Deborah Carney
October 20, 2009
Mrs. Leontine (Tina) Harris
October 22, 2009
On this street corner: A costumed pumpkin holding a sign touting 50 percent off on all goods. On that corner: A witch promises shoppers much the same. It’s a sure sign Halloween is upon us. So, too, is a plethora of Houma shops catering to masking for all ages.
Whether it’s a tried-and-tested costume or the latest trend, Halloween shoppers should have plenty of outfits to choose from, all competitively priced to move.
After all, said Torey Hebb, manager of Ultimate Party on Martin Luther King Boulevard, fair pricing is key to staying in business these days.
“We try to keep our prices competitive with other stores,” Hebb said. “So far, we have been successful. As a party store, leading up to Halloween, we have just as many customers coming in for costumes as we do for party décor and supplies.”
Ultimate Party traditionally sells party décor and party accessories for all occasions year-round. Hebb said the costumes are a great complement to the party décor. “Being able to offer more than one thing gives you an edge,” she said.
Cindy Stringer, assistant store manager at the Halloween Bootique, said her store gets praises all the time for its inexpensive costumes. The store is located in the old Circuit City building.
“Halloween has become such a popular celebration among adults – and it’s still a favorite for kids – that you need more than one place selling costumes,” Stringer said. “What we don’t carry, the other stores might. People like to have a variety.”
Halloween Bootique manager Virginia Dardar said Halloween is no longer just about children dressing up for trick-or-treating. She said the holiday has morphed into a party-type celebration where more adults are dressing up along with their children.
Not to mention, Houma has a premiere Halloween Parade next Friday night, put on by the South Louisiana Center for the Arts, that offers customers another reason to mask.
Even with the stiff competition, all the costume shops in the Houma area have reported high sales this Halloween season.
The Halloween Bootique on Martin Luther King Boulevard is a seasonal shop. It is a subsidiary of Coach House Gifts in Southland Mall. According to Dardar, Halloween has been phenomenal. She said the Houma store currently has the highest sales for all Halloween Bootique chains across the nation.
“We are so thankful to Houma residents. Without them, we would not be able to submit standout figures that make ownership take notice of our success,” she said. “At Halloween Bootique, people are excited about the variety of costumes that we offer.”
The Halloween Costume Warehouse, located in the old Rex building on Martin Luther King Boulevard, is a subsidiary of Party City LLC in New Orleans. It offers rows of costumes – princesses, police officers, maidens, superheroes and the traditional witches, ghouls, goblins and skeletons.
And another possibility for Halloween shoppers is Mermaid’s Masquerade, a rental costume shop on Main Street. The store has been renting costumes to the Houma area since 1996, according to store manager Jody Kimble.
Mermaid’s Masquerade is owned by Bernadette Dugas.
Dugas has an extensive background in theatrics and costuming, Kimble said.
For a number of years, she was a costume designer, creating looks for the stage and special events. Now, Kimble said her boss buys them from costume market shows and catalogs.
“Bernadette prides herself on offering unique costumes that franchise stores do not offer,” Kimble said. “We’re just one store. Franchises have multiple stores. Our customers depend on us to give them quality costumes that can be used repetitively.
“There is no reason for someone to walk out of Mermaid’s Masquerade without a costume,” she added.
Halloween Costume Warehouse sale associate Brian Brossard (right) monkeys around while helping out Cheryl Hebert find the right outfit for the holiday. With four Halloween specialty stores at which to shop, customers are finding good deals. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
