If you’ve ever wanted to dress up for Halloween as a witch or a ghost, or just as a scary ghost, then you’ve probably heard of Spirit Halloween. The company is more than just a seasonal retailer. It’s a year-round operation that donates millions of dollars to children’s hospitals. However, are these charitable contributions enough to make it worth buying their costumes and props? Is Spirit Halloween a bottom-feeder?
Spirit Halloween is more than just a seasonal retailer
Established in 1983, Spirit Halloween is more than a seasonal retailer. With over 1,400 locations across North America, this specialty retailer has become an industry phenomenon. This year’s Halloween season is sure to be a record-breaking one for the company. The company has become so popular that it has spawned countless internet memes. Although its stores are mostly located in strip malls, you can also find them in traditional malls.
The holiday season is a time when retail space is scarce and it takes advantage of this by filling vacant storefronts with Halloween items. This business model not only promotes a celebration of the holiday, but it’s also an example of smart urban planning. Many vacant retail spaces in the U.S. don’t get used year-round, and it takes advantage of those empty spaces by leasing them out for a short period of time.
Targets
In addition to utilizing malls and mass merchandisers to increase sales, It also targets high-traffic locations. For example, in a mall, crowds of people already shop at the mall, so if shoppers want to buy Halloween costumes or holiday decor, they can stop by the Spirit Halloween store next door. Those shoppers can then continue shopping, despite the fact that the retailer’s products are only relevant for two to three months.
While Spirit Halloween does struggle to secure vacant retail spaces, it does use the information it gathers from the stores after a busy season to enhance its customer experience. The company scours locations during January and August, and stores typically run from Labor Day through Nov. 1. As a result, the company can make use of data that it gathers to improve the customer experience and its products. These strategies have been crucial to the company’s success and continued expansion.
As a five-year-old, Griffin Miller was too scared to enter the store. But after being contacted by its operator, he began to enter the store and befriend the operators. Griffin Miller now collects Spirit Halloween animatronics. He has a clown in a body bag, a skull, a ghost, and several scarecrows. He also has horror movie posters and a Spirit Halloween banner in his bedroom.
It’s a year-round operation
When the fall season comes around, the spirit of Halloween returns to Twisp, Washington. After all, the city is one of the most beautiful in the country, and Spirit Halloween is a year-round operation. But how is the company able to keep its doors open throughout the year? It turns out that repurposing is essential to business success, especially if you can’t close them down for the season.
Unlike many other retail chains, Spirit Halloween invests in making its customers feel like they’re at a haunted house. In addition to offering costumes, many of their stores have animatronics, haunted houses, and music. These experiences are what make the Spirit Halloween concept so popular, and they’ve built their business around that model. They’ve also expanded their offerings into other categories, such as jewelry.
The company uses the same strategy to roll out its stores. While Halloween Express owns over 200 locations nationwide, Spirit of Christmas leases space to individual store owners. In addition to franchising its locations, Spirit Halloween leases space from former Borders stores. They even hire seasonal employees over the summer. However, their efforts are rewarded with the season’s greatest revenue. So, how does Spirit Halloween make so much money in so little time?
Spirit of Children
The company has many charitable endeavors. The company’s “Spirit of Children” initiative, for example, has raised more than $50 million for children’s hospitals. These funds are used for art programs, pet therapy, and other activities. Spirit Halloween also provides Halloween decorations and accessories to hospitals throughout the United States. Because of their charitable nature, Spirit Halloween can make a difference all year round. You won’t have to wait until October 31st to give these kids a smile.
The online store is the company’s flagship store, but pop-up shops are not the only locations. Most locations close after Halloween, but their online store is open all year round. This means you can continue to shop and build your Halloween costume during the year – and even buy other holiday items. But when the holiday comes around, don’t forget to check out the Spirit Halloween website. It’s always stocked with new costumes and accessories.
It donates millions to children’s hospitals
Spirit Halloween is a charity that has raised more than $1 million for children’s hospitals. Last year, the event donated nearly $180,000 to the UPMC Children’s Hospital. The event’s business partners and online supporters have also contributed to the cause, making a total donation of $1 million. Spirit Halloween is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year, so its generosity is much appreciated. Here are some of the ways that you can get involved.
In 2010, Spirit Halloween donated over $600,000 to the UC Davis Children’s Hospital. The money was used to create a Child Life Department. This department was previously underfunded, and Spirit Halloween donated this money to make it possible. It is now the largest Halloween specialty retailer in the United States, with more than 1,300 locations across North America. The company has been in business for over 40 years and provides a one-stop shop for everyone’s Halloween needs.
Halloween Locations
The nonprofit arm of Spirit Halloween, Spirit of Children, works to make children’s hospitals more pleasant environments for kids. Since 2010, the charity has donated more than $625,000 to pediatric hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. This money has helped the hospital’s Child Life Department fund programs and sensory equipment to help kids cope with their illnesses. Spirit Halloween’s mission is to help children in hospitals have a better quality of life and be less scared of going to the hospital.
Since 2006, the Spirit of Children charity has donated over $55 million to hospitals and other children’s hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. Every dollar donated will go directly to Child Life departments in children’s hospitals. Spirit of Children helps make hospitals less scary for kids by raising money and spreading awareness online and in stores. With the help of this charity, Halloween can be less scary for kids, and parents can feel good knowing their dollars are going to good use.
It’s a bottom-feeder
While it has been growing in popularity, many brick-and-mortar stores are struggling to survive. As a result, many have closed their doors. Is this another example of a bottom-feeder business? In this article I’ll explain why Spirit is a bottom-feeder, and why you should stop buying Halloween decorations in the Spirit store. After all, they do raise millions for charity, but are they really doing it for the right reasons?
When Spirit Halloween first opened its doors, it used a space-efficient model to find the perfect locations. It temporarily converted its clothing store into a Halloween costume shop, then brought the dresses back out in November. Eventually, the owners focused on a full-fledged costume business. The real estate team worked year-round to find a good location. Most landlords, mall operators, and commercial real estate owners would prefer to sign a long-term lease with Spirit Halloween, but this company has a kick-out clause.
Halloween Planning
Strong Towns advocates incremental city planning. In addition to its urban planning efforts, Spirit Halloween has a great impact on the local economy by utilizing vacant storefronts. This company scourges across the country, finding properties that are for rent and are not otherwise used by local businesses. Many of these stores have become Internet memes, thanks to the Halloween merchandise they sell. However, if you are not a fan of Halloween, you shouldn’t go shopping at Spirit Halloween.
Although Spirit Halloween has more than 1,400 stores across the U.S. and Canada, its network is much larger than other specialty retailers. With a network of over 1,100 stores serving a consumer market of $8.4 billion each year, Spirit Halloween thrives on in-person purchases and seasonal rentals. However, it’s not without its flaws, and I hope this article helps you determine if Spirit Halloween is a bottom-feeder or not. So get ready for a spooky holiday season.