Iowans who are hosting Halloween costume parties can expect to see a lot of super heroes, zombies and cartoon characters. Veronica Dietrick, who works at a costume shop in West Des Moines, says a particular Sesame Street character is very popular this year.
“We’ve sold a lot of Big Bird costumes, in fact, we’ve sold out of them and had to re-order them,” Dietrick says. Her store is also selling a lot of political masks, both in the likenesses of President Obama and Mitt Romney. Jeremy Lubash, who helps manage a costume shop in Omaha-Council Bluffs, says women are snapping up a particular type of disguise this season.
A new type of monster outfit incorporates a mini dress with a fuzzy monster hood with googly eyeballs on top — they’ve been a big hit, Lubash says. For kids who will be trick-or-treating and for many adults, Lubash says their costume choices are all about what’s on the big screen this year.
“The Avengers has been extremely popular for us, Black Widow for the women and girls and Thor has been the biggest one out of all the male characters in the movie,” he says, while Batman and Catwoman are both big sellers. A poll finds nearly 70-percent of all adults will take part in some type of Halloween festivity this year.
A survey from the National Retail Federation found the popularity of Halloween is growing annually, with consumer spending this year expected to pass eight-billion dollars.
By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City