Dubai: Costume and candy stores are carving out ‘spook-tacular sales’ for Halloween this year as customers hunt for last-minute purchases after the Eid holidays.
Jayne Eastland, managing director of Mr Ben’s Costume Closet, said sales were initially slow during the Eid holidays.
“Now that Eid is finished, it’s starting to pick up with more gusto,” she said. “The phone lines have been ringing consistently. A lot of people went away to have fun at Eid and then came back to start the party season with a bang.”
Party Zone, a party wear and decorations store, was busy during the Eid weekend as Gulf visitors picked up Halloween goodies for children back home.
“The most popular was the V for Vendetta costume, especially with Saudis. The masks are sold out, it’s very fast-moving,” said Esperanza Cabonegro, the shop-in-charge at Party Zone. “Starting at 2pm it will be busy until 2am because of Eid and Halloween.”
Witches, pirates and sugar-pumped children are all spending more on costumes, candy and decorations this Halloween compared to last year, bringing in a ticker treat this season, retailers say.
Costume rentals were just 40 per cent of total sales at the store as most people preferred to buy them, Eastland said.
“They are purchasing lots more this year,” she noted. “In general, they are spending more this year per customer.”
Costume choices
Pumpkins, pirates and witches are the most popular costume choices this year, Eastland said.
“We are doing matching sets of kids and adults as pumpkins and getting the whole family dressed up as pumpkins,” she said. “This year we’re doing the family affair a bit more. If they all do witches or Dracula then it’s an easy decision.”
Customers are paying up to Dh400 to Dh500 to stand out on the fright night but simpler costumes go for Dh250 to Dh350, she said.
Supermarket chains such as Al Maya are stocking up on Halloween costumes, candy and decorations in their outlets in Western expat-dominated areas.
“Sales have been very good and there’s more awareness of Halloween this year, so we’re displaying more products. More people are buying Halloween party wear. They’re spending more than last year,” said Kamal Vachani, group director of operations at Al Maya Group.
“Skeletons and witches are the most popular costumes for adults and kids, mainly western expats and Arabs,” he said. Prices range from Dh40 to Dh200.
Some parents are using hand-me-down costumes for their children because they are expensive and used only once, said Leah Buan, store manager at the Early Learning Center.
The past 10 days before Halloween were busy as customers stocked up on candy for trick or treating, Vachani said.
Candy stores are also having a treat with Halloween, this year.
Candylicious in Dubai Mall has stocked up on Halloween-themed candy for the festivities.
“Sales have been strong this year. We see a lot of tourists buying Halloween chocolates,” said Sunaina Gill, director of operations and merchandising at Retail is Detail, the company behind Candylicious stores.
Maison Sucre, an Abu Dhabi-based bakery, is offering Halloween-themed cupcakes with 3D Casper ghosts made of fondant. “We started it this month and we have pending orders. Inquiries are mainly from locals, Western and Filipino expats,” said Marson Ocampo, acting shop manager.
A number of hotels, restaurants and pubs are also getting into the Halloween spirit.
Madinat Jumeirah is hosting a Halloween Festival, Irish Village is throwing a Halloween party and Barasti is having a fancy dress ball.
SIDE BAR:
In a growing trend, more women are opting for “sexy” rather than scary costumes for Halloween, according to sales staff.
“For ladies, they are searching for sexy costumes,” said Esperanza Cabonegro, the shop-in-charge at Party Zone, pointing at a red and black revealing Can-Can dancer costume.
Jayne Eastland, managing director of Mr Ben’s Costume Closet, said women like to look more attractive rather than scary during the spooky season.
“The general rule is, guys like to play the clown and be very outwardly silly while the ladies like to look more beautiful. They like to complement their partner in a more traditional fashion,” she said.
Some revealing costume choices are at odds with the UAE dress code.
“What a lot of ladies do is buy those costumes and put on other things, so they buy a sexy pirate costume then pair it with stockings or dress them up so they don’t look risqué,” she said.
Sales of plus size costumes are also doing well, she added.
In the US, a record 170 million people are planning to celebrate Halloween this year, spending an expected $8 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2012 Halloween consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight.
