Wilmington stores gear up for Halloween

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Halloween is a week away and Wilmington’s costume stores are taking different approaches to business.

Ghouls, scarecrows, and clowns.

Every day is Halloween for Cherlene Cilborne who doesn’t mind mixing up holidays when it comes to costumes.

“I think it’s fun when people bring Christmas into Halloween, and they do Buddy and the Elf or elf costumes, stuff like that. Halloween time is a lot of fun,” Cilborne said.

Cilborne runs Halloween 365 on South College Road and out of all the number of costumes ranging from iconic horror movie killers to superheroes, something else is really scaring up her sales this year.

“The most in demand costume is K-Pop Demon Hunters,” Cilborne said. “Everyone is looking for K-Pop Demon Hunters.”

Halloween 365 is open year-round and caters to business outside Halloween as well.

“Well, there all kinds of events that go on,” Cilborne adds. “Masquerade parties, we have cruises. Cruises are big. Cruising industry is booming; therefore, every cruise has a pirate night. There’s Mardi Gras. There’s Easter. There is school spirit all the time.”

While Cilborne is in business all the time, Halloween Express has a different strategy.

Halloween Express rents a vacant storefront on Oleander Drive on a temporary basis.

“We are only here for the season unfortunately. We will leave right after,” said McKenzie Krueger, a Halloween Express manager.

That hit and run method keeps rent expenses low while still capitalizing on the holiday’s high season.

Kreuger said when the store returns next year it will have a new name.

“Next year we won’t be Halloween Express,” Krueger said. “We will be our own company called Black Cat Halloween. We do not know if we will be at the same location.”