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There is the classic costume – ghost, witch, fairy.
He has pop culture respect – Marilyn Monroe, Tony Soprano, The Matrix.
Then there are the festive ways to embody the spirit of the times, a socially acceptable way to wear an outfit that says “look at me, I’m smart” – a meme costume, a vague reference, or a Netflix phenomenon that no one has seen (looking at you, “Tiger King” and “The Squid Game.”)
It was already getting harder to predict and procure an instant costume, as viral trends often outstripped production timelines. With supply chain issues leaving shelves empty this year, topical nap or treat is harder than ever.
It’s called Spirit Halloween stores: The national, seasonal retailer has 1,400 stores popping up in abandoned malls and even malls this year. former Barney’s flagship in Manhattan. But it’s hard to find “The Eternals” or “WandaVision” outfits out there. Even Amazon is risky. In mid-October, consumers had to pay $60 shipping for a $26 “Squid Game”-inspired green tracksuit to arrive in time for Halloween.
“I think the challenge of all this was that there was really nothing on the shelves,” said John Shea of Hazlet, NJ, who wished the vacation would be “24/7, 365 days”. Years.” Last weekend, Mr. Shea won the annual costume contest in Salem, Mass, a spooky seaside town that turned (for humans) an unfortunate chapter in history (Puritans who strangled and burned women at danger for witchcraft) like witches. dressed).
While he’s chosen what he describes as a more timeless costume – the 1930s star is depicted in the claws of the devil – Mr. Shea said that even small pieces such as a cape or mask have been difficult to find this year. He made his own with the help of YouTube tutorials.
Supply chain issues do it all More expensive than Cheerios to toilet paper since the beginning of the pandemic. At the same time, Halloween fans stifled demand for celebrations after last year’s holiday was suppressed by Covid-19 restrictions. Consumers are expected to spend $10.1 billion on Halloween this year, up from $8.05 billion in 2020. According to the National Retail Federation. And an estimated 65 percent of Americans plan to celebrate, an increase from 58 percent last year.
Julie NiederhoffA professor in the department of supply chain management at Syracuse University explained why this year has been the perfect storm for the costume shortage. There are all reasons why the port-to-store supply chain is operating below capacity – including truck drivers, warehouse workers and other workers, Covid lockdowns, natural disasters and container shortages.
Normally, Professor Niederhoff said Halloween costumes ship in late summer and retailers can’t afford the latest fashion trends. If a company is willing to pay for some speed, it usually takes at least three months to source and manufacture a costume. Under the current circumstances, this should have been done six to nine months in advance.
The supply chain isn’t particularly well equipped to handle trends when a show or image becomes unexpectedly popular overnight, such as Britney Spears’ revival or Kim Kardashian’s Balenciaga Met Gala all-black dress.
“Trends are moving really fast,” said Professor Niederhoff. “They pop up all at once, so we give very little advance notice and very little staying power, which is very difficult for large-scale production on a tight timeline like Halloween or Christmas.”
At home, his professional expertise is evident in his vacation plans: “I’ve always been a skeleton. The kids are going as angels of death, ‘Young Link from Zelda, Luz from ‘Owl House and yet unknown,’ he said. But to avoid this particular supply chain disruption, we make homemade costumes.”
It was easier for retailers to predict which costumes would be popular, as major studios would release long-awaited movies and the creation of costumes and other merchandise would be a part of these launches. Now, what’s popular is more of a surprise.
Even for Andrea Bell, director of insights at trend forecasting company WGSN, it sometimes feels like trends just pop up.
“The challenge with Halloween costume predictions is twofold: There’s a privacy aspect fueled by virality,” he said in an email. Beyond the element of surprise, there is a lot more cultural input that influences costume choices.”
In the 1980s, popular costume choices were largely driven by movies, music videos, and TV shows. “We have memes, influencers, and cultural moments these days that provide endless costume fodder,” she said.
Although the pandemic has exacerbated supply chain disruptions, it does occur regularly, to some extent due to inclement weather or accidents. In such a situation, manufacturers can contact retailers, explaining their inadequacy in certain products and encouraging retailers not to advertise or promote them online.
“Behind the scenes, he’s working on himself, and customers don’t really notice,” said Professor Niederhoff. “With something like Halloween candy, retailers can’t say, ‘Hey, let’s not advertise Halloween candy this year’.”
Mr. Shea said she visited a Spirit Halloween store and was able to find some of the classics – cowboys, doctors, “sexy nurses”. She’s seen some pop culture costumes, but they’ve always been evergreens rather than current, like outfits inspired by the ’90s movies “Hocus Pocus” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Finally, the Halloween aisle took a half-full stand.
“I think it was good in a way, and it was bad in a way that there wasn’t much in the chains,” he said. “It made people think a little more creatively about what they were putting in there.”
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