Going for Fantasy or Laughs? Buy.com's Expanded Costume Selection Draws More Shoppers Than Ever This Halloween Season

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Buy.com, The Internet Superstore™, today announced triple-digit growth of its Halloween store, with orders up 162 percent over last year.  The company attributes growth to a wider selection with the addition of BuyCostumes, a leading online retailer of costumes and costume accessories, which recently joined Buy.com's popular marketplace.  Buy.com now offers more than 40,000 costumes and costume-related products.

With this wide variety of Halloween shopping options, Buy.com says clear trends have emerged this season. Based on the latest costume sales, adults are going for laughs and exploring childhood fantasies, while kids will be taking a cue from both reality and the silver screen come October 31:

• Expect to see lookalikes from some of the most popular movies of the year including "Alice In Wonderland," "Avatar" and "Iron Man."
• Young adults are getting into character as the crew from the reality television show, "Jersey Shore."
• Women – not just little girls – want their time as princesses too; Princess Tiana of Disney's "Princess & the Frog" is currently one of Buy.com's best-selling adult costumes.
• Despite its 2004 release, the "Napoleon Dynamite" movie is inspiring many adults this year to dress up as its awkwardly funny hero.
• Offbeat, higher-priced costumes like the adult gorilla, adult panda and funny chicken costumes have all experienced sales spikes this year.
• The recent blockbusters, "Toy Story" and "Wall-E," continue to make for the most popular children's' costumes.
• Among the costumes experiencing growing popularity among toddlers is the "UPS Guy."  

"We've seen our Halloween store continue to grow in popularity year after year, with more than double the sales orders and revenue compared to 2009," said Jeff Wisot, vice president of marketing at Buy.com.  "It shows that despite today's stresses and economic uncertainties, consumers want to let loose and have fun."

The addition of BuyCostumes' extensive catalogue bolstered Buy.com's already wide variety of Halloween offerings from other marketplace partners, including Costume Craze Toynk.

"We are excited to have our BuyCostumes storefront and large selection of Halloween costumes, accessories and decor available to the Buy.com community," said Jon Krouse, business development director of BuySeasons, Inc., operator of BuyCostumes.com. "Now, Buy.com customers young and old have access to more of what they need to celebrate a fun and safe Halloween."

To find great deals on Halloween costumes, accessories and decorations, visit Buy.com's Halloween store at http://www.buy.com/toc/buy-com-halloween-costume-center/66218.html.

About Buy.com

With more than 14 million customers, Buy.com is a leading retail marketplace, focused on providing its customers with a great shopping experience and a broad selection of retail goods at everyday low prices. Buy.com offers millions of products in a range of categories, including consumer electronics, computer hardware and software, cell phones, books, music, DVDs, games, toys, bags, fragrance, home and outdoor, baby, jewelry, shoes, apparel and sporting goods. Founded in June 1997, Buy.com is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif.  Buy.com is owned by Rakuten, Japan's leading Internet Company.  Together, Rakuten and Buy.com represent one of the world's largest online retail marketplaces, offering consumers more than 60 million products from nearly 35,000 merchants around the globe.

Buy.com® and The Internet Superstore™ are trademarks of Buy.com Inc.  

About BuySeasons

Founded in 1999 as an Internet specialty retailer, BUYSEASONS has its corporate office in New Berlin, Wis. The company's flagship brand, BuyCostumes.com, is the leading online-only retailer of costumes and costume accessories.  BUYSEASONS also operates the leading online and catalog retailer of party supplies, Celebrate Express, which also includes Birthday Express, 1st Wishes and Costume Express. BUYSEASONS, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (Nasdaq: LINTA).

SOURCE Buy.com