By Kathleen Furore
NCA ADMINISTRATION
Board oF directors
President
Terry Sinopoli
Arlene’s Costumes 1156 Culver Rd. Rochester, NY 14609
terry@arlenescostumes.com 585-662-9942
Term ends: 2025
immediate Past
President
Pam Markel
Illusive Skull Costume Castle 1314 Morgantown Ave. Fairmont, WV 26554 docmarkel@aol.com
304-476-7927
Term ends: 2025
Vice President
Janine Caufield
Caufield’s 1006 West Main St. Louisville, KY 40202
Janine@caufields.com 502-727-5682
Term ends: 2024
treasurer
Louella Torrence
Drop Me a Line Costume Shop 3600 Catherine Ave. Allentown, PA 18103 dropmealine@rcn.com 610-360-5498
Term ends: 2025 director
Marion Bradley
Discount Costumes 1736 Watson Blvd Warner Robins, GA 31093 balloonsnpartiesinfo@ gmail.com 478-396-1204
Term ends: 2026
director
Calvin Coffman
Graftobian 510 Tasman St. Madison, WI 53714 608-222-7849
calvincoffman@graftobian.com
Term ends: 2026
director Anne Dorsey
McCabe’s Costumes 4054 S. Memorial Dr. Winterville, NC 28590 mccabescostumes@gmail. com
Term ends: 2026 director
Courtland Hickey
Chicago Costume 1120 W. Fullerton Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 courtland@chicagocostume. com
773-528-1264
Term ends: 2025 director
Dwayne Ibsen
Ibsen Costume Gallery 4981 Hamilton St. Omaha, NE 68132
402-556-1400
Fax 402-556-5727 ibsencostumes@ gmail.com
Term ends: 2024 director
Brandon Lilly
The Life of the Party 4025 S. Mason St., Ste B. Fort Collins, CO 80525 brandon.lilly@goodsforgeeks. com 970-414-0857
Term ends: 2025 executiVe director Ed Avis
National Costumers Association 708-218-7755 executivedirector@costumers.org
2024 standing committee c H airs
Buyer member Benefits: Courtland Hickey
Vendor Benefits: Calvin Coffman
membership recruitment: Anne Dorsey and Marion Bradley
revenue: Anne Dorsey
nominations and awards: Pam Markel
Bereavement, disaster and grievance: Pam Markel
History: Dwayne Ibsen and Pam Markel
Website: Janine Caufield and Brandon Lilly
social media: Janine Caufield and Calvin Coffman
Be on t H e lookout! The invoices for your 2025 membership dues will be emailed to all current members in the coming weeks.
The nca depends on your dues to continue providing The Costumer magazine, our biweekly email newsletter, the Buyer’s group, the Bundle program, the halloween promotions, the webinars and all of the other member benefits!
if you don’t get an invoice, please contact ed avis at executivedirector@costumers.org or 708-218-7755.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Hello my nca friends,
Christmas is my favorite time of the year (besides Halloween, of course). I come from a big family, and we love celebrating the holidays, especially Christmas. We cook, bake, listen to Christmas music, watch movies and TV specials, cut down our own Christmas tree, and most importantly, spend time together. When I was little, my dad played Santa for private parties, company events, community celebrations and even for our family until I was old enough to recognize the guy in the red suit. He was even the Xerox Santa for 10 years. He was always looking for the BEST Santa Suit, bells, boots and everything Santa.
As Christmas and the holiday season nears, Santa and his helpers will be looking for friendly, well-stocked shops and online stores to help find their Santa Suits, elf and Mrs. Claus costumes, accessories and, of course, decorations. Please take advantage of all that our vendor members have to offer for the holidays. This is a great way to finish the year on a strong note.
We made it through Halloween — hopefully unscathed! How was your Halloween? Did having it on a Thursday improve your sales? Did any particularly popular movie releases or other entertainment encourage more sales? We would love to hear about your experiences this year. Make sure to share them with us on our NCA Facebook page or send us an email.
TikTok is a great way to get the word out about your business. Were you at our 100th Birthday celebration in Indianapolis where Janine Caufield and her girls gave an amazing presentation on TikTok and its benefits? Do you know that you can sell on TikTok as well as share your videos with your audience? Do you do something on TikTok or another social media platform that makes you stand out or draws people into your store?
How do you like your Point of Sale (POS) system? Do you have one? Is it connected to your website and your social media platforms? Is it easy to use? Is it efficient? If you have questions about your POS, this is a great edition to check out.
Your Board of Directors has been working all year to give you great ideas to improve your sales for every season. Look back through our social media posts, bi-weekly newsletters, and The Costumer magazine for fantastic ideas. Don’t be afraid to reach out to directors or longtime members for suggestions. We have a general NCA Facebook Page, a Members’ Only Page, an Instagram Page, and events all year to help improve business, give amazing ideas and to get together as colleagues and friends. This past year we had our Spring Fling 2023, Zoom Fashion Show, the Preview of the 2024 NCA Bundle Program and more.
Another great way to see what is happening in our industry is to attend the Halloween & Party Expo in Las Vegas scheduled for January 13-15, 2025. You can meet some of our members and vendor members, check out demonstrations and learn about new products.
Are you thinking about your New Year’s resolution? Why not make one you can keep. I invite you to become an active participant in the National Costumers Association in the new year. Like or follow us on our socials, join us for webinars and special events. This is YOUR NCA! Please help us make 2025 an amazing one for our organization and our industry!
All my best for a festive holiday season and wonderful new year,
terry sinopoli, president
National Costumers Association
terry@arlenescostumes.com
Arlene’s Costumes, Rochester, New York
nca national Headquarters
ed avis
executive director
P.O. Box 13347 Chicago, IL 60613 708-218-7755
executivedirector@costumers.org
The Costumer publications office
Ed Avis Associates P.O. Box 13347 Chicago, IL 60613
708-218-7755
executivedirector@costumers.org
ad sales
Ed Avis
708-218-7755
executivedirector@costumers.org
editorial inquiries
Kathleen Furore
708-267-0023
kfurore@yahoo.com
art director
Michelle Crisanti michelle@mc2chicago.com
©2024, National Costumers Association. The Costumer is published by the National Costumers Association, Inc., with headquarters located at the above address, a nonprofit and incorporated association of costumers located in the United States, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, India, Ireland, Mexico, and Great Britain.
No responsibility is assumed for the opinions expressed or claims made by the authors of articles or by advertisers. Appearance in the magazine does not constitute endorsement by the National Costumers Association, nor its officers or representatives.
www.costumers.org
IN THE INDUSTRY
nca survey: o ver $15 million spent on inventory
By Ed Avis
NCA members are important players in the costume industry. A survey of members conducted earlier this year revealed the amount of money that members spend on inventory, how they choose products for their stores, how they learn about new products, and more.
Big spenders How much do NCA members spend on inventory each year? The average is about $150,000, according to the survey. The smallest store responding to the survey reported that they spend $5,000 on inventory, and the largest spends $400,000.
The survey was answered by 19 of the association’s 101 current members. If we extrapolate the $150,000 average to all member stores, the association as a whole spends just over $15 million per year.
discounts good, competing with stores Bad Another question in the survey asked members what factors they consider when choosing a vendor. There was a tie at the top: The two most important factors were the availability of discounts for NCA members and whether a vendor competes with retailers by selling on their own websites for less than the MSRP.
That latter concept was also highlighted during an NCA meeting about vendor issues. Meeting attendees said they understood that manufacturers need to have websites that sometimes sell to consumers, but when they sell below the MSRP, it’s a business killer.
The next most important factors, according to the survey, are the uniqueness of the product, the quality of the product, and
the availability of Halloween dating, in that order.
Interestingly, a factor that traditionally is seen as important –whether the product is a licensed product (such as from Marvel or Disney) – was ranked 11th out of 13 factors, far below factors such as availability and shipping cost.
good Websites matter How do NCA members learn about new products? The vendor’s website and the internet in general ranked as the most important ways to learn, the survey revealed. In the NCA meeting about vendors, several attendees said they greatly prefer vendor websites that contain up-to-date stock information, so that they don’t place orders for products that end up being out of stock.
Other top-scoring avenues were PDF catalogs, the Halloween & Party Expo, and The Costumer magazine.
everyone likes the Buyer’s group The next question asked members which NCA member benefits they use the most. Unsurprisingly, the top benefit is the Buyer’s Group, which is used by 95 percent of members.
Other very popular benefits are The Costumer magazine, which is read by 79 percent of members; and the NCA Today newsletter, which is read by 68 percent of members.
creep Fest attracts 4,000
The good people of Louisville evidently can’t wait for Halloween! On August 10, an estimated 4,000 people packed into legendary costume store Caufield’s for Caufield’s Creepfest — an event that featured 40 vendors, a food truck, Beetlejuice photo opportunities, and other creepy delights.
nca reViVes
mentor p rogram
When a new member joins the NCA, sometimes they need a little help understanding the benefits of membership. And sometimes they even need help understanding the costume industry altogether! With that in mind, the NCA is reviving a mentoring program for new members.
The program is simple but potentially powerful. When a new member joins, they will be matched with an existing member, who will reach out to the new member to set up a phone call and remain in contact regularly for as long as the new member needs.
The existing member will help the new member with:
• Finding new vendors and discovering who sells what
• Using NCA benefits and discounts
• Getting into a different niche
• Maximizing a trip to a trade show
• Effectively organizing inventory
• Choosing a POS or online sales tool
• Just chatting about the industry!
The possibilities are endless, and the opportunity to develop a strong relationship is always a key part of this program.
“We envision the program as a way to help new members get the most from their membership and succeed in the industry,” says Ed Avis, NCA executive director. “In the long run, having successful members helps the association thrive.”
If you are willing to be a mentor, or if you would like to be matched with a mentor, please complete the registration form here: www.costumers.org/nca-revives-mentoring-program/
nca Bundle p rogram Wraps up
Thirteen NCA members participated in the 2024 Bundle Program to save money on their Halloween inventory. The program, in its second year, combines the purchases of members to help get better prices. This year’s program included products from 19 Vendor Members, including HM Smallwares, KBW, Rubies, Rasta Imposta and Wolfe.
Stay tuned for details about the 2025 NCA Bundle Program.
Bag-filling Tips for a Successful Holiday
Bag-filling Tips for a Successful Holiday
By Kathleen Furore
In years past, Todd and Michelle Belanger have launched the holiday season at Disguises in Lakewood, Colorado, with decorations and signs visible from the street, and sometimes free social media posts. But those efforts haven’t generated the kind of sales in what Todd calls “a pretty important” season — one he says used to be better.
“I’ve spent a lot on marketing and never felt it was worth the money or even did anything at all,”
ing shape: a pop-up toy store that will be branded as a totally different business with its own logos, Google listing, and “lots of advertising and decorating in the parking lot on the street,” Todd says.
The idea is to give customers a shop for toys — something that’s becoming rare. As Todd notes, “Mom-and-Pop year-round toy shops have gone out of business except in tourist areas. [There are] a few in big shopping centers. But many are gone.”
“I will take racking down and make room for shelves and tables and display the product differently and have a small portion of my store — about 1,000 square feet — look and feel different than the regular Halloween store.”—Todd Belanger make room shelves and the differently and portion about 1,000 square feet look and different than the regular Halloween —Todd
says Todd, who reports that sales on average for the past five years are down 20 percent compared to the previous five.
This year, he hopes, will be different thanks to new plans being put in place for the 2024 holiday season.
While paid email blasts with Westword, a free local publication that’s left in lobbies and in front of many area businesses, are likely to be in the marketing mix, there’s a bigger, bolder plan tak-
So, how will the pop-up work?
“I will take racking down and make room for shelves and tables and display the product differently and have a small portion of my store — about 1,000 square feet — look and feel different than the regular Halloween store,” Todd explains, noting that it’s an affordable project since the only extra expenses are the product and his time.“I see it as very low risk. Christmas used to be
way bigger for us. We used to do a lot more Santa rentals. And rentals are down, not just for Christmas, but also in general. Being able to do this seasonally with low expenses could be a good idea.”
To stock the pop-up, Todd first turned to Craig Gillbert of Fullmer and Associates, who reps Underwraps, Costume Culture, Zagone, and other companies at the Halloween & Party Expo (HPE).
“He lives in Denver and is a great guy. He does a lot of toys, and he has traveled all over to see his customers and their shops. He has a good idea as to what is selling and the mix that successful shops have done,” Todd says.
The pop-up will also include “a lot of horror-themed and pop culture stuff to still keep the store unique,” Todd says. “I want to have the base of a toy store, from baby to teen toys, then on top of that just try and keep it weird.”
Long-t
Looking for creative ways to get customers in-store this holiday season?
Here are two options to consider:
*Create a Stocking Stuffer Display. Include small items that will fit in Christmas stockings and consider giving away a free stocking with the purchase of several items. Not sure what to include? Check out the list of “100 stocking stuffers that will actually be appreciated” at modernmrsdarcy.com/stocking-stuffers.
*Host a “Let Kids Shop Day.” Invite parents/caregivers to bring the kids in to shop for family members and friends during a specified time period — and perhaps have Santa, Mrs. Claus and some elves wandering about to help with gift selections and a few inexpensive freebies, too.
I me nCA m ember S HA re S Ho LI d A y m emor I e S
Editor’s Note: The Costumer asked Pam Markel, immediate past president of the NCA, how she and her staff celebrated the holiday season at The Illusive Skull, the costume shop she and her husband Dennis owned in Fairmont, West Virginia, until they closed the business after the 2020 holiday season.
Christmas is my favorite holiday, so as you can imagine, my staff and I went all out decorating the store from top to bottom, and inside and out. I have always believed that you need to set the scene for the ultimate shopping experience if you want the customer to come in the door and purchase your products.
while other years we went crazy with a Grinch village and wild and crazy decorations. People would stop by just to see what was inside because the windows were such a draw.
My staff and I often did interesting promotions on Facebook, which
& tI p S
were laughing so much, while the evil ones played their part well — maybe too well!
The “cast” of The Illusive Skull’s Family Feud
I was quite surprised how much publicity and traffic we received from that one event. Previously my husband and I tried a TV commercial, with my husband Dennis as Billy Bob the Elf. Billy Bob gave a tour of the store and interviewed customers. Of course, he had Billy Bob teeth in his mouth which made it funnier. It was cute but not as well received as the Family Feud idea.
Decorating our two large windows on either side of our front door was a challenge, but necessary. These windows were my advertisement. Each and every Christmas we made the windows appear like an old fashioned store, portioning the large space into individual snow-covered windowpanes. Sometimes we made it look like Santa’s workshop with toys and nostalgic items,
seemed to work for us. One of the most popular and successful promotions my husband and I did was a Family Feud between the good Christmas characters versus the evil ones. On one side there was Santa, Mrs. Santa, the good elf, Cindy Loo Hoo and the Thanksgiving turkey. The evil side was Krampus, the bad elf, Jack Frost and the Grinch. The moderator would toss out questions for the characters to quickly answer. Needless to say, most of the good side of Christmas participants had a hard time staying in character because they
My advice for other stores in preparation for the upcoming holiday season is: Make your store clean and interesting, move your merchandise around to freshen it up, promote the items that are different and unusual — for example we made our own interesting Christmas hats — and make your store a shopping experience that entices people to come in and buy. In today’s economy, you need to be different and unique with merchandise that catches the customer’s eye.
Welcome Frightmare collectibles! Horror Festival Founder Adds Retail to his Costuming Portfolio
By Ed Avis
Loyd Cryer says he’s always been “a massive movie fan with a proclivity towards horror movies.”
Most horror movie fans satisfy their proclivities by watching horror movies or reading fan magazines, but that wasn’t enough for Cryer — in 2006 he started his own horror festival, the Texas Frightmare Weekend, now billed as “The Southwest’s Premier Horror Convention.”
“There wasn’t anything like that around here,” says Cryer. “I talked to my wife, and she encouraged me to do go for it.”
Cryer, who worked in the parts and service department of a Lexus dealership at the time, didn’t have any experience running big shows, but he figured it out. The first few years were lean, as potential exhibitors were not excited to display their horror wares at a new event. But Cryer was able to book some celebrity guests that attracted attendees, and eventually things took off.
“When the demand among the exhibitors started to go up, we were able to be a little more choosy and pull in the kind of exhibitors that attendees wanted to shop with,” Cryer says, noting that Trick or Treat Studios, Vinegar Syndrome, Living Dead Dolls and many other horror vendors exhibit now.
Cryer continued working at the Lexus dealership as he grew Frightmare Weekend. However, when the world stopped during Covid in 2020, Cryer lost his job and suddenly had to reconsider his career. He decided that opening a retail store that catered to some of the same people who attended Frightmare Weekend made the most sense.
“This seemed like a natural fit,” he says. “We wanted to host in-store experiences, so it would be something that the fans in the area could take part in on a regular basis outside of conventions. We found a space, rented it, and have been going since October 2020.”
Cryer’s store, Frightmare Collectibles in Justin, Texas, joined the NCA in August.
The inventory includes products from many of the convention’s vendors.
Cryer says he stocks a lot of products that customers cannot find at area big box stores.
“We wanted to host in-store experiences, so it would be something that the fans in the area could take part in on a regular basis outside of conventions. We found a space, rented it, and have been going since october 2020.”— Loyd cryer
“We have a little of everything,” he says. “That’s what our customers really like when they come in. We try to stay unique. Customers come in and can find a good selection of stuff that they usually find at the convention.”
Events are important for the business, Cryer says. His 1,400-square-foot store is located in a warehouse district, and the other businesses there are generally not open on the weekends. That means they have the area to themselves for weekend events.
This October 12, for example, the store will host Miko Hughes, the star of movies including Pet Sematary, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Apollo 13, and Kindergarten Cop, who will sign autographs and take photos with fans.
“It’s always a boon for us when we bring in a celebrity,” he says. “And after the people get an autograph, they shop the store.”
B USINESS B ASICS
tapping the t iktok trend Caufield’s “TikTok Girls” are Building a Following with Creative Posts
By Kathleen Furore
When it comes to navigating the ever-changing, fastmoving world of TikTok, Janine Caufield of Caufield’s Novelty in Louisville, Kentucky doesn’t hesitate to turn the reins over to two employees who understand the platform better than anyone in her shop: the team she calls the “TikTok Girls,” Brylea Pavey and Bailey Foster.
“The girls are very creative and work hard on our social media! It does bring people in because of our TikTok,” Caufield says. “We have customers who have traveled from three states over just to come to our store and also to meet the girls! It has increased our presence on social media.”
Thanks to the duo’s quick, witty and frequent posts, the number of Caufield’s TikTok followers topped 134,000 and had garnered 6.8 million likes as this issue of The Costumer went to press.
“Bailey and I started consistently posting on Caufield’s TikTok as of October 2022,” Pavey says. “Deciding on what to post depends on what is currently trending and how we can apply it to entertain our audience.”
These TikTok Girls spend several hours each week doing research about trends and hashtags, which helps inform their decisions about what to post.
“We post as consistently as we can and attempt at least three posts a week,” Pavey says. “When we first started, we posted four times a day! Yep, that’s right, four!”
Among the most popular TikTok “hits” have been videos from the “Costumes we want to see this year “ series. The videos, which went viral, featured Pavey and Foster dancing in-store in a variety of costumes. — Dalmation & Firefighter, Witches, Cheshire Cat & Alice, Cat & Mouse, Minions and more. A few of the accompanying hashtags include #caufields,
“The [ t iktok] girls are very creative and work hard on our social media! it does bring people in because of our t iktok. We have customers who have traveled from three states over just to come to our store and also to meet the girls! it has increased our presence on social media one inline.”— Janine caufield
#caufieldsnovelty, #halloweenduosm #aliceinwonderland, #minions, #costumeideas, #halloweencostumeinspo and #shopsmall.
The response has been phenomenal: According to Pavey, the number of views ranged from 1.3 million to 3 million views per clip!
Other examples include a video tour of Caufield’s, a video of Pavey and Foster taking the store’s hearse (complete with a casket and skeleton passenger) out for a spin, and several videos in the “Our Spirits” category that feature posts about the “haunted” third floor the shop is known for.
adVice From t H e t iktok p ros
Pavey and Foster clearly have perfected the posting process for Caulfield’s TikTok page. But what about other shops who don’t
Taking T he TikTok P L unge
There are myriad ways to begin marketing your costume shop on TikTok. The pros at Marketing 360® — a business commerce platform designed to help small businesses grow—offers some steps to take in “How to Use TikTok to Boost Your Retail Store’s Online Presence.”
Step #1: Capturing attention with your content. Let’s pretend your retail store sells DIY craft supplies. Now, you could simply take a photo of your supplies and put it up on TikTok…How about creating a TikTok video showing a fun, easy-to-do DIY craft using your supplies?
Step #2: Getting found with hashtags. By adding relevant and trending hashtags in your video captions, you can increase your chances of being discovered by potential customers.
Step #3: Amplifying your reach with influencers. Let’s say your store sells vintage clothing. A collaboration with a TikTok influencer who loves vintage fashion can expose your brand to an entirely new audience.
Step #4: Encouraging user-generated content (UGC). Imagine a customer of yours, let’s call her Sarah, purchases a vintage dress from your store and posts a TikTok video of her wearing it. Sarah’s followers see the video and love the dress. They ask Sarah where she bought it, and she points them to your store. Encourage your customers to create videos with your products and to tag your store. It’s an effective way of gaining exposure and credibility, as customers trust other customers far more than they trust brands.
have two young pros to help build their presence on the platform?
Pavey shares her tips for how to get started:
“My advice we would give is to find your niche! For Caufield’s, we focus on the fact that we have such a large horror community in Louisville. For other costume shops, it could be the selection of costumes you have, the uniqueness of costumes, or even if you have quirky things about your actual store. For instance, we find that our historical building attracts customers into our store as it is haunted. We have had multiple paranormal investigations on TikTok done at our store. Find out what sets you apart and run with it.”
You can see more of Caufield’s TikTok posts at www.tiktok.com/@caufields.
B USINESS B ASICS
p icking a pos s ystem for your costume s hop
By Ed Avis
When Jeremy and Cynthia Veal were preparing to open Evil Izzy’s Haunted Emporium, their new costume shop in Phoenix, researching POS systems was an important early task.
“We needed a POS that would integrate with inventory; we wanted something that was easy to use; and we looked at price,” Cynthia says, adding that other issues they considered ranged from the level of tech support to the types of reports the system can generate.
In short, the Veals did what all the experts suggest: They made a list of criteria that are important for their business and researched POS systems deeply.
“The first piece of advice I would give another costume shop owner is do extensive research,” Jeremy says. “I know it’s time consuming. I know it’s not the most fun thing in the world. But it’s important.”
So if a customer walks in and they want to buy three witch costumes, they can buy them immediately. And once I sell those to them, it deducts those from my inventory.”
Jeremy Veal
Here are seven key questions to ask when picking a POS system:
#1 can it handle inventory? A good POS includes a system that allows you to easily upload your inventory as you receive it – such as with Excel spreadsheets provided by your vendors – and deducts inventory in real time when you sell something, whether it’s sold in your store, a street fair, or online.
“When I place an order with Rubies, I upload it to our system,” explains Cynthia, who uses a system from POS Nation. “Let’s say I ordered five witch costumes and 10 Frankenstein costumes. When it comes in, the system pulls up the order, we accept it, as long as we got everything, and it uploads and updates our quantities and immediately it’s ready for sale.
Bernie Garrido, owner of Bernie’s House of Fun in Brownsville, Texas, uses a POS system from Clover and appreciates that it easily tracks the inventory in both of his locations separately.
“I set up the system so it tracks my inventory on location A and the inventory on location B,” he explains. “That way I can say, ‘What is a Store A doing for me?’ or ‘What’s Store B doing for me?’ and I can see that.”
Garrido will soon begin selling online, and his POS will seamlessly manage the online inventory as well, as if the website were simply another store location. Neither the Veals or Garrido rent costumes. If rentals are part of your business, make sure you ask about how the POS would help you manage rental inventory.
#2 What equipment do you get? The heart of a modern POS system is the software, but you’ll still need some hardware to run your store. Common pieces of equipment include a handheld scanner; a tablet that allows you accept credit cards and other forms of payment in your store; and a cash drawer. If you sell off-site, you may also want a system that allows you to use your laptop or smartphone as a cash register.
You don’t always need to buy the version sold by the provider. For example, the Veals purchased an inexpensive handheld scanner instead of buying one from POS Nation. In other cases, you may find it smart to rent the equipment. Garrido rents his equipment because he knows if anything breaks, Clover will immediately replace it.
#3 is it easy to use? Some of the factors to consider regarding ease of use include how much training is provided, how intuitive the system is, and how forgiving it is if you make an error. Some ease-of-use features to consider are the ability to make a quote for a prospective customer; the ability to include discounts simply; and the ability to conveniently cancel a sale.
Jeremy says he likes the fact that he can use their POS system even though he did not go through the training (Cynthia did). “The stuff that comes up day-to-day that we’ve never done before is extremely easy to figure out,” he says. “That’s one thing I really like about it.”
When there are things they don’t understand, they can call their customer representative who walks them through it, Cynthia says. Garrido reports the same thing with Clover; if he’s unsure about something, his customer service person will jump onto a Zoom and show him how to do it.
#4 What tech support do you get? Your POS system is an integral part of your business, which means tech support is essential. So, when you research systems, ask if the tech
fees (assuming you use the POS provider’s own credit card processing). Most of these costs vary depending on your situation — how many locations you have, how many checkout counters at each location, what features you want, etc. — so make sure you get the full cost picture before choosing a system.
The credit card fees are particularly important to investigate because they add up over time. Garrido says Clover requires him to use them as the processor, but the Veals say POS Nation allows them to use other processors. However, the rate POS Nation charges is less than what the Veals were quoted from their bank, so they use the POS Nation processor.
#7 What reports does it provide? A good POS system should provide reports that show sales broken down by location, product and salesperson; sales trends and margins; other financial analysis; and current inventory.
“After the season, it’s really helpful because you can pull an inventory report say, ‘OK, what do I need to buy for next year?’” Garrido says.
“The first piece of advice i would give another costume shop owner is do extensive research. i know it’s time consuming. i know it’s not the most fun thing in the world. But it’s important.”— Jeremy Veal
support is phone-based or online, how quickly issues are addressed, and what specific elements of the POS are included.
The Veals report that POS Nation’s tech support is so fast that if a problem arises while a customer is standing there, they can call and typically get a support person within a couple of minutes. Garrido is equally impressed with Clover’s support. For example, if a piece of hardware fails, Clover ships a replacement within 24 hours.
#5 does it integrate with my accounting system? Because so much of your business occurs through your POS system, life is easier if you can seamlessly transfer that data into your QuickBooks or other accounting system. All POS systems allow this in some fashion, but when you’re evaluating systems, get the specifics of how this is done — Is it automatic or manual? If it’s automatic, does it happen continuously, daily, or only when you initiate a data transfer? Do you need to adjust the data in any way to get it to integrate properly? Etc.
#6 How much does it cost? The costs of a POS system basically come in four buckets: the initial set-up and training costs; the equipment cost; the monthly fee; and the credit card
Those seven questions can serve as a guide when researching POS systems, but they are just the beginning. Once you’ve narrowed your search down to two or three good systems, take time to get demos of all of them and run every imaginable scenario.
“One thing we learned the hard way was that you can’t assume that a POS system does something,” Jeremy says, explaining that their system does not allow them to easily include a discount in a proposal, which seemed like an obvious feature.
“Sometimes even the sales rep will make an assumption about what a system can do, so have them demo all those things. That way you’ll get the real idea about how a system works.”
ellie shoes. The 100-Emerald Women’s Velvet Witch Flat with Buckles — available in black, green, purple, and red velvet — is in stock now, in sizes 6 – 11. The 031-Alex Men’s Flat Gladiator Sandal Colors is available in black and brown in Small (8-9), Medium (10-11), and Large (12-13). 714-771-0015; www.ellieshoes.com
s uper impulse. Your customers will have a blast with these cool Poptaters! All parts are interchangeable, and offer a fun, modern way to play mash-up. Available in 18 Poptater styles! Pictured: Item # 5411 Chucky; #5419 Wednesday; and #5423 One Pie. $7.50 each. 863-409-1151; superimpulse.com; susan@superimpulse.com
camden passage. This Cosmic Moon Metallic Eye Shadow is formulated and packed with pigment for super coverage — glides on smoothly, too. With 8 metallic colors for inspiration, your customers will find the perfect shade. Safe and fuss-free, Cosmic Moon Eye Shadows are the perfect way to add some extra glam. And when it’s time to remove, a simple, regular makeup wipe will do the trick. 888-755-5578; camdenpassage.com; info@camdenpassage.com
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M Y F AVORITE C OSTUME
Dian Lowe Costumes Plus Minneapolis, Minnesota
In 1995, Dian and Luis Lowe opened a new costume business in the Maplewood Mall in Maplewood, Minnesota, after a friend told them about the opportunity to open a pop-up Halloween shop with Halloween Express.
“It sounded like an interesting proposition,” recalls Dian, who then owned a home furnishings/ gift shop with Luis. “From that year on, we ran stores in September and October, but always with the same independent mindset. In 2008 we bought a building, and since we had the space, we decided to start selling costumes and costume accessories year-round.”
As the business grew, so did the realization that the Lowes weren’t a great fit for the franchise model.
“The best thing for us to do was to be independent owners, not be part of a franchise,” Dian says. “In 2014, we left the franchise and became Costumes Plus — a name we chose to quickly convey the fact that we have MUCH more than just costumes. Our goal has always been to be a unique and fun shop to visit. We even had our own haunted house in the Maplewood Mall, set up from scratch with handmade props and mannequins.”
Today, Costumes Plus carries the largest selection of costumes and costume accessories in the Twin Cities area, including a huge selection of masquerade masks, professional-quality makeup, high-quality wigs, plus items like candles, incense and essential oils in the store’s gift shop, and corsets, hosiery, shape wear, and sexy costumes in the Lingerie Boutique.
With all there is to choose from, it might be hard to answer this question The Costumer posed to Dian: “What is your favorite costume?”
“We’ve had quite a few memorable sales over the years, but the first sale that came to mind when asked was a really fun costume that we helped put together for a Minnesota Vikings player to wear when entering the stadium pre-game last year,” Lowe says. “This was for a game in December that featured the Vikings wearing their ‘White Out’ uniforms. This White Wolf outfit was a lot of fun to put together — it received a lot of media attention, and most importantly he looked great in it!”
What is your favorite costume? To be considered for an upcoming My Favorite Costume profile, email Editor Kathleen Furore at kfurore@yahoo.com.
