Spirit Halloween Remains Relevant After October

With Halloween and October 2023 in the past, Spirit Halloween is about to vanish from its possessed storefronts.

Spirit Halloween is closing its doors on Thursday, following a clearance sale on Wednesday, marking the end of this year’s Halloween season. However, the company’s operations continue throughout the year.

The retailer, known for its Halloween costumes and decor, carries over very little inventory from one season to the next, a company representative said. Unsold costumes in good condition are stored for the next Halloween. Moreover, customers can buy merchandise throughout the year via the Spirit Halloween website.

Spirit Halloween, which employed over 40,000 seasonal workers this year, offers many the opportunity to stay with the company at Spencer’s Gifts. Spencer’s Gifts is a mall retailer also owned by Spirit Halloween’s parent company, Spencer Spirit Holdings.

CEO Steven Silverstein stated on Monday during CNBC’s “The Exchange” that Spirit Halloween is almost entirely self-reliant. The company handles its own sourcing, design, and manufacturing.

“Spirit has become such a phenomenon that no other market can keep up with it.”

CEO Steven Silverstein on CNBC’s “The Exchange”

Spirit Halloween Expands Its Seasonal Store Footprint

This year, the retailer saw a record number of openings, launching 1,506 stores — an increase of over 50 from the previous year, as per statements made to CNBC. According to company data, the total number of locations has more than doubled since 2009.

Unlike traditional retail outlets, Spirit Halloween operates on a seasonal basis and thus does not require permanent structures or long-term leases for its over 1,500 outlets.

A Spirit Halloween spokesperson informed CNBC that the operations team dedicates the full year to securing suitable locations. The team often commits to a prospective site “as early as the spring and as late as the first week of October.” This helps the company easily establish its stores without having to create new storefronts or engage in lengthy leasing agreements. Additionally, it helps the landlords, which are often struggling retailers with store closures, as it means “someone is leasing their space, if even for a few months.”

It’s also worth mentioning that this was the 40th anniversary of the retail chain since its inception.