With World Book Day 2018 just around the corner (1 March 2018), retailers of all sizes are making the most of their children’s fancy dress offering. Emma Angel, director of Angels Fancy Dress, spoke to PWW about World Book Day and what she’s expecting to be in demand this year.
How important is World Book Day to Angels Fancy Dress?
“Book Week is probably the most popular time for children’s costumes, with only Halloween coming close in terms of sales and orders. This is a great time of year for children to dress up as their favourite fictional characters and it gives them a chance to wear more traditional costumes, rather than the scary or gory outfits seen at Halloween.”
What’s been popular in recent years?
“Current characters are always very popular with children, who like to stay on top of the latest trends in terms of books and films. Superheroes, for example, are constantly rising in popularity, likely due to the many films and shows released in the past year. Classic book characters, such as Roald Dahl characters, always sell well in our North London store, and fairy tale characters are constantly well-liked, year-on-year.”
Were there any surprise hits last year?
“Harry Potter costumes were even more popular than usual last year, possibly due to the release of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’. ‘Alice in Wonderland’ costumes also remained a big hit with children and their teachers, and the Mad Hatter was an especially popular choice.”
What do you predict will be big this year?
“Classic characters from Roald Dahl, such as Matilda and Charlie, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, are always popular with children, and we expect this trend to carry on. Star Wars characters are also likely to be very popular, due to the release of ‘The Last Jedi’ just before Christmas.”
