that's the spirit

hey boo crew,

october magic hits different, doesn’t it?

the leaves turn, pumpkin spice everything is back, the air’s crisp af
—& boom! spirit halloween pops up like clockwork.

but let me tell you, spirit halloween isn’t just about spooky decor & last-minute costumes. this pop-up powerhouse has some killer business lessons lurking beneath those plastic vampire fangs.

so, grab your coffee & candy corn, because we’re diving into how this company—owned by spencer’s (yep, home of gag gifts and lava lamps)—turned a 6-week season into a multimillion-dollar empire.

surprising stor(i)es & stats

i knew halloween was big, but wow—doing research for this newsletter blew my mind. let’s start with some quick stats to set the scene...

1. halloween is the 3rd most loved holiday after christmas & thanksgiving.
   it’s also the 3rd least loved holiday after super bowl sunday& juneteenth.

2. nrf forecasts $11.6B in spending for halloween, ~$104 per person.

3. halloween spending includes costumes ($3.8B), decorations ($3.8B), candy ($3.5B), & greeting cards ($0.5B).

4. 72% of americans plan to celebrate this year, majority by giving out candy.

5. young trick-or-treaters want reese’s (76%) & classic m&ms (73%).

6. us candy prices are up 31% since 2019 (!!!) willing to be they’re smaller too!

7. summerween is proving to be a booming trend & brilliant retail strategy.

8. spirit halloween operates 1,450 seasonal pop-ups every year.

9. every august 1, thousands of people attend the carnEVIL grand opening celebration of their flagship store in egg harbor township, nj (same city as hq).

10. spirit corporate fully embraces their meme value for both taking over “closed” spaces (like facebook hq or stadiums) & 2020’s very viral costume packages with the likes of an unprepared hiker, a short king, & travis kelce.

the poppin’ pop-up

spirit halloween’s business model is almost too brilliant to be real.

they swoop in every year like clockwork, taking over vacant retail spaces which are in no short supply these days, thanks to the so-called “death of retail”.

but here’s the kicker: they want you to know how they do it.

spirit’s not secretive about their ideal setup. they publicly share on their websites exactly what they look for when selecting their “so much fun. it’s scary” spaces.

• 5K to 50K sq ft of selling space

• 35K population within 5 miles & 25K cars / day

• 3 month lease with kick-out clause

they’re open for about six weeks a year, but that’s all they need to cash in big.

no long-term leases.
no year-round overhead.
no recurring revenue streams.

just pure spooky season profit.

it’s proof that sometimes, less is more when you nail a niche.

stocked to slay

i’m impressed with spirit halloween's inventory model too for three key reasons.

1. they know people are basic. across all age groups, we all want to be a witch, a vampire, or a superhero for the millionth time. so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. i swear they still have the same witch costume i wore in ’95.

2. their inventory never expires. didn’t sell this year? no problem, it’ll be back next season. you think you’re getting something new, but it might be from 1980 when the shining dropped. haunted doll vibes are spooky timeless.

3. they repurpose 30% to 40% of inventory. no fashion brand can touch that. when you’re selling black capes, devil horns, & bunny ears, it’s like having a timeless time capsule for halloween trends.

proof that spirit knows exactly how to keep the spooky spirit alive year after year, without ever going out of style (or business).

costume crunch clutch

spirit halloween totally gets their customer in another important way too.

they know we’re all guilty of waiting until the absolute last second to snag a mask or impulse buy the chipotle fork bodysuit. bc the halloween lovers put on the pressure to dress up in both the personal & professional settings.

spirit plays us to perfection.

popping up in high-traffic spots where you can’t help but stumble in during your panic. they strike when it’s october 28th and you’re in full-blown costume crisis mode—no clue what you’re wearing to the office bash, & the online delivery window? long gone.

consider this your friendly reminder to plan ahead...

because spirit knows you won’t. 🎃

spirit halloween teaches us that businesses don’t have to be complicated to be successful. you don’t have to have recurring revenue or be open 365 days a year.

sometimes, it's about selling the right stuff at the right place at the right time.

p.s. if you want to show your support for this newsletter, please click the link below to learn about our merry partner, adquick 👇️