Spirit Halloween’s pop-up empire has been one of retail’s most surprising success stories in the last 40 years or so.

What began as a niche seasonal experiment in San Francisco in 1983 has turned into a $500-million-plus juggernaut with more than 1,500 stores across North America.

The company’s formula — short-term leases, immersive in-store experiences, and an enthusiastic fan base — has made it the undisputed leader in Halloween retail.

Spirit’s parent company, Spencer Spirit Holdings, is betting lightning can strike twice. Even though brick-and-mortar retail has been undergoing a sea change over the last couple of years, with an increasing percentage of sales happening online, Spirit has enjoyed record Halloween sales in physical stores. 

The company is using its momentum to roll out a brand-new concept called Spirit Christmas — a holiday-themed pop-up designed to turn the company’s spooky-season dominance into a year-end retail expansion.

Spirit plans to open 30 Spirit Christmas stores across the Northeast and Great Lakes regions this season — nearly quadruple last year’s pilot run, according to a company statement. (Locations listed below.) 

Each location will feature festive decor, apparel, ornaments, gifts, interactive “Peppermint Village” photo displays, and even free visits with Santa.

“The magic of the season does not end with Halloween — it transforms,” Spirit CEO Steven Silverstein said in the statement.

Spirit Halloween stores are a popular annual “pop up.”

Image source: Getty Images

How Spirit Halloween became a retail powerhouse

Spirit Halloween’s business model thrives on agility. Each fall, the company transforms vacant storefronts — often recently vacated big-box spaces like Party City, Joann, or Rite Aid — into immersive pop-up showrooms. 

After Halloween, the stores disappear almost as quickly as they appeared, allowing the company to minimize rent costs while keeping its brand top of mind.

Related: TJ Maxx closes one of its flagship locations

Its success is built on a unique “five-senses retail” approach, as Silverstein described in a lecture at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School: “I want you to see it, I want you to hear it, I want you to smell it, I want you to touch it.”

The company’s commitment to sensory engagement has made shopping at Spirit more of an experience than a transaction — a critical advantage in the post-pandemic era of experiential retail.

With Spirit Christmas, the company is extending that same playbook into a new season. Rather than shuttering operations after Halloween, Spirit can redeploy existing staff, logistics systems, and supplier relationships to serve another high-spending holiday.

Key spending and market numbers:

  • Halloween sales: U.S. consumers are projected to spend a record $13.1 billion in 2025, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).
  • Christmas and holiday sales: Overall U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise 4% year over year to more than $960 billion, with in-store sales growing 2.75%, according to the National Retail Federation and Deloitte’s 2025 retail forecast.
  • Spirit Halloween footprint: More than 1,500 seasonal locations nationwide, generating more than $500 million annually, based on a 2021 estimate.
  • Spirit Christmas expansion: 30 stores this year, up from about 10 locations during its 2024 introduction.

Why Spirit wants to do for Christmas what it did for Halloween

Spirit’s move into Christmas signals a broader trend in seasonal retailing — namely, the pop-up, where retailers stretch short bursts of profitability across holidays, closing up in between. 

The model takes advantage of the current number of still-empty storefronts in malls and shopping centers, a lingering effect of Covid-era closures.

For landlords, a Spirit pop-up helps fill a gap between permanent tenants, while for consumers, it creates excitement and foot traffic in otherwise abandoned spaces.

Related: How Spirit Halloween became a seasonal retail Amazon rival

If the concept works, Spirit could evolve from a single-season phenomenon into a dual-holiday retail brand, dominating both October and December.

By doubling down on what it does best, namely, limited-time retail, Spirit Halloween’s foray into Christmas could redefine how consumers shop for the holidays.

If shoppers embrace Spirit Christmas with the same enthusiasm they’ve shown for Halloween decor such as animatronic skeletons, inflatable ghosts, and pumpkin-themed pathway lights, the company might soon have two of the most profitable months in retail all to itself.

Spirit Christmas locations for the 2025 season

“Our seasonal business model allows us to carefully evaluate markets each year, and while we are not expanding to all areas at this time, we remain committed to delivering an immersive holiday shopping experience and are excited to spread even more holiday cheer this season, Sr. Manager of PR and Brand Image Marisa Simonson told TheStreet. 

A limited number of Spirit Christmas items will also be available online. 

“Spirit’s store model gives us the flexibility to create immersive shopping experiences that tap into the excitement of the season,” Simonson said. “Our guests come looking for inspiration, unique products, and memorable moments  … in a way that feels timely, joyful, and distinctly different from traditional holiday retail.”

Some Spirit Christmas stores will open in late October and the rest will open in early November after transitioning from Spirit Halloween stores.

  • Manchester, CT, 1440 Pleasant Valley Rd.
  • Milford, CT, Milford Crossing, 1405 Boston Post Rd.
  • Christiana, DE, Christiana Town Center, 341 W Main St.
  • Bloomingdale, IL, Bloomingdale Court, 340 West Army Trail Rd.
  • Joliet, IL, Joliet Commons, 2661 Plainfield Rd.
  • Naperville, IL, Westridge Court Shopping Mall, 336 Illinois Route 59
  • Fort Wayne, IN, Parkwest Center, 3958 Illinois Rd.
  • Merrillville, IN, Merrillville Plaza, 1916 East 80th Ave.
  • Lexington, KY, Hamburg Pavilion, 1980 Pavilion Way
  • Waldorf, MD, Waldorf Marketplace, 3009 Waldorf Market Place
  • North Attleborough, MA, N. Attleborough, 1360 South Washington Street
  • Dartmouth, MA, Faunce Corner Shopping Center, 65 Faunce Corner Mall Rd.
  • Grand Rapids, MI, The Shops at Centerpoint, 3665 28th St SE
  • Novi, MI, West Oaks Shopping Center, 43570 W Oaks Dr.
  • Salem, NH, Cluff Crossing Rockingham Mall, 92 Cluff Crossing Rd.
  • Cherry Hill, NJ, Garden State Pavilions, 2234 W Marlton Pike Rd Plot E3
  • Lawrenceville, NJ, Mercer Mall, 3371 Brunswick Ave. 
  • Mays Landing, NJ Hamilton Commons, 190 Hamilton Commons
  • Paramus, NJ, Fashion Center, 34 Ridgewood Ave.
  • Rockaway, NJ, Rockaway Townsquare Mall, 357 Mount Hope Ave.
  • Toms River, NJ Hooper Avenue, 1379 Hooper Ave.
  • Amherst, NY, Boulevard Mall, 1155 Niagara Falls Boulevard
  • Bohemia, NY, Sayville Plaza, 5159 Sunrise Highway
  • Poughkeepsie, NY, The Shoppes at South Road, 1895 South Road
  • Mentor, OH, Erie Commons, 8000 Plaza Blvd.
  • North Canton, OH, Belden Park Crossings, 5487 Dressler Rd. NW
  • Bethel Park, PA, Village Square Mall, 4000 Oxford Dr.
  • Erie, PA, Mill Creek Mall Complex, 2082 Interchange Blvd
  • Pittsburgh, PA, North Hills Village, 4801 McKnight Road
  • Whitehall, PA, Whitehall Mall, 1911 Whitehall Mall

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