What Dead Zone?
Costume megastores can whip up scary-good profits in two months.
We've all seen those costume megastores take over vacant buildings in September only to vanish like witches into the night a few days after Halloween. Where do they come from? Are they enchanted (or profitable)? And why are they always so freakin' big? We caught up with Joe Purifico, CEO and co-owner of Halloween Adventure, a Philadelphia-based chain of 150 seasonal costume superstores and 15 permanent shops. Now that Purifico is getting ready to spin off 50 franchises, he seemed the perfect person to explain the mysterious Halloween superstore phenomenon.
Is it really worth it to be open only two months a year? Can't people just get a Batman mask at Wal-Mart?
Halloween has really changed. It's not just a children's holiday--adults have parties, nightclubs have costume contests offering things like trips to Bermuda. And the manufacturers have changed too--gone are the days of the disposable plastic costume. We sell Broadway- and theatrical-quality costumes. Adults usually spend three or four times what they spend on their kids! Our goal is for each store to bring in $250,000 in revenue, though we've had some bring in upwards of $600,000 in those two months.
Continue reading this article - and everything on Entrepreneur!
Become a member to get unlimited access and support the voices you want to hear more from. Get full access to Entrepreneur for just $5.
Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
-
These Co-Founders Are Using 'Quiet Confidence' to Flip the Script on Cutthroat Startup Culture and Make Their Mark on a $46 Billion Industry
-
My 7-Year-Old Daughter Started Selling Eggs. Here's What She Taught Me About Running a Startup.
-
Why You Need to Become an Inclusive Leader (and How to Do It)
-
Career Transitions You Can Make in Your 40s and 50s
-
Billionaire Naveen Jain Is an Expert at Disrupting Fields He Has No Experience In. His Secret Sauce for Building Multi-Million Dollar Companies? 'You Have to Come as Naive.'
-
4 Principles to Develop Next-Level Leadership at Your Company
-
This Filipino American Founder Is Disrupting the Beverage Aisle by Introducing New Flavors to the Crowded Bubbly Water Market