The “retail apocalypse” has been brewing — like the contents of a witch’s cauldron — for over a decade. Brick-and-mortar closures accelerated during the pandemic. This year alone, Bed Bath & Beyond shut down almost 900 stores across its three brands.
But like a cursed mummy (or Freddy/Jason/Michael at the end of a 1980s slasher flick), one brand has risen from retail’s grave: Spirit Halloween.
A few decades ago, temporary holiday leases would scare away corporate real estate landlords. In 2000, the Seattle Times summarized their reputation as “unreliable and schlocky and … could stigmatize a space as unrentable to a ‘real’ store.”
Today, however, landlords will take any holiday boost they can get — and Spirit Halloween delivers a monster-size one with over 1,400 stores throughout the U.S., generating an estimated $1.1 billion in revenue. (“I didn’t invent temporary sales,” founder Joe Marver told the Times. “But I feel like I invented temporary Halloween.”)
Against all odds, Marver established Spirit Halloween as a side-hustle pop-up in 1983 when sales at his Bay Area dress store slowed down. It reminds customers why they once enjoyed browsing aisles and taking in the ambience as opposed to clicking through endless product pages. Like a pumpkin spice latte or a McRib, Spirit Halloween is a novelty we don’t deserve year-round. The hype when it shows up in town for a couple months is undeniable; it is truly the f-boy of businesses.
While the seasonal retail giant has drawn criticism for being a “bottom-feeder” that profits off the demise of other businesses, Spirit Halloween’s employees (unlike team members at dying stores) actually seem to love working there. Plus, the festive dress code and 30% employee discount only help morale.
“The [coworkers] and the manager were amazing and respectful of my time,” one former Spirit employee told b. “Compared to other retail jobs I have had in the past, it was great.” She added that it’s one of the better jobs for a student because the work is fun, simple, “and there were no harsh rules.”
Even if you’re merely shopping for fake blood or cat ears, the consumer experience at Spirit Halloween is a rare treat (although the “trick” is beating those last-minute lines). With its probable location in a onetime Bed Bath & Beyond near you, think of Spirit Halloween as a thrillingly haunted house of what it used to be.
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