Halloween market is gloomy, is the costume festival out of trend?

Many stores that were once the "capitals" of Halloween costumes now record significant gloom.

In the last days of October, the Halloween atmosphere in Ha Tinh is completely different from every year. If a few years ago, central streets such as Phan Dinh Phung and Hai Thuong Lan Ong were brilliant with orange and black colors, filled with masks, pumpkin lanterns, witch robes... this year, those images have almost disappeared.

According to records, there are only a few shops selling costumes, but the goods are few, the designs are poor and mostly leftovers from the previous year; there are not many new, high-end or unique products. Although the vendors have reduced prices by 10-20% to stimulate demand, the number of customers is still low.

The familiar Halloween products at Ms. Van's store are all inventory from last season.

At Ms. Pham Hong Van’s decoration store on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street (Thanh Sen Ward), Halloween items are neatly displayed in a small corner instead of taking up the entire front like previous years. Familiar products such as devil masks, pumpkin lanterns, witch robes, etc. are all inventory from the previous season.

“I don’t dare import new items because purchasing power has dropped sharply in recent years. Prices remain the same as every year, items range from a few dozen to a few hundred thousand VND/item, but I can only sell a few items a week. Before, on this occasion, kindergartens and private schools ordered large quantities for students to dress up, but now almost no one asks,” said Ms. Van.

Halloween sales are less than a third of what they were during the same period last year.

According to Ms. Van, since the beginning of October, Halloween sales have been less than one-third of the same period in previous years. Not only are the goods slow to sell, but they are also difficult to display because they cannot create the same lively atmosphere as before.

A similar situation occurred at the Mother and Baby store of Ms. Ho Thi Thuong on Phan Dinh Phung Street (Thanh Sen Ward). In her warehouse, there are currently two boxes of costumes worth nearly 10 million VND, most of which were imported last year. This store used to be a familiar destination every Halloween, but now there are no costumes for sale outside.

Mrs. Thuong's warehouse still has two boxes of costumes but they are not for sale because there are no customers.

“Last year, I was able to sell to a few parent groups and some kindergartens, but this year, there are no customers, so I won’t import any more because I’m afraid they won’t sell. If there are no customers next time, I’ll probably stop making costumes,” Ms. Thuong shared.

The picture of the Halloween market in Ha Tinh this year is quite gloomy. Purchasing power has dropped sharply, many schools no longer organize costume parties while people are no longer interested in this festival. Items that used to be "sold out" every end of October are now just lying in the warehouse, gathering dust.

The reason for the Halloween market slowdown lies not only in the economy but also in changes in habits and social awareness. Many schools, especially kindergartens and elementary schools, have stopped organizing costume parties, shifting to other traditional activities or experiences.

Ms. Nguyen Phan Cam Mai wants to teach her children about the meaning of traditional holidays of the country.

Ms. Nguyen Phan Cam Mai (Cam Binh commune) said: "I often let my children participate in traditional festivals such as Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year. I don't buy anything for Halloween because many of the items look scary and are not suitable for children."

This reality shows that, for many families in Ha Tinh, Halloween has not yet become a familiar or attractive holiday. Many parents choose to keep their children safe experiences close to Vietnamese culture instead of following imported festival trends.

Ms. Tran My Duyen (Duc Tho commune) shared: “A few years ago, my child’s school organized a costume party, and I spent about 300,000 VND on costumes for him. This year, the school didn’t do it, so no one mentioned it anymore. He wasn’t very excited either.”

When there is a lack of “community appeal”, it is understandable that costume shopping has decreased sharply.

This shows that not only do schools limit their activities, but even children – who directly participate – are no longer interested in Halloween. When there is a lack of “community appeal”, it is understandable that the purchase of costumes has decreased sharply.

According to traders, Halloween in Ha Tinh was bustling in the period 2017-2020, when private schools, cafes, and amusement parks simultaneously organized costume parties, took photos, and checked in. However, in recent years, this trend has decreased sharply. Partly because people tightened their spending and focused more on traditional cultural values.

Nowadays, some parents choose to make their children’s Halloween costumes from recycled materials, which is both economical and environmentally educational . However, these activities are personal and small-scale, not a “movement” like before.

Nguyen Du Private Kindergarten no longer celebrates Halloween like previous years.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thanh Duyen - Principal of Nguyen Du Private Kindergarten, in recent years the school has no longer organized Halloween festivals for students. Instead, the school focuses on organizing activities related to traditional holidays such as Mid-Autumn Festival, Traditional New Year, Vietnamese Teachers' Day November 20... to help children learn about Vietnamese culture, while developing skills in creativity, communication and teamwork.

Many schools say they find imported festivals like Halloween unsuitable for young children and local cultures. In addition, focusing on traditional holidays helps students have fun and learn, and parents are more likely to be involved.

No more bright orange street corners, no more spooky music coming from coffee shops or schools, Halloween in Ha Tinh this year seems to have faded away from the lights. As consumers change their habits and community activities cool down, the “costume season” is now just a faint highlight in urban life.