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At Festmagasinet Standard, turnover fell 56% in the most important month of the year. Now he’s headed for layoffs.
A maximum of 20 people in the store created a queue outside the Festmagasinet Standard the day before Halloween.
Donation sign
Published:,
The celebration of Halloween in recent years has made October the most lucrative month for those who sell costumes, masks and other party gear.
Also the day before Halloween this year, there was a queue outside the premises of the Festmagasinet Standard in Oslo.
But this time it was about completely different things from the high demand, according to general manager Jan E. Kingell.
– People had to queue so we could maintain infection control, he says.
– Usually people stand shoulder to shoulder inside the store. But now we distribute masks to everyone and let in a maximum of 20 people at a time.
It goes against layoffs
Compared to last year, the turnover ended at 56% in October.
– It is inevitable that you have to start firing people now, says Kingell.
– It’s like a toy store has lost half of its Christmas sales.
During the Halloween weekend there was more traffic than in previous years, says the managing director of Festmagasinet Standard. But the tail was due to infection control.
Donation sign
– Glissent in stores
Also general manager André Nerhagen at Mye Moro and Rubens Skattkammer in Bergen, says that October was a disappointment.
Turnover ended at 28 and 36 percent, respectively, compared to last year.
– We haven’t had such a bad Halloween since 2008, he says.
Nerhagen also says the measure was usable, but infection control measures put sticks in the wheels.
– People think we had a great weekend, but it was sparkling inside the store, he says.
However, Nerhagen believes that the weekend has shown how well the Halloween celebration has taken hold in the Norwegian market.
– Despite all the warnings from the health authorities, there was a queue. That was a relief.
