A CARLISLE costume shop has announced they will be open every day of October on the run-up to their 'busiest time of year'. 

Struts have had a presence in Carlisle for over four decades, providing patrons with everything from fireworks and party celebrations to weird and wonderful fancy-dress costumes. 

Owners Jayne and Anthony Ivinson are gearing up for the spooky holiday season despite facing various challenges such as Covid, the impacts of Brexit, and the evolving retail landscape over the last few years. 

"Brexit was a massive thing for us because we used to ship all over the world. We've had to sort of evaluate and go in different directions. But on the whole, we've managed to survive all those things.

"We've kept everyone's jobs and still keep going, and now we're planning for a busy Halloween," Jayne said. 

The Halloween spirit is alive and well at Struts this year, with the Chapel Street building which they have been in for around a decade, being transformed into a spooky wonderland.

This year, they've embraced a Saw theme, adorning the shop with black counters, red tinsel, and Jigsaw puppets dotted about the windows.

With eerie tales surrounding the place that also used to be a Chapel and a cinema, some staff members admit to feeling apprehensive about entering the stock room, especially with Jigsaw puppets and horror themes adorning the walls.

"If you have to come in during the night it can be really spooky," Jayne said.  

While classic costumes like Wednesday Addams remain popular, this year's hit is the Barbie outfit, likely influenced by the recent movie release.

"People just want to have fun and escape the realities of recessions and these kinds of things; that's what we're here for," Jayne said. 

 

@strutscostumes #barbie #barbiebox #strutscostumes #barbiecostume #barbiemovie ♬ Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album] - Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice & Aqua

Jayne and Anthony take pride in being one of the last few remaining independent fancy dress retailers in the country. 

While many others have struggled, the shop's early adoption of online sales has helped them stay afloat and further carried by a strong presence on social media. 

However, the challenges faced by the high street have not gone unnoticed, and the owners believe that the development of projects like STACK will help bring foot traffic to their side of town.