FOCUS ON: MASKS AND ACCESSORIES
As budgets are continuously squeezed, consumers are looking for ways to celebrate events while keeping a tight hold on purse strings, meaning masks and accessories is a growing category, offering a low cost dress up option. PPE finds out how the sector is growing and what the latest product innovation is. Left: Palmer Agencies says masks have been the star category of 2023.
this sector for the past year. Customers are getting creative with their costumes, using accessories as a base to dress up their own clothes. A tactic always used by students, this style of fancy dress is spreading across the board as we all notice the pinch with the cost of living increasing. “This Halloween season, accessories were amongst our top selling lines. Masks allow customers to dress up as iconic characters. With their instantly recognisable faces, customers can then utilise their own clothes to recreate the rest of the look. “This sector also opens up opportunities with events that aren’t costume based. Novelty glasses, embellished hats and colourful wigs add a fun element to parties, nights out and photobooths, especially as we head into the festive season.” Amscan also placed an emphasis on the category for Halloween. Sophie Greenbank, product manager – costume, outlines: “For Halloween
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s an alternative to buying a whole new costume, masks and accessories offer consumers the option to either update an existing costume, or to create their own, often at a lower cost. As a result of the cost-of-living crisis, the sector is gaining popularity for these reasons and offers retailers a way to entice even those customers who are curtailing discretionary spending. Sergio Battaner, sales and marketing director at Palmer Agencies tells us: “Masks has been the real star category in the party industry this year. “The incredible demand for Halloween staples like Myers or Ghost Face was outstanding and all retail outlets who stocked them have reported a complete sellout, particularly in any Ghost Face related merchandise.
Right: Opposuits has recently entered the accessories sector with its new tie collection.
“Masks have shown as a very useful option when supplying consumers with merchandise during this cost-of-living episode. Masks offer a really suitable alternative that young consumers can afford, and it gives that WOW factor, allowing them to become the character they want to be for the occasion. “Ghost Face proved the best seller in the past Halloween season and, with more films coming up in this saga, we can only predict its relevance will continue to be central to Halloween and even Carnival in 2024.” Dominique Peckett, director at Smiffys adds: “Accessories are on the up for us at Smiffys, and sales have been increasing in
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