In recent years, masquerade parties have become increasingly popular among young people and white-collar professionals. With the growing trend of costume rentals, the market has seen a significant rise in demand. After being invited to a ballroom dance party, CFP decided to leave behind Huang Yan, who couldn't afford to rent or buy costumes, and instead opened a prom dress rental shop. Just over a year after launching her business, her store was earning 10,000 yuan per month. As more young people and office workers begin to follow Western trends by hosting and attending various types of dance events, especially with Christmas approaching, masquerade parties are becoming the top choice for fashion enthusiasts.
With the holiday season around the corner, many large companies and foreign enterprises are already planning their own evening events, with masquerades being a popular option. According to Huang Xing, there is still a lot of room for growth in Chongqing's masquerade costume rental market.
Huang Xing first realized the opportunity when she returned from studying in the UK last year. She received a call from a classmate inviting her to a Christmas party where everyone had to wear themed outfits—naval uniforms, flight attendant dresses, doctors’ gowns, and more. While such events are common abroad, Huang found herself unprepared because she couldn’t find suitable attire in Chongqing. She searched through the Chaotianmen wholesale market and Liberation Monument shopping area but couldn’t find quality costumes. Even the uniforms available were outdated and poorly made, not meeting the standards required for a ball. In the end, she borrowed a uniform from a friend working as a flight attendant.
At the party, she shared her experience with friends, and they all related to the problem. Many of them had faced similar difficulties in finding or renting party costumes. This sparked an idea in Huang’s mind—perhaps there was a gap in the local market that she could fill.
After researching, Huang discovered that costume rentals for masquerades were still underdeveloped in Chongqing, while cities like Beijing and Shanghai had already established a complete industry chain. The cost of producing a single costume ranged from 300 to 2,000 yuan, with most items priced between 200 and 500 yuan. Evening gowns were slightly more expensive, costing around 2,000 yuan each.
She calculated that with an initial investment of just 30,000 yuan, she could stock up on a wide variety of costumes and open her own rental shop. After making the decision, she quickly started preparing and soon launched her masquerade costume rental business.
Over the past year, her store has offered a range of costumes tailored to the most popular masquerade themes in Chongqing: "Uniform Party," "Hiba Party," "Delicious Party," and "Ghost Party." Her collection includes military uniforms, professional outfits, cartoon costumes, armor, and more.
Currently, the market is at its peak, and customers need to pay a deposit of 100–200 yuan in advance to reserve costumes for three days. Huang admitted that although the special clothing rental market in Chongqing is gradually maturing, there is still a huge demand, and one or two stores can't meet the needs. Her shop has been operating at full capacity for the past six months.
According to Huang, the profit margin of renting out masquerade costumes is quite good. For example, a spring or summer outfit costs less than 300 yuan to purchase, and it can be rented for 50–80 yuan per day. Renting it 4–5 times would cover the cost. For autumn and winter outfits, which cost between 800 and 2,000 yuan, renting them 10 times would also recover the investment. Her shop now generates tens of thousands of yuan in monthly income.
To promote her business, Huang focused on low-cost strategies, such as using city forums on major portals. These platforms attract a young audience who are more open to new and exciting events like masquerades.
Additionally, she emphasized the importance of managing risks by collecting deposits from customers. Typically, a deposit of 300 yuan per set is collected for regular costumes, while evening gowns require a deposit of 800 yuan.
Reporter: Jiang Tao
Intern: Feng Bo
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