Seasonal Store Sees Success
by October 24, 2005 12:00 am 46 views
Mike and Tina Williams aren’t spooked by seasonal retail. This is the second year the Rogers couple has operated Halloween Express, a Halloween costume and gag store, in a vacant restaurant building on Front Street in Fayetteville. This is the first year they have operated a Halloween Express store in Rogers. That store is adjacent to the Frisco Mall.
Tina Williams declined to reveal their revenue but said sales are up about 10 percent over last year at the Fayetteville store.
The couple has about $500,000 invested in inventory, rent and salaries, she said, with about 100,000 total items they’ve purchased from 21 vendors. Tina Williams said she started ordering and receiving products in March and warehoused them at her home.
The Fayetteville store, which opened Aug. 19, has about 5,000 SF of retail space and employs eight workers. The Rogers store, which opened Sept. 1, has about 8,000 SF of space and employs 13 people, she said.
The couple also own Fiberglass Graphics in Rogers, a custom fiberglass fabrication shop.
Halloween Express is based in Owenton, Ky., and has more than 100 franchised stores in 30 states.
Tina Williams said that on a typical day throughout the season she will get up at 4 a.m. and go home about 10:30 p.m. — working the entire time.
“I like people and love the retail end of it,” she said.