Narrow and crowded, Phase II, a local party shop, is loaded with fake blood, severed limbs, theatrical make-up and costumes, but emptiness fills the aisles where customers should be.
Halloween is right around the corner and adults and children are hunting through stores for the perfect costume to wear for "trick-or-treat."
Ken Vadnal and his sister, Barbara Brandt, opened Phase II, located on 28th Drive and Cactus Avenue, 25 years ago.
"Halloween was our Christmas," Vadnal said. The "fly-by-night [Halloween megastores]" and "one-month companies" have seriously impacted business, he said.
The Halloween warehouses referred to by Vadnal typically open for business Labor Day weekend and close doors the first week in November. They’re generally located in high-traffic areas and close to large shopping centers.
In a good year, prior to the superstores, Vadnal’s shop might have sold 200 costumes, but nothing close to that now, he said.
According to the operations manager for Halloween Express, a franchise business, his store off I-17 and Bell Road might have as many as 200 customers shopping at one time on any given weekend.
The aforementioned Halloween Express is the only year-round location, but there are currently three other seasonal stores located throughout the Valley.
Spirit Halloween, another superstore, has over 20 locations in Ariz. and 625 stores nationwide, according to Beth Grunnet, district manager.
The stores are owned by Spencer Gifts LLC, a company that sells novelty and gag gifts.
Both Halloween superstores are located within one mile of Phase II and carry a variety of spooky and elaborate decorations, costumes and festive merchandise.
Skeletons, grim reapers and black cats greeted customers at the entrance of the Halloween Express located at Metro Center Mall. Outdoor and indoor decorations for houses were across the warehouse. Hundreds of costumes hung on temporary shelves.
Spirit Halloween had hi-tech equipment. Electronic props came to life with the push of a button. Animated skeletons and a mad scientist grabbed the attention of customers as they entered the dimly lit store.
Every inch of available wall space at the mom-and-pop shop was covered with merchandise of some sort. The store carries anything from Hilary Clinton face masks, stink bombs and plastic rats, to dart boards, custom darts and bingo supplies.
We have a pretty good customer base considering the economy, Vadnal said. He claims the majority of his business comes from darts and bingo supplies.
Costumes and accessories sold throughout the year to kids participating in school plays and class reports also contribute, he said.
The owners have also cut back on advertising in recent years. Business is generated through word of mouth, Vadnal said.
Vadnal said the merchandise he sells has the exact same picture as the merchandise sold at the Halloween mega stores, except his costumes are better quality.
They have the same packaging but different product numbers, Vadnal said. That’s how you can tell.
Paul Snatic, Manager of Mardi Gras Costume Shop in Scottsdale, made similar observations to Vadnal.
In a telephone interview, Snatic said, he went to a “30-day store” and bought one of their costumes to compare the quality.
“Same merchandise, higher price,” he said. “The seasonal stores impact the low-end merchandise. People who want quality costumes still come to us.”
Reach the reporter at Kimberly.Inoshita@asu.edu.
