Pop Culture Dominates 2016 Halloween Costume Trends

From Pokémon GO to Suicide Squad, Canadians look to their screens for stand-out ideas

BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 21, 2016 /CNW/ -- Despite Halloween falling on a Monday, a new survey* from Value Village thrift stores reveals there will be no shortage of celebrating this year. The majority of Canadians (56 percent) say they will go to Halloween parties, with millennials planning to partake in an average of three celebrations.

Decision 2016
What will you be for Halloween, and have you started planning yet? Nearly a quarter of millennials (24 percent) insist on having a different Halloween costume every year, and with plenty of party appearances to be made, selecting a costume can be serious business. The average span of planning is nearly three weeks, but not for the spontaneous millennial audience – half of this group don't even think about their outfits until the day of Halloween.

The Trends:

• Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Nearly a third of people (28 percent) want their outfit to make them look beautiful, handsome or sexy, but the vanity factor increases for millennials (40 percent) – not surprising since this is also the crowd that's likely to be snapping the most selfies and sharing on social media.
• Squad Goals: Most people believe that Pokémon GO will be the most popular group costume inspiration, but millennials are much more inclined to say it's Suicide Squad. And when it comes to Star Wars, the Force is strong with those aged 35 and older.
• Celeb Showdown: Canadians are confident that Ellen DeGeneres will dress to impress (30 percent), beating out Justin Trudeau (15 percent) and Justin Bieber (6 percent) for the best celebrity costume.
• (Don't) Let It Go: When it comes to costumes for kids, one in three Canadians think Frozen will be the top source of inspiration.
• Being a Good Sport: Of the 2016 star athletes, one in three Canadians picked Usain Bolt as the most popular Halloween costume, followed by Michael Phelps and Penny Oleksiak.

Thrift or Treat
One in two people cite thrift stores as great places to get inspired for costume ideas, and Value Village offers the one-of-a-kind finds shoppers want at prices that won't break the bank. During Halloween, Value Village stocks its shelves with new packaged costumes, makeup, wigs and accessories – perfect to combine with the reused clothing and accessories that fill the aisles at Value Village for a fraction of their original price.

"Value Village is proud to be the one-stop destination for shoppers to find a unique, budget-friendly costume. Halloween is one of our busiest times of year and of course, one of our favourite holidays. Our stores are especially popular during this time because we're the only retailer that offers a huge selection of both new and pre-owned Halloween merchandise all under one roof, and at prices to accommodate every budget," said Ken Alterman, President and CEO of Value Village, "Our store teams look forward to being a part of your celebration."

Value Village stores have trained "Costume Consultants" ready to help put together the perfect costume, and host free "Halloween Costume Catwalk" fashion shows at 3 p.m. every Thursday in October that showcase the season's most popular and unique looks for adults and children.

Online Inspiration and Fun  

• ValueVillage.com Halloween Hub: ValueVillage.com/halloween provides a store locator tool, costume inspiration and instructions for Halloween DIY costumes and home décor.
• Social Media: Find Halloween costume ideas, DIY tips, spooky décor and more on the @SaversVVillage Pinterest channel and engage with Value Village's social networks via the #thriftortreat hashtag on Facebook.com/ValueVillage, @SaversVVillage on Twitter and @valuevillage_thrift on Instagram.

For full results from Value Village's Halloween Survey, or to request high-resolution Halloween costume images or a Halloween shopping trend infographic, please contact [email protected].

*Methodology Note: The Value Village Halloween Shopping Survey was conducted by Edelman Intelligence during the summer of 2016 and polled 1,009 nationally representative consumers aged 18 and older.

About Value Village
Value Village, a Savers brand, is a for-profit privately held global thrift retailer offering clothing and accessories for men, women and children and household goods. Through its unique business model of purchasing, reselling and recycling secondhand merchandise, the Value Village family of thrift stores benefits more than 120 nonprofit organizations, gives local consumers a smart way to shop and saves more than 650 million pounds of quality used goods from landfills each year. Value Village pays its nonprofit partners for donated goods, turning otherwise unused items into sustainable funding that supports their vital community programs and services. The company operates nearly 330 locations and has 22,000 employees in Canada, the United States and Australia. For more information, please visit www.valuevillage.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160920/410114  

SOURCE Value Village

For further information: Value Village's Director of Communication, Sara Gaugl, [email protected], http://www.valuevillage.com