The Scariest Thing about Halloween for Most Consumers? Finding the Right
Costume!

    
    Consumers Stressed Out by Lack of Budget and Time, According to New
    Halloween Shopping Survey by Value Village





    
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<p>BELLEVUE, Wash., <span class="xn-chron">Sept. 2</span> /CNW/ -- Does shopping for a <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> costume scare you more than one of the "Saw" movies? If so, you're not alone. A new survey* released today by Value Village, an international secondhand store chain that offers the largest selection of <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> merchandise of any other retailer, shows that an overwhelming majority (81 percent) of consumers who dress up are unable to create the <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> costume they envision every year due to a lack of money or time, and 39 percent typically get stressed out putting their <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> costume together.</p>
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<p>"Our <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> Shopping Survey shows that many consumers are overwhelmed by unnecessary stress when putting their costume together," said George Baltasar, Director of Merchandising for Value Village. "Only at Value Village will you find a huge selection of affordable brand new and gently used costumes and accessories for the whole family, combined with knowledgeable Costume Consultants dedicated to helping shoppers easily create one-of-a-kind looks that will set them apart from the crowd."</p>
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<p>The Value Village "<span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> Shopping Survey" polled 1,000 adults about their <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> shopping habits, popular costumes and trends for this year. Below is a sampling of key findings:</p>
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    --  Mixing It Up: More than four in ten (42 percent) of those who dress up
        in a costume like to combine both brand new and secondhand pieces to
        create their Halloween look.
    --  Slashing Budgets, Not Style: Since the start of the recession,
        consumers have found ways to cut back their spending in many areas.
        Close to two-thirds of those surveyed (68 percent) want to buy
multiple
        items without breaking the bank or overspending on one item (67
        percent).
    --  Spending How Much? About one-third (34 percent) of costume-wearers
        generally spend under $25 on their Halloween costume. An additional 32
        percent spend between $25 and $50.


    
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<p>"We know from our survey that most people like to find everything they need in a single store, but on average, consumers who dress up for <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> end up visiting three stores to find all the necessary items for their costume," said <span class="xn-person">Ken Alterman</span>, President and CEO of Value Village. "By offering the widest selection of new and gently used <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> merchandise under one roof, we're helping shoppers save time and money by allowing them to make a majority of their purchasing decisions at once."</p>
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    More findings from the Value Village Halloween Shopping Survey include:

    --  Pop Culture Makes For Great Costumes: The cast of HBO's "True Blood"
        was named the best group costume inspired by television (25 percent),
        followed by the castaways from "LOST" (14 percent) and Michael Scott
        and crew from "The Office" (14 percent). "Alice in Wonderland" (24
        percent) was picked as the best group costume inspiration from the big
        screens this year, with "Avatar" (17 percent) and "Toy Story 3" (16
        percent) coming in second and third respectively.
    --  What Your Costume Says about You: More than a quarter of respondents
        (26 percent) believe a person's level of creativity can be judged
based
        on the kind of costume they're wearing, while 17 percent think the
        outfit is the key to understanding someone's personality.
    --  Why Do You Dress Up? When asked about their main motivation for
        dressing up, close to half of costume-wearers (45 percent) said they
        dress up in order to express their individual creativity and style.
One
        in five (20 percent) said they are motivated to dress up because they
        want to look sexy, and 16 percent said they want to win a costume
        contest or prize.
    --  Dusting Off Costume Cobwebs: An overwhelming majority (91 percent) of
        costume-wearers would even consider wearing the same Halloween
costume,
        or at least parts of it, from previous years, in order to save money
        (61 percent) or time (39 percent).


    Value Village's Costume Consultants at the Ready

    
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<p>Value Village has costumed customers for <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> for more than 50 years, offering a one-stop-shop for people looking for secondhand items or wishing to buy a brand new costume and accessories. With an unparalleled selection for every budget, Value Village offers costumes ranging from officially licensed products to head-to-toe looks for under <span class="xn-money">$20</span>, with new costumes starting at just <span class="xn-money">$7.99</span> and gently used items often priced even lower. Plus, every one of the store locations has a dedicated "Costume Consultant," specially trained to help shoppers create costumes from scratch, enhance new, ready-made looks with unique accessories to make even the most traditional costume a one-of-a-kind gem, or transform last year's costume into a totally new look.</p>
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<p>New this year, stores will host free "<span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> Costume Catwalk" fashion shows at <span class="xn-chron">3 p.m.</span> every Thursday in October. Set to festive Halloween-themed music, each store's Costume Consultant will showcase that week's hottest looks.</p>
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    Online Inspiration

    
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<p>In addition to in-store offerings, Value Village provides a variety of spooky (and simple) DIY <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> projects at <a href="http://www.valuevillage.com">www.valuevillage.com</a>. Visitors to the website will find a wealth of creative costume ideas, including Lady Gaga, <span class="xn-person">Katy Perry</span> and the popular "Steampunk" look, as well as makeup tutorial videos of the season's hottest trends, such as "Jersey Shore" and "Sparkly Vampire." To keep <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> party planning stress-free, the site also features seasonal home entertaining inspiration to spice up your <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> bash.</p>
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    Good Deeds. Great Deals.

    
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<p>Not only does shopping at Value Village for <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> save money, purchasing secondhand items is a form of recycling and helps keep millions of pounds of goods from entering landfills each year. Value Village encourages its environment-conscious customers to donate their <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> costumes after the holiday. Every costume donated to Community Donation Centers, located on-site at Value Village stores, benefits a local nonprofit partner and will be resold or recycled for someone to enjoy as a secondhand look next year. For more information about Value Village's <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> Shopping Survey, or to locate the nearest store, visit <a href="http://www.valuevillage.com">www.valuevillage.com</a>.</p>
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<p>*Methodology Note: The Value Village <span class="xn-chron">Halloween</span> Shopping Survey was conducted by Kelton Research during the summer of 2010 and polled 1,001 nationally representative consumers aged 18 and over.</p>
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    About Value Village and Savers, Inc.

    
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<p>Founded in 1954, Savers, Inc. is a privately held for-profit international secondhand store chain with nearly 250 locations in <span class="xn-location">Canada</span>, the <span class="xn-location">United States</span> and <span class="xn-location">Australia</span>. Also known as Value Village in the western <span class="xn-location">United States</span> and Canadian provinces (and as Village des Valeurs in <span class="xn-location">Quebec</span>), the company employs more than 13,000 people. By purchasing and reselling donated items, the company has paid more than <span class="xn-money">$1 billion</span> directly to its nonprofit partners - turning otherwise unused items into pure sustainable funding that supports their programs and services. The company also offers local communities a smart way to shop and is one of the largest recyclers of used goods in the world. Visit valuevillage.com or savers.com for more information.</p>
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For further information: Sara Gaugl of Savers, Inc., [phone], [email protected]; or Amanda Watkins of Edelman Seattle, [phone], [email protected], for Savers / Value Village Web Site: http://www.valuevillage.com/