‘World of Magic’ forecasts skeleTON of foot traffic, shares Halloween trends
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Halloween shopping is picking up at World of Magic, which is a real treat for store owner Erin Foley, especially during a time when many are struggling to pay the bills.
“I definitely kept inflation in mind and you know how things are for people when I was making purchases this year… Last year, police and prison costumes maybe range like $50 to $80 somewhere in that range. And this year they actually range from like $30 to $80. So I did bring in a wider range of costumes just for more budgets. And those have been actually doing great,” said the World of Magic Owner.
Despite the current economy, customers are investing upwards of $100 on Halloween costumes.
Some say they will recycle their costumes for multiple events.
“In an economic downturn like this, I think people are looking for that like spike of fun and Halloween's a perfect time to celebrate and also look for that little bit of joy. So when people find something they really want and they know they're going to year after year, they just go for it,” said World of Magic Associate Manager Kamryn Bauersfeld.
The National Retail Federation says those partaking in the spooky season plan to spend an average of $103.63, a little less than last year’s record of $108.24.
“We're noticing classics like Ghost Face are flying off the shelves. People. Absolutely love doing the full costume or just accessorizing with some of the masks and stuff we have and going from there and just letting their creativity come out. The next is obviously Beetlejuice from the second movie coming out, so we've had a lot of Beetlejuice, Lydia, stuff,” said Bauersfeld.
As for trends specific to 2024, World of Magic says they’re getting special requests for Raygun, the Olympic break dancer who went viral for what many called a hysterical performance.
“That wasn't even a costume before this year. Just like, just something that swept. You know, TikTok, Instagram, all by storm, all these viral clips. And now we have people asking to be the Australian break dancer," said Foley.
The National Retail Federation says total halloween spending is expected to reach $11.6 billion, after last year’s record-setting $12.2 billion.
