We spoke with some of the largest costume retailers to see which superheroes are owning Halloween.
Superheroes own the summer months, flexing their muscles in theaters worldwide. When it comes to the fall, superheroes are slowly taking over as retailers are cashing in on comic book-inspired costumes during the Halloween season.
At two of the nation’s biggest costume suppliers, superhero costumes are flying off the shelves.
“What’s really moving and shaking with superheroes costumes is that they are not only for little boys anymore,” said Avagay Lindsay, a public relations spokesperson for Party City. “Adults are doing it, couples are doing it, families are doing it, and girls and teens are doing it.”
Superheroes are among some of the best sellers for Party City, which operates more than 800 stores in the US and Canada, as well as in Walmart, the world’s largest retailer. Costumes inspired from superhero movies and comics are increasingly popular among all age groups, and both companies claim that superhero accessories are another trending market that grows each year. Both Party City and Walmart do not disclose sales numbers.
For Party City, Spider-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are the hottest trending brands for 2014.
Walmart hasn’t seen one superhero fly above the rest.
“Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Ninja Turtles are usually the best,” said Debbie Serr, a Walmart spokesperson. “They’re all selling relatively the same.”
There's no shortage of material for the costume makers to mine. We've seen several superhero movies a year for the last five years, and there's no sign of slowing down, with over twenty high-profile superhero movies scheduled between now and 2020.
“Superheroes are very popular right now,” Lindsay said. “Different things are really popular right now like Disney princesses, Day of the Dead and stuff like that, but superheroes is one that’s coming back based on a lot of these Marvel movies in recent years and the fact that everyone can participate in it.”
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that's your thing!