By Ed Avis
How often do you get ready to order some merchandise and notice that the minimum order quantity is simply too large? Or how many times do you want to try out a product with just a small order to see if it sells? Both situations are common among retailers, and they often prevent a store from stocking those products.
NCA Vendor Member Loftus offers a solution. The company distributes products from a wide variety of manufacturers of costume accessories, balloons, novelties,and other products NCA Buyer Members need, and is happy to send quantities that work for the group. The minimum order is just $100, and shipping is free for orders over $500 to a USA-based ship-to address. Loftus accepts VISA, Mastercard, Discover or American Express. Halloween dating and terms is also available to credit approved customers.
“That’s what we want to be known for: When members buy direct and find themselves not being able to meet the minimums, or they want to add a couple pieces of a brand onto their existing order, we can do that,” says Holly Adamonis-Zuller, Loftus’ Chief Strategy Officer. “Each one of the brands we partner with knows the role Loftus plays, and it works well. We are grateful for each of the partnerships we have.”
Loftus distributes and partners with some of the best brands within the industry. They range from Cinema Secrets to Mehron, Trick or Treat to Zagone Studios and Tinsley to VEI. (Click here to see more.) Loftus also has its own lines of products, including costumes accessories, wigs, balloons, party décor, and joke and magic tricks. A staple item that the company has created and offered for more than 80 years is the Rubber Chicken. “Only a few know that the world center for distributing Rubber Chickens was in Salt Lake City, and from Loftus International. But it is truly a timeless classic. We continuously try to spread joy with all our products, and we are proud to say, we are the house of the rubber chicken,” Adamonis-Zuller laughs.
Last year the company brought back the Decades category, which helps stores stock products related to the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.”We wanted to be able to provide a good amount of items in each category. This allows the customers to pick up a full line from Loftus and not just a handful of fill in items. and not just have customers pick a couple items.”
“The line includes a lot of staple items like ‘80s leg warmers, neon wigs, jewelry, and fishnet stockings,” Adamonis-Zuller says. “The Decades was a huge category for many stores and the line is doing fantastic.”
Deep Roots
The company was founded in 1939 by George Loftus and his stepson Gene Rose as a novelty and magic store in downtown Salt Lake City. Eventually they started manufacturing their own products, including an electric nose cleaner and the now-famous rubber chicken. They started wholesaling products about 30 years later, and by the 1990s they were one of the biggest distributors of balloons, magic and novelties in the United States.
“The company had always dabbled in costumes, accessories, and masks, but that really increased in the last decade,” Adamonis-Zuller says. “Our focus is on increasing those SKUs and helping costume shops and Halloween stores generate the sales with inventory that’s ready to ship for them.”
Adamonis-Zuller feels that one of Loftus’ key goals is helping keep NCA members’ stores vital in this era of big box and internet shopping.
“I’m a true believer that people are still valuing the experience that real bricks-and-mortar costume shops can give,” she says. “That’s something you just can’t get with an online company. To be able to see the products and touch and feel them physically is something that I don’t think will ever get old. And to go into a store and get the kind of customer service that many of our stores can supply, that’s what sets them apart.”
Loftus participates in the NCA Buyers Group and offers their highest level discounts all year. Click here to see the most recent catalog: https://www.loftus.com/pages/resources