The best costume stores in Canada

H&M
Avid H&Mers will be thrilled by their adorable kids’ collection, All For Children, with costumes in selected stores. Bunny suits and pink flamingo hats will have you feeling fuzzy inside and out — the collection also includes an adorable bear head and a full-body white rabbit suit — for kids ages 11?2 to eight. Twenty five percent of sales are being donated to UNICEF. HM.COM

ONCE UPON A CHILD
Gently used is a great way to cut your costs this season, and Once Upon A Child — with nearly 30 franchises across Canada — specializes in just that. A $50 Disney store costume, for example, will go for about $10. Bring last year’s too-small outfit for cash back on the spot. The average location buys about 1,800 costumes a year. ONCEUPONACHILD.COM

SHOPPERS DRUG MART
Pharmacy lovers (or those with piles of Optimum points) can find everything they need for Halloween at select Shoppers Drug Mart stores. Bestselling full costumes for the toddler set include Thomas the Train and storybook princesses, while older kids can don a wig for as low as $10 to play the part of a haunting witch. New for 2012 is the ultra-popular Monster High characters, and Hollywood’s newest resurrection of The Avengers with Iron Man. SHOPPERSDRUGMART.CA

OLD NAVY
Adorable baby bodysuits with pumpkins, skeletons and witches are sold with a famous assortment of Halloween costumes. You’ll find cuddly lions, dragons, princesses and pirates in stores across Canada. Shop online if you don’t feel like braving the mall. A sweet treat for mom: Prices start at less than $20. OLDNAVY.CA

MASTERMIND TOYS
Dress-up and imagination are more than a Halloween prop at Mastermind Toys; they’re a creative kid staple all year-round. A wide selection of make-believe gear and play items for kids ages three and up includes police helmets, explorers’ gear and cleaning toys that kids can use as the perfect costume accessory. They’ve got a reversible king and knight costume, if you’re feeling royal, or pirate hats that’ll make you go “arrr.” MASTERMINDTOYS.COM

WALMART
Shoppers will be goblin-up the choices at this mass retailer. A large assortment of costumes for all ages include everything from perennial favourites like witches and zombies, to the latest looks from the likes of Spider-Man, Batman and The Avengers — all starting as low as $8 for kids and $12 for adults. WALMART.CA

VALUE VILLAGE
Spend a little less by getting creative at one of 122 stores across Canada. Besides their seasonal Halloween collection of ready-made costumes for all ages, mix and match accessories with the year-round stacks of great vintage finds for endless possibilities. VALUEVILLAGE.COM