or teens who want something that's more their style.

Star Wars: Episode I may be re-released in theaters in 2007, giving retailers an extra angle to push in-store. One of the more popular Halloween costumes and collectibles, Star Wars properties move sales all year long, according to Travis Allen, marketing manager for Master Replicas, Walnut Creek, Calif. Light sabers, which run from $120 to $200 (for the upcoming Darth Maul double saber), sell throughout the year as collectibles or accessories to costumes. Allen sees his company's niche for Halloween sales as providing replica accessories for dress-up. But on the collectibles level, the product sells whether it's All Hallows Eve or not.

Master Replicas product was recently picked up by Spirit Halloween shops, as well as Spencer Gifts, Best Buy and Borders for sale throughout the year. “People are still interested in this stuff,” Allen tells Playthings. “The state of the industry may be shifting, but we're doing well.” He adds that there will be a whole new line from Master Replicas for fans of Star Wars who were teens when the first Star Wars came out in 1977. A highly detailed Millennium Falcon Studio will also be available this holiday season in limited edition.

Web-based Haunt Masters will open a store in a haunted theme area, Hobbs Grove, this October in Sanger, Calif. While the park and store are open only for the month of October, customers have access to the Haunt Master shop all year long through the Web site for novelty, toys and other eccentric product.

Co-owner Carry Poole notes that the Web site will help sales because customers trust their service, are familiar with their product offerings and look forward to seeing new stock. “We used to just go to the conventions,” says Poole. “Now we put the product on our site and say, 'this is the prototype, and this is how it looks.'”

Brad Vaugh of Nashville's Chamber of Horrors says that makeup, props, prosthetics, and novelty and magic items are also big sellers throughout the year—but obviously Halloween is still peak selling season. Last year, Pirates of the Caribbean character Captain Jack Sparrow, a silver beer keg, Nightmare Before Christmas and Flintstones characters were popular brands for adults, while Spider-Man product continues to be a big seller with kids.

Chamber of Horrors first opened in 1986, and has been selling Halloween items full-time ever since. “The nice thing about our business is that it continues to grow,” says Vaugh. “It used to be strictly for kids, but now it's for adults too. It's neat to be a part of the process.”