It is important to keep our kids and community safe during Halloween.
As you are getting yourself and family ready for the spooky festivities, the Arizona Highway Patrol Association has a few tips to consider.
"Children can hardly wait to put on their costumes and fill up their bags with treats," stated Sgt. Jimmy Chavez, president of the Arizona Highway Patrol Association. "Unfortunately that excitement can sometimes make both children and adults forget to be careful while they're out having fun. "
Arizona Highway Patrol Association is offering the public these instructions for friends and family to stay out of danger this Halloween:
- Teach children to yell and scream if anyone other than a parent or family member grabs at them, while making every effort to get away.
- A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds. Stay in a group, walk slowly and communicate where you are going.
- Plan and review with your children the route and behavior which you are familiar with. Remain on well-lit streets and use the sidewalks. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the farthest edge of the roadway. Never cut through alleys or sidewalks.
- Check the sex offenders database so that you can avoid those houses, if applicable, in your neighborhood. Go to www.azsexoffender.org.
- Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
- Make sure you use a flashlight with new batteries.
- Take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards on your porch and walkway. Check around your property for flower pots, low tree limbs, support wires or garden hoses that may prove hazardous to young children rushing from house to house.
- Teach children their home phone number and to how call 9-1-1 if they have an emergency or become lost. Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free from any phone.
- Secure emergency identification (name, address, phone number) discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet.
- Think twice before using simulated knives, guns or swords. If such props must be used, be certain they do not appear authentic and are soft and flexible to prevent injury. Also, beware that some masks can block light.
- Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible Adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
- Remember curfew and noise ordnance laws - police officer do enforce these.
If parents, friends and family follow these tips, the AHPA is sure that we will continue to keep our community safe. Founded in 1958, the AHPA's mission is to promote the positive role of Law Enforcement Professionals and to protect and secure rights and benefits for our members through effective representation with local, state and national governments.
SOURCE
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Halloween Costumes for Women
Yes, when choosing a look for a Halloween fancy-dress party, it seems to have become the done thing to take any normal costume and then cast it through the filter of Ann Summers. Take, for example, the Ghostbuster. Look up any fancy-dress hire shop and you will see that for men, the Ghostbuster costume is just as you might expect – a baggy beige boiler suit, sturdy boots and half a vacuum cleaner strapped to the back.
For women, however, the look has been re-imagined as Sexy Ghostbuster, which translates as a tight beige playsuit with hotpant-length shorts and a low-cut neckline. It bears really very little resemblance to the outfit worn by Dan Aykroyd et al for their ghost removal service. And the list goes on: Sexy Wednesday Addams, Sexy Miss Freddy Krueger, Jason Babe . . . Christ, there's probably even a Foxy Annie Wilkes costumes available somewhere online right now: hammer, smock and plaid shirt all rendered in PVC.
It's easier for men, I suppose. Most male Halloween costumes allow the dresser-upper to still look essentially, attractively male – they can be The Crow or Norman Bates or Hannibal Lecter or Jack Torrance. They can even go as something amusing or elaborate – a cauldron, say, or a killer octopus, and still seem charming.
And since essentially people want to seem attractive at a party, even though it is Halloween and they are dressed up in a spooky outfit, this is why women tend to opt for a Skimpy Chucky ensemble rather than one of the ghouls from Poltergeist. A man, you see, could go to a Halloween party as Pinhead or Leatherface, and not go home alone; for a woman it would be a little trickier to go as Regan from The Exorcist and still get someone's telephone number.
The recent zombie renaissance really hasn't helped matters; indeed it only seems to have encouraged large numbers of women to dress up as any old pedestrian male fantasy-figure, skimpy, scratchy, cheap-smelling little numbers justified via the medium of fake blood. And so we have Zombie Nurse, Zombie Schoolgirl, Zombie French Maid and, for the thinking man, Zombie Joan Bakewell. This year, the smart money is surely on Zombie Lady Gaga as the most popular costume.
Still, it could be worse. The other day I was perusing the Halloween section of an American fancy-dress website – as you are probably aware, Halloween in the US permits dressing up in non-spooky clothing, which is just one of the many things I have filed under Things I Shall Never Understand About America, alongside the national passion for Twinkies and the precise point of Los Angeles. There, among the Wilma Flintstones and the Cleopatras, I found a sexy ladybird costume. Let me repeat that: A Sexy Ladybird. Short, low-cut, cinched-in and probably wipe-clean, it looked as if the Pussycat Dolls had raided the insect house. Although that, I suppose, is a pretty scary thought.
It's even more depressing when you consider the fact that there are plenty of female horror characters suitable for Halloween party costumes that a) aren't totally unattractive, b) don't require you to dress as if you smell of latex and c) can be ordered through the post – Rosemary Woodhouse in Rosemary's Baby, Ripley from Alien, Irena from Cat People, even Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks.
Here we have hastily recreated cheap and easy costumes for three leading ladies of horror: Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels in The Birds, Elsa Lanchester as the Bride of Frankenstein, and Sissy Spacek as Carrie. The trick is simply to think laterally, not prostitutionally. And hell, if you really want to go scantily clad, at least be a little inventive and recreate the shower scene from Psycho.
How to recreate our three costumes
The Tippi Hedren look requires a blond wig wildly pinned and a smattering of fake robins (£2 from eBay). Unpick an old frock at the seams and stuff with feathers from a haberdasher. Small transfer bullet-hole tattoos double as peck marks on the face, arms and legs. The piece de resistance? A black crow from Hamley's for the perfect mix of uneasy laughter and terror. Kelly Bowerbank
The 1935 movie Bride of Frankenstein provides the inspiration for a fiendishly demure Halloween costume. You will need: one plain white double sheet (non-fitted), two long bandages, fright wig from a fancy dress shop, white foundation, kohl pencil, red lipstick, a few safety pins and one look of demonic bewilderment. LB
The image of Sissy Spacek as Carrie, the telekinetic prom queen drenched in a bucket of pig's blood, is a simple yet effective Halloween costume. You will need one simple white dress or slip and a large quantity of fake blood.
Do not try to replicate this look using tomato ketchup and pomegranate juice (as we did) as the ketchup will not dry and you will spend your evening reeking of tomatoes. LB
This article is from www.guardian.co.uk
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Halloween Costumes Ideas
It looks like the King of Pop will make his comeback thrilling trick-or-treaters this Halloween.
While Michael Jackson will presumably be mimicked in many costumes, vampires, pirates, athletes and witches are among the top adult Halloween costumes, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. The survey found some pop culture costumes of last year, including political figures and Batman, fell in popularity.
Jill Sherman, co-owner of Halloween Express on Picardy Avenue, said Michael Jackson and vampire accessories are popular this year.
“Sales [on vampire costumes] have been up because of the big movies and shows on television right now,” Sherman said. “We’re running out of certain vampire fangs and the makeup that goes along with making them white.”
Sherman said her store sold out of Jackson costumes early and had to order more, but it sold out of The King of Pop’s signature sequin gloves.
Christian Coleman, chemical engineering freshman, said dressing up like the late superstar is a respectful tribute to his memory if he’s portrayed in the right way and no lines are crossed.
Sherman said the sexier costumes are the most popular with women.
“We always sell cats, bumble bees, lady bugs [and] sexy firewoman [outfits],” she said. “With men, it’s the funnier costumes.”
Immigrant advocacy groups, offended by the “illegal alien” costume, urged retailers, like Target, to pull the adult costume from shelves in mid-October.
Ashlea Walker, Spirit Halloween store manager, said her store initially carried an “illegal alien” costume but pulled it off the shelf.
Sherman said Halloween Express also carried the costume. She said when news about it hit, people rushed to the store to buy it. She said she did not restock the costume when it sold out.
Chris Williams, history and French junior, said he noticed Target pulled the “illegal alien” costume but said he didn’t find it offensive.
Consumers are expected to spend an average of $56.31 this year compared to last year’s $66.54, according to the NRF survey. National spending on Halloween is expected to reach $4.75 billion — a decrease from last year’s $5.77 billion.
“Retail sales, in general, are down,” said Doug Weimer, economics professor. “You see Halloween sales reflect what’s going on in general. There’s also a projection that it won’t be as strong a Christmas season.”
Weimer said people are more likely to recycle costumes to spend less money.
Sherman said Halloween Express has not had any problems with sales.
“We’re about even where we were last year,” she said. “I expect to be up slightly, but not by a large margin.”
Sherman said this is Halloween Express’ second year in business in Baton Rouge. She said the store is doing better with sales this year because more people know about it, and the store has more costumes and accessories stocked.
Spirit Halloween declined to comment about sales.
Mollye Ashmore, apparel design junior, said the reason Halloween sales are up locally is probably because “people in Louisiana celebrate everything more.”
Sherman said the costumes at Halloween Express range from $19.99 to more than $100, but the average costume costs between $50 and $60.
The average 18 to 24 year old will spend $68.56 on costumes, according to the survey, but some University students have a lower number in mind.
Kayli Robichaux, fashion merchandising sophomore, said she and her roommates are dressing as Barbie dolls.
“I didn’t want to spend that much money,” Robichaux said. “I just needed a wig and a microphone. I already have the outfit.”
Robichaux plans to borrow her friends’ clothes for her Rockstar Barbie costume, but she went to Halloween Express for the accessories.
This article is from www.lsureveille.com
- - - -
Contact Mary Walker Baus at mwbaus@lsureveille.com
While Michael Jackson will presumably be mimicked in many costumes, vampires, pirates, athletes and witches are among the top adult Halloween costumes, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. The survey found some pop culture costumes of last year, including political figures and Batman, fell in popularity.
Jill Sherman, co-owner of Halloween Express on Picardy Avenue, said Michael Jackson and vampire accessories are popular this year.
“Sales [on vampire costumes] have been up because of the big movies and shows on television right now,” Sherman said. “We’re running out of certain vampire fangs and the makeup that goes along with making them white.”
Sherman said her store sold out of Jackson costumes early and had to order more, but it sold out of The King of Pop’s signature sequin gloves.
Christian Coleman, chemical engineering freshman, said dressing up like the late superstar is a respectful tribute to his memory if he’s portrayed in the right way and no lines are crossed.
Sherman said the sexier costumes are the most popular with women.
“We always sell cats, bumble bees, lady bugs [and] sexy firewoman [outfits],” she said. “With men, it’s the funnier costumes.”
Immigrant advocacy groups, offended by the “illegal alien” costume, urged retailers, like Target, to pull the adult costume from shelves in mid-October.
Ashlea Walker, Spirit Halloween store manager, said her store initially carried an “illegal alien” costume but pulled it off the shelf.
Sherman said Halloween Express also carried the costume. She said when news about it hit, people rushed to the store to buy it. She said she did not restock the costume when it sold out.
Chris Williams, history and French junior, said he noticed Target pulled the “illegal alien” costume but said he didn’t find it offensive.
Consumers are expected to spend an average of $56.31 this year compared to last year’s $66.54, according to the NRF survey. National spending on Halloween is expected to reach $4.75 billion — a decrease from last year’s $5.77 billion.
“Retail sales, in general, are down,” said Doug Weimer, economics professor. “You see Halloween sales reflect what’s going on in general. There’s also a projection that it won’t be as strong a Christmas season.”
Weimer said people are more likely to recycle costumes to spend less money.
Sherman said Halloween Express has not had any problems with sales.
“We’re about even where we were last year,” she said. “I expect to be up slightly, but not by a large margin.”
Sherman said this is Halloween Express’ second year in business in Baton Rouge. She said the store is doing better with sales this year because more people know about it, and the store has more costumes and accessories stocked.
Spirit Halloween declined to comment about sales.
Mollye Ashmore, apparel design junior, said the reason Halloween sales are up locally is probably because “people in Louisiana celebrate everything more.”
Sherman said the costumes at Halloween Express range from $19.99 to more than $100, but the average costume costs between $50 and $60.
The average 18 to 24 year old will spend $68.56 on costumes, according to the survey, but some University students have a lower number in mind.
Kayli Robichaux, fashion merchandising sophomore, said she and her roommates are dressing as Barbie dolls.
“I didn’t want to spend that much money,” Robichaux said. “I just needed a wig and a microphone. I already have the outfit.”
Robichaux plans to borrow her friends’ clothes for her Rockstar Barbie costume, but she went to Halloween Express for the accessories.
This article is from www.lsureveille.com
- - - -
Contact Mary Walker Baus at mwbaus@lsureveille.com
Halloween Candy Buy Back
NATICK —
Halloween, with its bounty of candy bars and sugary sweets, is the enemy of dentists who every day wage war against cavities and tooth decay in the mouths of their young patients.
But area dentists are fighting back, asking kids to turn over the bulk of their trick-or-treat take in exchange for $1 per pound of candy and the knowledge that their sweets will be sent to troops serving overseas.
"It's a great holiday, the only downside is the enormous amount of sweets," said Dr. Svetlana Novak of South Natick Dental. "It puts so much sugar into your system - it's like a bomb that goes off once a year."
Novak decided this year to participate in the Halloween Candy Buy Back, a national program, for the first time. Her office will be buying candy from kids Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to $1 bills, kids will also get samples of dental floss, toothbrushes and anti-cavity gum - as will the kids who arrive on Novak's doorstep on Halloween night.
She puts a basket of dental products and sugar-free candy and gum out for trick-or-treaters, and while hers isn't the most popular house, Novak said the basket is typically empty by the end of the night.
Participating in the candy buyback is another way to fight cavities and tooth decay in kids, which she sees in her practice often, while sending the candy to soldiers who will appreciate it.
Novak isn't advocating for a candy-free Halloween, but tells kids to brush and rinse after they eat sweets. Older kids run into tooth problems by not having proper hygiene routines, while small children can get tooth decay simply by drinking too much juice, she said.
For the staff at Accent Dentistry on Mendon Street in Bellingham, the candy buyback program is more about community involvement and supporting the troops than getting kids to scale back on candy consumption.
"Our concern is with the current military action, supporting the troops and raising awareness," said office manager Jason Kole. "And if it saves kids from having their teeth filled, even better."
The practice already supports troops, by donating the toothpaste and dental floss samples it gets for free. The candy is good for soldiers to have as a treat, but more often is given to the local people soldiers interact with to build relationships, Kole said.
The office joined the candy buyback program just two weeks ago, and has been letting people know about it through word of mouth and by telling other local businesses.
Kole said he has no idea how many people will come to the office's buyback day, on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, but he's heard that offices in the state have collected anywhere from 60 to 100 pounds in the past.
"We have no idea how many kids we'll get," he said. "But we've got a large scale and lots of $1 bills."
At Wellesley Dental Group on Seaward Road, which has participated in the buyback for several years, kids and parents last Halloween brought in 900 pounds of candy, said Abby Roitman.
"This is a good way for kids to feel good about where their candy is going," she said. "A few pieces of candy is fun, they don't need to be eating bags and bags of it."
The office is collecting candy for two weeks, Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Many participating dental offices provide their own money to pay kids, and send the candy to Operation Gratitude, which packages and ships the candy overseas, while the Wellesley group sends its candy to Special Kindness in Packages Inc., an East Bridgewater nonprofit organization that sends packages to troops.
In Waltham, Dr. Sally Farzaneh, of Sally Farzaneh & Associates, is also collecting Halloween candy from kids. She plans to donate $5 to the American Heart Association for every pound of candy dropped off at the 212 Charles Street office.
More information on dental offices participating in the buyback can be found at www.halloweencandybuyback.com.
Halloween, with its bounty of candy bars and sugary sweets, is the enemy of dentists who every day wage war against cavities and tooth decay in the mouths of their young patients.
But area dentists are fighting back, asking kids to turn over the bulk of their trick-or-treat take in exchange for $1 per pound of candy and the knowledge that their sweets will be sent to troops serving overseas.
"It's a great holiday, the only downside is the enormous amount of sweets," said Dr. Svetlana Novak of South Natick Dental. "It puts so much sugar into your system - it's like a bomb that goes off once a year."
Novak decided this year to participate in the Halloween Candy Buy Back, a national program, for the first time. Her office will be buying candy from kids Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to $1 bills, kids will also get samples of dental floss, toothbrushes and anti-cavity gum - as will the kids who arrive on Novak's doorstep on Halloween night.
She puts a basket of dental products and sugar-free candy and gum out for trick-or-treaters, and while hers isn't the most popular house, Novak said the basket is typically empty by the end of the night.
Participating in the candy buyback is another way to fight cavities and tooth decay in kids, which she sees in her practice often, while sending the candy to soldiers who will appreciate it.
Novak isn't advocating for a candy-free Halloween, but tells kids to brush and rinse after they eat sweets. Older kids run into tooth problems by not having proper hygiene routines, while small children can get tooth decay simply by drinking too much juice, she said.
For the staff at Accent Dentistry on Mendon Street in Bellingham, the candy buyback program is more about community involvement and supporting the troops than getting kids to scale back on candy consumption.
"Our concern is with the current military action, supporting the troops and raising awareness," said office manager Jason Kole. "And if it saves kids from having their teeth filled, even better."
The practice already supports troops, by donating the toothpaste and dental floss samples it gets for free. The candy is good for soldiers to have as a treat, but more often is given to the local people soldiers interact with to build relationships, Kole said.
The office joined the candy buyback program just two weeks ago, and has been letting people know about it through word of mouth and by telling other local businesses.
Kole said he has no idea how many people will come to the office's buyback day, on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, but he's heard that offices in the state have collected anywhere from 60 to 100 pounds in the past.
"We have no idea how many kids we'll get," he said. "But we've got a large scale and lots of $1 bills."
At Wellesley Dental Group on Seaward Road, which has participated in the buyback for several years, kids and parents last Halloween brought in 900 pounds of candy, said Abby Roitman.
"This is a good way for kids to feel good about where their candy is going," she said. "A few pieces of candy is fun, they don't need to be eating bags and bags of it."
The office is collecting candy for two weeks, Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Many participating dental offices provide their own money to pay kids, and send the candy to Operation Gratitude, which packages and ships the candy overseas, while the Wellesley group sends its candy to Special Kindness in Packages Inc., an East Bridgewater nonprofit organization that sends packages to troops.
In Waltham, Dr. Sally Farzaneh, of Sally Farzaneh & Associates, is also collecting Halloween candy from kids. She plans to donate $5 to the American Heart Association for every pound of candy dropped off at the 212 Charles Street office.
More information on dental offices participating in the buyback can be found at www.halloweencandybuyback.com.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Halloween Costume Ideas
BY ANDY COMER
A year ago, I wrote a column about creating cheap Halloween costumes in light of the poor economy.
One year later, the economy still stinks, and I’m still unwilling to spend more than $10 on a costume I’m only going to wear for a couple of hours.
Fortunately for you, dear reader, I have a few costume ideas that will be a hit at your next Halloween party, but won’t break your piggy bank, either. Using stuff from around your home, you can easily whip up an award-winning or hilarious costume with a dash of creativity and little to no expense. If you have trouble coming up with ideas, look no further than your local newspaper (hint, hint); current events are an excellent source of inspiration for costumes, and if nothing else, you can turn your copy of the paper into a hat to complete a pirate costume.
Andy’s Halloween costume ideas for 2009:
>> Find a tall cardboard box, cut out holes for your arms, legs and head, then paint the box black. Stencil the word "Bentsen Tower" in white letters onto one side, and prepare to impress your friends with your civic knowledge when you show up to the party as — you guessed it — McAllen’s very own Bentsen Tower, one of the few tall buildings in the city.
>> Get a few free balloons from H-E-B, tie them to yourself, and voila — you can gain instant attention just like the family of 6-year-old Falcon Heene of Colorado, aka the "Balloon Boy," who captivated the world last week as authorities raced to save him from falling to an early death from his father’s amateur weather balloon. The ordeal has since turned out to be an alleged hoax, but there’s no reason you can’t milk it for a Halloween costume.
>> Wrap yourself in a ribbon and bow and attach a card with "To women, from God" written on it. Presto! You’re God’s gift to women. This was actually my costume from 2008, and it cost about $3 to put together. Of course, it would be just as easy to create a "God’s gift to men" costume.
>> Dye your hair gray, wear a name tag showing that you live in some local RV park and pull your socks up to your knees to become a Winter Texan. You get bonus points if you can pull off a northern accent.
>> Dallas Cowboys fans could don a sport coat along with a shirt and tie, then find a fedora at a thrift store to become Mission native and legendary Dallas coach Tom Landry. The fedora itself could probably tackle better than the current Cowboys defense.
Andy Comer is the slot editor and a columnist for The Monitor. Contact him at acomer@themonitor.com.
This article is from www.brownsvilleherald.com
A year ago, I wrote a column about creating cheap Halloween costumes in light of the poor economy.
One year later, the economy still stinks, and I’m still unwilling to spend more than $10 on a costume I’m only going to wear for a couple of hours.
Fortunately for you, dear reader, I have a few costume ideas that will be a hit at your next Halloween party, but won’t break your piggy bank, either. Using stuff from around your home, you can easily whip up an award-winning or hilarious costume with a dash of creativity and little to no expense. If you have trouble coming up with ideas, look no further than your local newspaper (hint, hint); current events are an excellent source of inspiration for costumes, and if nothing else, you can turn your copy of the paper into a hat to complete a pirate costume.
Andy’s Halloween costume ideas for 2009:
>> Find a tall cardboard box, cut out holes for your arms, legs and head, then paint the box black. Stencil the word "Bentsen Tower" in white letters onto one side, and prepare to impress your friends with your civic knowledge when you show up to the party as — you guessed it — McAllen’s very own Bentsen Tower, one of the few tall buildings in the city.
>> Get a few free balloons from H-E-B, tie them to yourself, and voila — you can gain instant attention just like the family of 6-year-old Falcon Heene of Colorado, aka the "Balloon Boy," who captivated the world last week as authorities raced to save him from falling to an early death from his father’s amateur weather balloon. The ordeal has since turned out to be an alleged hoax, but there’s no reason you can’t milk it for a Halloween costume.
>> Wrap yourself in a ribbon and bow and attach a card with "To women, from God" written on it. Presto! You’re God’s gift to women. This was actually my costume from 2008, and it cost about $3 to put together. Of course, it would be just as easy to create a "God’s gift to men" costume.
>> Dye your hair gray, wear a name tag showing that you live in some local RV park and pull your socks up to your knees to become a Winter Texan. You get bonus points if you can pull off a northern accent.
>> Dallas Cowboys fans could don a sport coat along with a shirt and tie, then find a fedora at a thrift store to become Mission native and legendary Dallas coach Tom Landry. The fedora itself could probably tackle better than the current Cowboys defense.
Andy Comer is the slot editor and a columnist for The Monitor. Contact him at acomer@themonitor.com.
This article is from www.brownsvilleherald.com
Sunday, October 25, 2009
More Stores Open for the Halloween
The recession hasn't been so scary for Halloween stores. In fact, they're finding better haunts in the graveyards of failed retailers.
MARY ALTAFFER/The Associated Press
A family tries on costumes at a Spirit Halloween store in New York. Because Halloween falls on a Saturday this year - the best day, according to those in the industry, because more adults throw parties - retailers are hoping for brisk business.
The seasonal sellers are taking advantage of the spate of retail bankruptcies and closings to open more – and larger – temporary stores this year in better locations. It adds up to an aggressive bid to capture cautious consumers' dollars in an industry that has grown rapidly over the past decade.
Halloween USA increased the number of temporary stores it has opened in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to 22 from 14 last year. The company has taken over a vacant Linens 'N Things on MacArthur Boulevard in Irving, space on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas that had been a Horchow Finale and a former Old Navy on Josey Lane in Carrollton.
Other stores are open in Arlington, Cedar Hill, Garland, Grapevine, Hurst, Irving, McKinney, Richardson and Plano.
Because Halloween falls on a Saturday this year – the best day, according to those in the industry, because more adults throw parties – retailers are hoping for brisk business.
Despite the recession, market research firm IBISWorld Inc. expects 2009 sales for costumes and decor to rise 3 percent from last year, to $3.8 billion. Pennsylvania-based Halloween Adventure CEO Joe Purifico confirmed sales were "trending up" as the company headed into the important two-week stretch before Halloween.
But seasonal retailers – which make about 70 percent of their sales in September and October – face tough competition for market share from lower-priced retailers such as Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., so visibility is key.
The stores say they're not really saving much on rent, but spending similar amounts to get better locations.
Empty retail space from the closings of Circuit City, Mervyns, Linens 'N Things and Home Depot's Expo Design Center have given the temporary stores plenty to work with.
Suzanne Mulvee, senior economist at Property & Portfolio Research, estimates that there is 269 million more square feet in vacant retail space – the equivalent of about more than 5,000 full-size Best Buys – across the country compared with a year ago. That gives retailers bargaining power, she said.
"A year ago they were in the corner of the mall, where no one went to," she said. "Now there are all these choices."
The Associated Press and staff writer Maria Halkias contributed to this report.
This article is from www.dallasnews.com
MARY ALTAFFER/The Associated Press
A family tries on costumes at a Spirit Halloween store in New York. Because Halloween falls on a Saturday this year - the best day, according to those in the industry, because more adults throw parties - retailers are hoping for brisk business.
The seasonal sellers are taking advantage of the spate of retail bankruptcies and closings to open more – and larger – temporary stores this year in better locations. It adds up to an aggressive bid to capture cautious consumers' dollars in an industry that has grown rapidly over the past decade.
Halloween USA increased the number of temporary stores it has opened in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to 22 from 14 last year. The company has taken over a vacant Linens 'N Things on MacArthur Boulevard in Irving, space on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas that had been a Horchow Finale and a former Old Navy on Josey Lane in Carrollton.
Other stores are open in Arlington, Cedar Hill, Garland, Grapevine, Hurst, Irving, McKinney, Richardson and Plano.
Because Halloween falls on a Saturday this year – the best day, according to those in the industry, because more adults throw parties – retailers are hoping for brisk business.
Despite the recession, market research firm IBISWorld Inc. expects 2009 sales for costumes and decor to rise 3 percent from last year, to $3.8 billion. Pennsylvania-based Halloween Adventure CEO Joe Purifico confirmed sales were "trending up" as the company headed into the important two-week stretch before Halloween.
But seasonal retailers – which make about 70 percent of their sales in September and October – face tough competition for market share from lower-priced retailers such as Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., so visibility is key.
The stores say they're not really saving much on rent, but spending similar amounts to get better locations.
Empty retail space from the closings of Circuit City, Mervyns, Linens 'N Things and Home Depot's Expo Design Center have given the temporary stores plenty to work with.
Suzanne Mulvee, senior economist at Property & Portfolio Research, estimates that there is 269 million more square feet in vacant retail space – the equivalent of about more than 5,000 full-size Best Buys – across the country compared with a year ago. That gives retailers bargaining power, she said.
"A year ago they were in the corner of the mall, where no one went to," she said. "Now there are all these choices."
The Associated Press and staff writer Maria Halkias contributed to this report.
This article is from www.dallasnews.com
Recession brings out homemade halloween ideas
This Halloween, expect to see more homemade costumes appearing on your doorstep as you pass out candy to trick-or-treaters, including Fort Collins' own "balloon boy."
With the ongoing recession, families are getting more creative when it comes to costumes. They're either making their own or recycling old ones.
According to the National Retail Federation's 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, rather than buy new costumes, 16.8 percent of Americans intend to make costumes this year.
Do-It-Yourselfers
On Tuesday afternoon, 18-year-old CSU students Ashley Grossaint, Chelsea Stewart and Emily Bayless looked through various fabrics at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts store, 2839 S. College Ave., for safari animal costumes they plan to make this Halloween.
The three women are looking for creative costumes to complement their male counterparts, who are dressing up as hunters.
The trio initially searched online and discovered the costumes were too expensive for their budgets, so they decided to take a more cost-effective route and make their own.
"We are all college students, so we look for anything to save us money," Stewart said. "We don't want to spend $80 on a costume when we are only going to wear it once, when we can make it for $10 or $12.
Across South College Avenue, 20-year-old Colorado State University student Jaime Goza checked out of the ARC Thrift Store, 106 E. Foothills Parkway, for a wig and feathers for a costume he is putting together. He said he plans to assemble his own costume this year from materials he finds at secondhand stores such as ARC, rather than investing in a ready-made costume.
"I try to save some money... that's why I come here," he said.
ARC, which has its own Halloween section full of costumes and decorations and a banner declaring it the "Best Halloween Headquarters," is doing standout sales this season, according to the store's district manager, Maria Knowlton.
Knowlton said Halloween sales are up 10 percent at the Fort Collins store this year compared with last. She notes that Halloween is like Christmas for the thrift store, which stockpiles used goods year-round for the holiday.
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