Strong Halloween For StarlineLA
Halloween has become a major retail season, and 2026 has turned out to be one of “the biggest Halloween years we’ve seen,” began Paul Tobon, VP of sales at the costume wholesaler StarlineLA (a sister company to both Dreamgirl and Party King). “Consumers are shopping earlier, retailers are planning further ahead, and demand continues to build well before October.” According to the National Retail Federation (NRF’s), 49% of consumers began shopping for Halloween before October last year, compared with just 34% a decade ago. One-quarter had already purchased at least one Halloween item by early August.
Tobon told BODY, “We’re seeing customers place orders earlier and plan their assortments further ahead. Retailers want to have inventory in place early so they can capture sales throughout the season instead of waiting for the last-minute rush. That’s creating a much longer selling window — and more opportunity for retailers to build sales before the traditional September and October rush.”
Tobon added that “one of the biggest things we’re seeing is customers going deeper and broader with their assortments. They’re not just looking for a few costumes. They’re adding more categories, sizing, accessories and different styles to give their customers more reasons to shop.”
For StarlineLA, “one of the biggest opportunities we’re seeing is the natural crossover between lingerie and sexy Halloween costumes — especially for adult retailers. Halloween gives these stores a chance to reach customers who may not normally shop at an adult or lingerie retailer. Someone who walks through the door looking for a sexy Halloween costume may be a completely new customer, creating an opportunity to introduce them to lingerie, hosiery, accessories and other products they may not have considered before.”
“Halloween can be a great way to bring new customers through the door. Someone may come in specifically looking for a costume and discover an entire assortment of products that fit their interests. It gives retailers another reason to attract customers, create a different shopping experience and potentially turn seasonal shoppers into repeat customers.”
Tobon suggested that Halloween “can become a traffic-driving tool that helps retailers reach new customers, increase basket size and introduce shoppers to categories they may continue purchasing long after Halloween. For existing lingerie customers, the crossover is just as natural. Sexy costumes, lingerie, hosiery and accessories complement each other, allowing retailers to build larger, more engaging assortments and give customers more reasons to shop.”
“With lingerie-inspired costumes, sexy Halloween looks, hosiery, accessories and a wide range of regular and plus sizing, Dreamgirl gives adult and lingerie retailers the ability to create a complete Halloween destination — while using the season to attract both existing customers and entirely new traffic. The opportunity goes beyond Halloween itself: bring someone in for a costume, introduce them to the store, and give them a reason to come back.”
Tobon continued, “from what we’re seeing across our business, the season has been extremely strong. We’ve had tremendous activity, and the volume has continued to build every week.”
StarlineLA president Danielle Navarette concurred. “We actually started seeing the strength of this Halloween season back in January. The level of pre-orders and early interest gave us a strong indication that this was going to be a big year, and that momentum has continued to build throughout the year. Now that we’re in the heart of the season, the warehouse has been absolutely swamped turning out orders, with volume continuing to increase week after week. It’s a great problem to have, and it really shows just how strong Halloween has become for our business.”
“According to NRF’s consumer survey, 71% of Halloween celebrators planned to purchase costumes, with total costume spending projected at $4.3 billion, including approximately $2 billion in adult costumes. For retailers, the takeaway is simple: being ready early matters. And if 2026 is any indication, Halloween will continue moving further forward on the retail calendar.”
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