Merchants prepare for a frightful Halloween
Bradenton — In what remains a frightful economy, consumers have plenty of scary Halloween costumes to choose from this year.
The most appropriate costume for the year may be the Bernie Madoff mask.
But it will cost consumers $40 to be “Mr. Ponzi” for a day, a price some cost-conscious shoppers may not be willing to pay.
The National Retail Federation projects consumers will spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween merchandise this year, about 15 percent less than the $66.54 they spent last year.
At the seasonal retail store Spirit Halloween in Bradenton, popular costume options such as a Kate Gosselin wig from $13 and Michael Jackson’s red leather Thriller jacket at $60 did little to convince consumers to stretch their budgets.
“I’m using the same costume as last year,” said shopper Karoline Lira. “Same costume, different party. I don’t need something new.”
Lira is not alone, the National Retail Federation expects 15.8 percent of consumers to reuse last year’s costumes.
“The economy has caught up to Halloween this year,” said Tracy Mullin, president and chief executive officer of the National Retail Federation. “Since retailers know that Americans will be looking to celebrate on a budget, there’s no doubt we will see creative costume and decorating ideas in every price point imaginable.”
