As Halloween passes, apparel stores face a steep fall in business next season. A shop even decided to give up.
Now, year-round retail stores, online markets and seasonal “pop-up stores” are the most common places people buy annual festive apparel. However, with the rise of online shopping, many clothing retailers are losing the bulk of their critical Halloween business.
Aaro Froese, owner of Gotcha Costumes on E Walnut Street, closed the store in December of this year after 21 years in Colombia.
Froese said: “Clothing stores are falling like flies.” 90 to 100-year-old shop is closed, I understand. Things change it, this is the nature of the beast. People do not retail clothing stores as they used to. ”
More than half of a clothing store’s business comes from October, but apparel is purchased throughout the year, so retail stores must be creative.
At Sabrina Garcia Buaio, owner of Broadway Boulevard E Moderne Wine, an old-fashioned clothing store and clothing rental shop, leasing is the key to a successful costume business from college fraternities and fraternities, theater productions and student plays . Garcia Buaio can sell garments about once a year.
Garcia Buaio said: “These two components, the old trading and clothing rental, are very important to me.” October is definitely the biggest boom. The rents we do in October are the same as those we rent for the rest of this year, but I rent clothes every day. ”
With the advent of new movies and books, the apparel market is changing and expanding every season. As a result, rental works allow businesses to develop their own collections and better adapt to the changing themes and roles of the year.
“Over the years, the types of things people are willing to rent have expanded, which is very interesting to me,” García Bua’o said. “Large events such as professional conferences are also becoming a major event for primary school students to dress up for school activities, because of this trend, my shop is now equipped with children, but in this town we can not be like a place of clothing stay alive.
“Renting clothes again and again will be more profitable than a one-time sale, and even though I sell for a theater outfit, I prefer to rent it, which is fun to me and better for business.”
Although the way clothes are sold varies, many people find one thing real: online shopping has become the bulk of their business. Even if only open for three months at a time, pop-up stores specializing in Halloween costumes will feel the impact of a growing online consumer culture.
Kris McBurney, manager of Halloween Soul at Burnadette Drive, a Columbia-branded clothing store, said online sales were more than half-and it was a growing trend.
“Online sales will surely hurt our sales,” said McBeeney. “Mom and pop shops are disappearing, especially right now.We are a chain company and it hurts us so I do not have a shop there.” There are so many young children in Colombia who are used to getting them online Necessary things. ”
McBerney said that online shopping is not only more convenient for people, but also that customers can be cheaper than physical stores.
“People see this as a place to rent, and that’s not the case,” said McBeeney. “We rely on wholesale purchases and we allow returns until the exchange is available after October 20. So customers can buy something next year but, unfortunately, we often see people trying to return, mostly because they say they found it online It’s hard to compete with cheap things. ”
This trend requires retail businesses to become more innovative and productive, not just during Halloween. Owners of Maude Vintage and Gotcha Costumes have established collections for many years. Vendors, thrift stores, theater sold out and commissioned pieces are the main sources of inventory for these businesses.
Garcia Buaio said: “Technically this is a 25-year collection.” I’ve eliminated some of them each year. For a few years, I have already purchased wholesale apparel and sold it. This is pretty good, but it is not my hobby. The one-off, cheap Chinese-made real theater apparel was sold elsewhere, but it did not have much motivation for me. I really like this dress. ”
Maude Vintage and Gotcha Costumes advertise that the quality of their products is much higher than many people buy from packaging garments and are usually found online. These businesses have different options, so the amount of clothing that can be created is virtually endless.
“We tended to be much better than the internet, which is one of our strengths.” Leasing out of our collection is the driving force of our business. We have probably had thousands of garments over the years and I’ve been actively buying and collecting these garments from thrift stores and suppliers.
Gotcha clothing will be shut down in December, but Froese plans to shift the store’s inventory to the online platform. If Froese does not find a buyer, then the inventory will be rented at a Broadway a commercial location, 15-30 days per season.
“According to Columbia University’s purchasing power, I will bring my product to the global market.” I have some items that people do not want to pay for $ 20 in the store, I put it online and sometimes I get $ 50 , So we will do that.
