Little Havana Halloween Store celebrates 50 years in business despite tough competition – GNT NEWS

Halloween is right around the corner, and the Little Havana staple probably has everything you need to dress up.

After a few difficult years due to the pandemic and competition from online retailers, La Casa De Los Trucos on Calle Ocho managed to stay afloat.

Their secret? Management there says it’s because of the people who work there and the great diversity they have.

“We have an employee who has been here since 1980. That’s 42 years,” said manager Jorge Torres. “Employees who have been here for years, decades. We try to be consistent and offer good service. We also have things that are fun. People like to have fun.”

They have more than 15,000 customer costume options. They admit, however, that it was not the easiest few years.

“The last few years have been very difficult because of the pandemic,” Torres said.

That trend is changing in a positive way.

A a survey by the National Retail Federation found that people will spend more money than last year on Halloween supplies.

Spending is expected to grow by half a billion dollars over last year… from $10.1 billion in 2021 to $10.6 billion in 2022.

The research showed that almost 70% of people will spend money on sweets, while 47% will spend money on costumes.

While some people prefer to search online for spooky items and decor, Torres tells NBC 6 that small businesses are still vital to the economy.

“It’s the backbone of this country,” he said. “We try to keep everything local and try to have choices for people.”

The store has extended its opening hours for the month of October. They are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. instead of 6 p.m

Those two extra hours, plus being open on Sundays, is their way of ensuring their customers have everything they need for Halloween.