Competitor acquires New Berlin costume retailer BuySeasons

BuySeasons Inc., the New Berlin-based online retailer of costumes and party goods, has been acquired by a competitor.

Rubie's Costume Company, which describes itself as "the world's largest designer, manufacturer and distributor of costumes, accessories and holiday products," said it bought BuySeasons on June 30.

Rubie's, of Richmond Hill, N.Y., did not disclose the terms of the deal.

BuySeasons, started by entrepreneurs Jalem Getz and Jon Majdoch in 1999, grew rapidly into one of the area's startup success stories and became a major online costume retailer.

It was sold in 2006 to Liberty Interactive Corp. of Englewood, Colo., and became part of that firm's Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings Inc. unit, which also included a controlling stake in TripAdvisor Inc.

Liberty TripAdvisor, along with BuySeasons, was spun off into a separate company in 2014.

In early 2016, amid stiffening competition, BuySeasons cut a third of its workforce. The elimination of 130 full-time jobs left the firm just under 200 permanent full-time employees.