Halloween stores prep for Lady Gagas, Jersey Shore

In the coming weeks, Lady Gagas will roam Franklin Street, “Jersey Shore” gangs will wreak havoc, and Edward Cullen and his vampire posse will brood.

Area Halloween suppliers are anticipating these pop-culture trends and more while still stocking up on old classics, a combination they say will make this season a successful one.

Halloween and More

Bob Bridges, the owner of Halloween and More with locations at The Streets at Southpoint and the Renaissance Center, said recent years have shown a trend toward Grecian and Roman costumes.

“We still haven’t seen a significant trend this season in any direction, but ‘Jersey Shore’ might make a mark on the trends,” he said.

Bridges said Halloween and More is trying to keep costumes like Fred Flintstone, Spider-Man, and other classic characters in stock for this season, and he is optimistic about this year’s sales.

In his past 16 years in the Triangle area, Bridges said he has seen costumes of all kinds.

“I’ve seen girls with Medusa outfits with snakes braided into their hair. We see girls in tutus and boas as pink flamingoes,” Bridges said.

“Guys always get pretty outlandish and crazy. We call them ‘silly college boy’ costumes.”

Franklin Street vintages

Vintage stores offer shoppers a way to create one-of-a-kind costumes.

The Clothing Warehouse and Time After Time Vintage Thrift, two vintage stores on Franklin Street, both generally see an increase in sales during the Halloween season, managers said.

Time After Time manager Autumn Spencer said the store began putting out more costumes at the end of September.

“We stock general classics like pirates, gangsters, flappers and zombies,” Spencer said.

Spencer said she expects a trend of “Mad Men” and “Jersey Shore” costumes this season but has seen several Halloween revelers take an individual approach to their costumes in years past.

“We’ve had burqas and Land Shark from ‘70s ‘Saturday Night Live.’”

Reid Jones, a sales associate at the Clothing Warehouse, said the store is already stocking up on cheerleading uniforms, go-go dancer outfits, Boy Scout apparel, and “generic ‘70s hippie-ware.” He said he anticipates many aspiring Lady Gagas to appear this Halloween.

Walgreens

After opening early this year, Chapel Hill’s Walgreens is preparing for its first Halloween.

Store manager Lisa Platania said the location will become a 24-hour store in mid-October to meet customer demand.

“We’re going to be open all night on Halloween and we’re stocking up on glow sticks and other light-up stuff for when the students are all out on Franklin,” Platania said.

Walgreens’ Halloween aisle is mainly comprised of candy and party decorations.

Walgreens is also carrying smaller items like make-up, wigs, masks, bunny ears and fangs.

“We’ve tried to get stuff that will appeal to students,” said Head Photo Specialist John Miller.

The store is also stocking several adult costumes like witch, ghost and vampire apparel.

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