Book Week
it opens up a much wider range of costumes that sell at this time – which can only be a good thing! Still, on the traditional side we expect Roald Dahl themes to be strong again.” While many of the book week initiatives suggest certain books to use as a starting point, there are key themes which children are likely to return to again and again. Amscan offers many of these, from classic fairytale and historical characters right through to licensed options. “Book Week is becoming an increasingly important dress-up occasion in the calendar and so we have expanded our range to include some exciting new options for 2016,” explained marketing executive Charlotte Cox. “Popular choices include a delightful Pink Fairy costume set or a pretty Lil’ Red Riding outfit – a new Native American Spirit costume is also perfect for those who enjoy western tales!” Action-packed stories are always popular and so its no surprise that pirates, ninjas and vikings feature highly on the list as well, with Amscan’s new Prince of Thieves costume really standing out. Now one of the biggest events in the early part of the year, Book Week really helps make up for the lull after Halloween and Christmas, and so it is important that retailers get stocked up early with the most popular costumes. Pam’s has produced a dedicated Book Week flyer jam-packed with dress-up ideas. “Each page is full of the latest characters from children’s books as well as the old faithfuls,” explained sales director Carl Taylor. “Last year we found a few new costumes that were popular, such as The Hungry Caterpillar, Mog the Left: This Victorian boy accessory set by Palmer Agencies includes cap and waistcoat.
Literary Lines “Book Week is one of, if not the, most popular time for children’s costumes, with only Halloween coming close in terms of sales and orders. Interest and demand for book-themed costumes increases every year, and as such so does our range of stock for babies, children and even teenagers. Curriculum-driven fancy dress is continuing to grow, and we get hundreds of requests from parents with specific book characters in mind, but current characters are also really popular. We’re expecting Star Wars to be big following the film release. That being said, the classics show up again and again during Book Week – one of last year’s surprise hits was the Mad Hatter.” Emma Angel, director, Angels Fancy Dress
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Cat and The Tiger Who Came to Tea and we have been searching for more new ones to keep the range fresh and exciting.” New lines at Pam’s for 2016 include characters from traditional nursery books such as Peter Rabbit and The Tiger Who Came to Tea as well as Harry Potter and Willy Wonka for the older children. Costume company Bristol Novelty also produces a Book Week catalogue, and this year’s version will include many new lines selected for this popular event. “We have an unparalleled range of children’s costumes which have been specifically chosen for Book Week,” said sales manager Robyn Crowley. “Our catalogue will be available by the end of January, but the majority of costumes are now in stock and early ordering is advised to ensure you don’t miss out!” “Book week continues to be a major focus in Rubie’s dress-up calendar,” said trade marketing and digital manager Struan Robertson, “and we have bought out fresh new ranges in the 2016 catalogue to cater for the event, which seems to evolve each year.” He continued: “Disney Princesses and Harry Potter have always been popular for Book Week with their relation to popular books and classic fairy tales, but we’ve seen that direct correlations to World Book Day’s £1 books also prove to be successful, as illustrated by The Diary Of Dennis The Menace last year which spurred on sales of our licensed Dennis costumes for both kids and adults.” A Star Wars-based fantasy by Cavan Scott features in the World Book Day 2016 £1 book list (where children can swop tokens for free books). As such, an increase in Star Wars-related dress-up is likely, especially following the huge success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But it’s not all about the movie of the moment. “We’re also seeing year-onyear increases across a broader range of costumes from super heroes to generic
1 N ew animal costumes by Fun Shack – such as Mr Fox and Mr Frog – are ideal for book week.
2 H igh-quality, fun costumes by InCharacter include this Mysterious Mermaid.
3 S miffy’s licensed children’s range includes new Dr Seuss, Roald Dahl and Horrible Histories.
4 R asta Imposta’s impressive selection of children’s animal costumes are always popular.
uniforms and dress-up with an historical angle,” indicated Struan. According to Palmer Agencies’ marketing director Sergio Battaner, Book Week sales are not just limited to costumes, with many parents reluctant to shell out for a complete outfit which may only be worn once. “This is a very price-sensitive part of the market,” he explained. “Although most of the sales are costume-related, accessories feature more and more as, with a bit of creativity, parents can create the same character for a more economical price.” As Book Week celebrations have become more popular, it’s no surprise that costume and character choices have become more creative and outlandish. Now, any number of sartorial solutions is likely to be seen sashaying in at the school gate – the only limit is your imagination! Above: Everyone’s favourite big cat – The Tiger Who Came To Tea, from Pam’s. Below: Kids can go back in time with this pair of Roman costumes by Bristol Novelty.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE
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