Chicho’s novelty store inside Bassett Place is celebrating its 20th anniversary. “We started off here at Bassett many years ago, when The Popular was still here,” said Maribel Aguirre, Chicho’s owner.
Chicho’s, which is the diminutive namesake of Aguirre’s brother. Narciso, is a comic, anime and movie lovers’ paradise—Deadpool, Batman, and Dragon Ball Z-themed items, just to name a few, are plastered throughout the store.
Aguirre said Chicho’s keeps its inventory fresh, fashionable and current in different ways.
“We’ve got to keep moving and putting new things together,” she said. “What’s new, what’s going to be new? What’s in for the season? We listen to the clients to know what they want and to determine what we’re going to add.”
Aguirre also sets up a Chicho’s booth at events like El Paso Comic Con, Border City Comic Con, Sun City Sci Fi and similar events in New Mexico to gain recognition and to get fresh ideas for new product lines to add.
Upcoming movies and video game releases are another source of inspiration. Star Wars and Deadpool are hot right now and their popularity has spilled over to Chicho’s inventory. The store recently participated in a Star Wars promotion with Game Stop and raffled off a framed, one-of-a-kind movie print, in honor of the video game release.
Although Chicho’s has seen its share of customers come and go throughout the last 2 decades, Aguirre maintains they have a large group of loyal followers.
“Throughout the years, they’ve followed us,” Aguirre said. “ A lot of my customers used to come here with their moms and now they come with their own kids. It’s been good.”
Chicho’s, inside Bassett Place, 6101 Gateway West Blvd, Suite 100.
915-846-4858
https://www.facebook.com/ChichosGifts/info/
Text: Denise Nelson-Prieto