The spooky season seems to return earlier and earlier each year.
While Halloween is over three months away, many fanatics are already awaiting Spirit Halloween’s sudden appearance in their city. And good news — they are coming soon.
“With the anticipation for Halloween at an all-time high, we are committed to creating the same immersive experience that keeps our fans coming back year after year,” Spirit Halloween CEO Steven Silverstein said in a press release.
“The talent and enthusiasm of our associates is the driving force that brings Halloween to life each year, and we look forward to welcoming new and returning faces for another killer season.”
What is Spirit Halloween?
Spirit Halloween is a retailer that suddenly appears at the end of the summer season, transforming empty storefronts into the heart of Halloween goods. It has become a pop culture phenomenon within the U.S over the years.
It opened its first pop-up store in the Bay Area in 1983 before being purchased by Spencer Gifts in 1999. Spirit Halloween also maintains a website that is open throughout the year, where you can buy costumes, decorations, and giant, towering animatronic characters.
Last year, the iconic Halloween store even took a shot at another holiday with some experimental Spirit Christmas stores in the Northeast.
When do Spirit Halloween stores open?
The stores typically open in August, a couple of months before the holiday. Most U.S. consumers (47%) begin their Halloween shopping before October, according to the National Retail Federation.
And they’re hiring. As of July 20, there are 1,188 positions available in Florida for jobs such as sales associate, assistant store manager and district sales manager at work4spirit.com.
How does Spirit Halloween choose where to open?
Spirit tends to focus on locations where there are more than 35,000 people within a 3-5 mile radius and ideally looks for locations with 5,000 to 50,000 square feet of sales floor space, according to Drew Griffiths, Divisional Vice President of Marketing and Social Media for Spirit. But they’re flexible.
“No store is too large – or too small,” Griffiths told USA TODAY in 2023.
How many Spirit Halloween locations are in Florida?
The list for this year isn’t up yet, but last year, there were nearly 80 Spirit Halloween stores in 66 cities in the Sunshine State.
Once the bright orange signs start going up, you can find locations at stores.spirithalloween.com/fl/.
Can’t wait for Halloween? These retailers are already selling decorations
While you have to wait a few more weeks for Spirit Halloween to return, some stores have already had their decorations out since last month. Here are the retailers that typically sell Halloween decorations during summer:
Contributing: C. A. Bridges and Mike Snider, Daytona Beach News-Journal
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: When does Spirit Halloween open in Florida? See stores already offering spooky decorations
Reporting by Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
