By Kathleen Furore
If you’re looking for ways to boost add-on sales at your costume shop, there’s one way to do it: Keep top of head top of mind—all year long!
It’s a strategy that has met with great success at Chicago-based Fantasy Costumes, where customers can find most any kind of wig they’re looking for from the store’s stock of 10,000+ pieces of human hair, wigs, wiglets, 3/4 caps and more.
“We sell tens of thousands of wigs a year that are Cosplay, anime and Halloween related,” says Cathy Bunger, manager of this shop that debuted in the 1960's, when then-owner George Garcia provided medical wigs to women suffering hair loss.
Today, the shop’s wig showroom—complete with a full-service wig styling boutique—is housed inside Fantasy Costume’s 20,000 square foot costume superstore.
“We have many customers come to us months in advance to prepare for different events—and we have the ability to customize wigs for their specific needs.”
Beyond Halloween
Selling costume wigs at Halloween, of course, is a pretty standard business practice. But it’s possible to elevate those October wig sales to greater heights with a few “slights of hand” tactics.
At Fantasy Costumes, that means creating custom Halloween wigs from photos and illustrations
“We know that when it comes to win competitions, the hair and makeup are what make the outfit. Our in-house stylists are on-hand to help you get the perfect character look,” the store’s website notes.
Limiting wig promotions to the Halloween time frame, however, is a head-scratching decision, since so many opportunities for outfitting customers exist year-round.
“The wig business has grown over the years especially regarding costume wigs. There are so many costume and anime conventions that we have a seen a large increase in our costume wigs sales and an abundance of new characters from cartoons and anime series,” says Bunger, who notes that many people visit in search of wigs to wear to costume-themed parties outside of Halloween.
And don’t forget holidays beyond Halloween. Fantasy Costumers has featured displays showcasing colorful, creative wigs for Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day to name just a few “out of the box” ideas for wig promotions.
Think Outside the Box (or Bag)
Inexpensive, pre-made, pre-packaged wigs are fine, of course. And that’s all many customers want. But as Fantasy Costumes has discovered, adding specialty wigs and services can help boost wig sales.
“We also do well with our wig business because we have a professional and long-time wig stylist on staff who can custom style and create wigs,” Bunger says. “Customers from all over the U.S contact us with images and ideas of styles they need us to custom create.”
The shop also accommodates customers who need wigs for medical reasons; and it works with local theatre companies that often look to Fantasy Costumers for wigs for big and small productions alike.
Issues to Consider
Moving from a limited, basic wig inventory to a more elaborate one does present challenges for costumers who haven’t had much experience in the category.
“If a retailer were to think of carrying wigs, it may be a bit confusing and challenging. Today there are so many wig suppliers and manufactures, wig types, fibers, styles, etc.—you really have to have product knowledge to know what would be best for your individual store’s needs,” Bunger cautions. “There are synthetics, human hair, heat resistant fibers, blended fibers, sizing, colors so many options of quality, it can be overwhelming. Each company also has their own color numbers or names, so you'd have to know colorings would be comparable by company. In addition to that you would have to know the care of such wigs as well—how to style, wash, and general care instructions.”
You can’t, for example, use heat to style synthetic wigs—opt for a cold curling iron, instead.
But once you clear those hurdles (perhaps by learning from hair styling or wig company pros), you’ll be on the road to higher wig sales and able to borrow this line from Fantasy Costumes:
“With [insert your shop’s name], you will never have a bad hair day!”
SIDEBAR: Wig Types
Classic, machine made wigs. Capless wigs that are more breathable than other types of wigs. Less ability to customize the style, but affordable and natural looking.
Monofilament, realistic wigs. Individual hairs are place on a clear cap, which gives the look of hair growing directly from your head. These are more expensive than machine made wigs due to the extra level of craftsmanship. They are very realistic looking wigs.
Hand tied cap wigs. Hand tied monofilament wigs give you the most natural looking hair. The hairs are hand tied onto the cap which is usually a piece of soft lace fabric.
Lace front wigs. These wigs are similar to other monofilament wigs, giving you a natural looking hairstyle. The added lace front weave lets you push your hair back from your face, giving you a more flexible wig for various hair styles.
—Source: Fantasy Costumes