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Halloween Shops Extend Hours For Those Late Picking Up Costumes

By Paul Kurtz

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Costume stores have been busy all week but with the clock nearing zero hour panic is setting in.

"We'll be pretty much packed trying to get customers into costumes," says Jennifer Valosen General Manager of Pierres rentals. "People coming in going 'I have no idea what I want to be.' And then we help them out."

Pete Dandrea is paying for two costumes at Pierres.

"An astronaut costume for one...and mariachi I think for the other."

Neither is for him.

"I'm picking these up for, I have two sisters, both of their boyfriends," says Dandrea. "Cracks me up. They just called me in a panic, they were like, 'we need stuff."

Pierre's GM Jennifer Valosen is a 14 year veteran of the rental business and says she watches this scene play out every year.

"Philadelphia is a bunch of procrastinators so they're always here the day before Halloween or even the day of Halloween looking for their costume."

So why do so many wait til the last-minute?

To accommodate the tardy, most costume stores have stretched their hours to 8, 9 even 10pm this week.

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