Insider Look at
Trends
Dream, Black Widow, and Iron Girl.
Zombies: Back to the Grave?
Given the popularity of TV shows such as The Walk-
ing Dead, it’s not surprising that zombies have been a
popular Halloween costume in recent years. Interest-
ingly, from the perspective of those within the indus-
quite back to full strength, which, according to Nesbit,
is when “people turn to their pets.” There is also the
possibility that pet costumes reflect a larger sociological trend, as empty nesters and those without children turn to their pets to fulfill nurturing needs.
Disguise already has a Spider-Man costume for
try, it’s not a fad, since zombies have always been
dogs, and will expand the line this year to include Mar-
whether you zombify a presidential candidate or a
of their family… and to be able to dress them up and let
intrinsically tied to the spooky holiday.
“I think to zombify anything is classic Halloween,
vampire,” says Nesbit, who admits that it’s hard to pre-
dict whether the trend will continue its triumphant
shamble. She thinks there is a good chance that zom-
vel characters such as Captain America, Iron Man, and
Wolverine. “A lot of people see their pets as extensions
them celebrate a holiday that you love, that’s always going to be a good thing,” Nesbit says.
Similarly, a new division devoted exclusively to
bies will still rule this year, and says Disguise will offer
pets, Rubie’s Pet Shop Boutique, recently opened. “Pets
will offer a wide range of zombie products, Beige is less
million was spent on pet costumes this past year.
that zombies began showing up in his data—and then
Accessories Add Up
book. “We see a lot of activity in search term data, but
costumes alongside everything a customer would
a zombie gnome decoration as well as masks.
Others, however, feel differently. Although Rubie’s
confident about the trend’s longevity. According to
Tancer, it wasn’t until the week right before Halloween
quite strongly. He theorizes that a lot of the discussions about zombies may have happened on Twitter or Face-
what we’re not seeing is activity in social media,”
Tancer says. “I’m guessing that a lot of interest in zom-
bies skewed younger, and was happening [there].”
Pet Costumes Un-Leashed
Although humans remain the major en-
gine powering Halloween costume sales,
The Wizard of Oz Scarecrow Pet Costume, from Rubie’s Costume Co.
pets are becoming a larger part of the mix,
with a pre-Halloween survey from the
NRF anticipating that roughly 8 percent
of the populace dressed their furry friends up last Halloween. Some Hal-
loween insiders predict that number is
only going to get bigger.
“In the grand scheme of things, is it going
to take over Halloween? No, but it’s a growing
portion,” says Nesbit. As for the reasons why more pet owners are indulging in pet costumes,
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signs point to an economy that is recovering, but not
The Halloween Insider
is definitely a growing part of the industry,” says Beige. Indeed, a pre-Halloween NRF survey estimated $330
One final trend being observed this year is more cos-
tumes and accessories packaged together. This was a
successful strategy by retailers last year, as displays of
want—including wigs, jewelry, and other extras—led
to an increase in the average sales ticket. This year, Disguise will release all-inclusive packages that adopt a
similar strategy—featuring base costumes as well as
numerous accessories.
The growth of costume fun beyond just Halloween
partially explains the demand for this kind of pre-packaging. “People are going to spend a little more money
for better quality that they can then use year-round for
dress-up or role play,” says Nesbit.
But overall, Halloween falling on a Friday—along
with an economy that is improving, albeit gradually—
is still considered the main reason for optimism about
this coming year. “People had a better year in 2013,”
says Beige. “[Retailers] cleaned out inventory, and they will be prepared for Halloween falling on a Friday, so I
do think 2014 will be an additional increase over what everyone experienced this past year.”
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Winter 2014