Spirit Halloween at a shopping center in Dublin, California in 2018. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Since its founding in 1983, Spirit Halloween has become the go-to destination for all things Halloween.
Today the company has 1,400 locations in North America, primarily located in strip and traditional malls.
In recent years, Spirit has become the source of countless internet memes, thanks to its ubiquity in shuttered retail spaces.
Halloween is back and bigger than ever before — and Spirit Halloween is ready for a record-breaking year.
Since it's founding in 1983, the seasonal chain store has grown ubiquitous across the US, becoming a go-to destination for all things Halloween. Drive past any suburban strip mall during September and October and there's a high chance you'll spot a bright orange Spirit banner hanging from the facade of one the company's 1,400 seasonal pop-up stores.
Thanks to its penchant for inhabiting shuttered retail spaces formerly home to the like of brands like Toys R' Us or Circuit City, in recent years Spirit has become synonymous with the Retail Apocalypse and the inspiration for countless internet memes.
"I didn't invent temporary sales," Spirit Halloween founder Joseph Marver told The Seattle Times in October 2000. "But I feel like I invented temporary Halloween."
And while Spirit doesn't disclose sales, parent company Spencer Gifts — the mall-brand known for its gag gifts ranging from lava lamps to sex toys — is estimated to bring in more than $400 million annually.
After four decades of dominating the Halloween market, Spirit Halloween shows no signs of stopping this year. As the national rate of COVID-19 vaccinations continues to climb, sending more people out trick-or-treating and to parties, the Halloween industry is forecasting record sales of $10.14 billion, up 20% from $8.05 billion in 2020, according to the National Retail Federation.
We took a closer look at the rise of Spirit Halloween, and how it went from a small California costume shop to a bonafide holiday powerhouse