It's spooky how fast Spirit Halloween stores pop up. Here's how the retailer does it (2024)

Children's Halloween costumes hang on a wall at a Spirit Halloween store. Like pumpkin patches, the seasonal pop-up shops are a signal that fall is upon us. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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It's spooky how fast Spirit Halloween stores pop up. Here's how the retailer does it (2)

Children's Halloween costumes hang on a wall at a Spirit Halloween store. Like pumpkin patches, the seasonal pop-up shops are a signal that fall is upon us.

Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

In the world of spooky commerce, there's one name that rises above the rest: Spirit Halloween. The seasonal retailer sells costumes, decorations and just about anything else somebody might need for Halloween.

Despite only operating from early August to early November, Spirit Halloween has become as much a part of the fall season as pumpkin patches and sweater weather, and with more than 1,400 locations in the United States and Canada, it's not hard to understand why.

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Spirit Halloweens are everywhere. They appear seemingly overnight, taking over vacant buildings, then they disappear — only for the cycle to repeat itself next year.

A pop culture staple

The retailer has become so thoroughly ingrained as part of the season, it has made its way to internet memes.

is this too meta? #SpiritHallowmeme pic.twitter.com/8UewxUvRRI

— Spirit Halloween (@SpiritHalloween) October 26, 2022

Some have taken their love for the retailer a step further. Nick Lutsko, a singer, songwriter and the self-styled "current king of Halloween," produced a song about the retail chain appropriately titled "Spirit Halloween Theme."

Lutsko partnered with the company to produce a popular trilogy of videos in 2021.

YouTube

According to Lutsko, the chain's prominence in pop culture comes down to consistency.

"It's a physical manifestation of Halloween. You're driving to work and you see a Spirit Halloween pop up — and it's like, 'OK, it's happening,' " he told NPR.

How Spirit Halloween fills the voids left by other retailers

Beneath the songs and the memes, the story of Spirit Halloween is really one of urban development patterns.

Perhaps above all, Spirit's business model hinges on space. Lots of it. Spirit looks for anywhere between 5,000 and 50,000 square feet of space, but in the company's own words, "no store is too large (or too small)" — and the company has no problem finding the space it needs.

Drop any ZIP code or address into the company's store locator, and a flurry of orange arrows is almost sure to pop up.

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The company finds this space largely in abandoned buildings — malls that have shut down, retailers that have filed for bankruptcy and so on.

"Spirit is pretty much a bottom-feeder business that works only at the expense of other stores; if there weren't vacant storefronts, this business wouldn't exist," writes Rachel Quednau, program director for Strong Towns, an urban planning advocacy group that emphasizes incremental city planning.

From January to August, the company spends its time scouring the country and scoping out properties for temporary leases, and a big part of what makes this a reliable process for Spirit Halloween is that these abandoned spaces are otherwise unusable within local economies.

Why the spaces are empty to begin with

Spirit Halloween is a byproduct of what Strong Towns calls The Suburban Experiment, an approach to urban development that invests heavily in permanent structures — large retail buildings being a prime example of this. This kind of development requires big upfront investment, and the spaces it creates are hard to repurpose if, say, a chain goes out of business.

If a Sears or Toys R Us shuts down, for example, it's not easy to find another tenant to take over the space.

"So many businesses — a small restaurant, a small clothing store, whatever — would never be able to afford, or just wouldn't need, that huge amount of space," Quednau told Morning Edition.

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That's where Spirit stores come in. The company takes advantage of these abandoned spaces and fills them — temporarily bringing otherwise vacant buildings back to life during the spookiest time of the year.

The phenomenon of Spirit Halloween is one of holiday celebration, but it's also one of urban planning and innovation. Currently, the free market can't figure out how to use abandoned retail spaces, and until it does, Spirit Halloween is likely to keep coming back.

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.

It's spooky how fast Spirit Halloween stores pop up. Here's how the retailer does it (2024)

FAQs

Why does Spirit Halloween use abandoned stores? ›

Store closures have ramped up in recent years, as struggling retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid and CVS Pharmacy close large swaths of locations across the country. These become opportunities for Spirit Halloween, then, as the company pays to use the abandoned space for the Halloween season.

What does Spirit Halloween do with unsold merchandise? ›

Operates under the Spirit name and complies with our basic merchandising and marketing philosophies. The consignment operator controls expenses and pays only for what is sold. Spirit takes back all unsold merchandise at the end of the season.

How profitable are Spirit Halloween stores? ›

(According to career guidance site Zippia, Spirit Halloween's annual revenue is approximately $1.1 billion.)

Where do Spirit Halloween stores come from? ›

It is the USA's largest Halloween retailer. It is currently owned by Spencer Gifts. It was founded in 1983 and began in the Castro Valley "Village Shopping Center" in the San Francisco East Bay Area, California, and has headquarters in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. In 1999, the store had 60 seasonal locations.

What is the spooky shutdown strategy of Spirit Halloween? ›

Once Halloween is over, the demand for spooky costumes and decorations dwindles, falling below Spirit Halloween's average variable costs. In economic terms, this is the "shutdown" phase. Continuing operations would only result in losses, and Spirit Halloween wisely closes its stores until the next Halloween season.

How do pop-up Halloween stores work? ›

Halloween pop-ups operate as consignment shops and order merchandise from their headquarters, whether that be Spirit Halloween or Halloween City. Because of this, trend forecasting is extremely important in maintaining the proper inventory levels of specific costumes or decor.

Where does unsold merchandise go? ›

Every year, billions of pounds of unsold inventory end up in landfills or get incinerated. This results in over 5 billion pounds of waste and 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Can you return a worn costume to Spirit Halloween? ›

To return an item, it must be unworn, have the original accessories, be in new and resalable condition, and in the original packaging. You must return an item within 30 days of you receiving it. You may request a refund by returning an item in-store or online, in accordance with the terms below.

Does Spirit Halloween lower prices after Halloween? ›

Does Spirit Halloween Have Sales After Halloween? Yes, Spirit Halloween stores have sales after Halloween to get rid of their stock. Some people report seeing 50 percent off on costumes and decorations starting on November 1. Spirit Halloween is a seasonal pop-up chain that deals in Halloween products.

How much does a Spirit Halloween owner make? ›

The salary trajectory of an Owner and Operator ranges between locations and employers. The salary starts at $53,503 per year (estimate) and goes up to $280,841 per year (estimate) for the highest level of seniority.

What happens to Spirit Halloween employees after Halloween? ›

Many people take job transfers over to Spirit Halloween's sister company, Spencers, which is year round so no need to worry about what season it is. They go into other retail stores like spencers which spirits is apart of. Since spirit Halloween is a seasonal job after Halloween you will have to look for another job.

Why is Spirit Halloween so successful? ›

In short, Spirit Halloween stores are masters of minimization. They show up, put together a store, and leave without a trace in early November. This costs so much less than running a full-on, year-round retail operation.

Who makes Spirit Halloween displays? ›

Spirit Halloween contracts with the Baird Display Division of Green Bay Packaging (GBP) located in Waukesha — where Mike Bagatta is creative director — to design, build and ship the spooky, haunting, maybe-kids-shouldn't-see-this-type interactive displays at more than 1,450 pop-up stores throughout North America.

Is Spirit Halloween owned by Spencer's? ›

In 1999, Spencer's acquired Spirit Halloween, a seasonal retailer founded by Joseph Marver in 1983. At that time, the business had 60 temporary locations. Spirit's stores are only open for the two months leading up to Halloween, though it maintains a website year-round.

Do Spirit Halloween employees get a discount? ›

We offer a fun, challenging, fast-paced and rewarding environment. Plus, Associates receive a 25% discount on merchandise, competitive salary and career advancement. District Sales Managers and Store Managers are also eligible for end of the season bonus opportunities.

Does Spirit Halloween have loss prevention? ›

How much does a Loss Prevention Officer make at Spirit Halloween in the United States? The estimated average pay for Loss Prevention Officer at this company in the United States is $20.61 per hour, which is 17% above the national average.

How much do you make a spirit for Halloween? ›

How much does Spirit Halloween in the United States pay? Average Spirit Halloween hourly pay ranges from approximately $9.00 per hour for Crew Member to $38.96 per hour for Tax Manager. Average Spirit Halloween weekly pay ranges from approximately $1,068 per week for District Manager to $1,296 per week for Associate.

Is Spirit Halloween owned by Spencers? ›

Years Open. Spencer Gifts LLC, also known as Spencer's, is an American retail company and mall retailer founded in 1947. The company currently owns and operates a well-known pop-up seasonal Halloween costume store, known as Spirit Halloween, which they purchased in 1999 from Joseph Marver.

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