KANSAS CITY - It's almost spooky szn! The annual transformation of empty retail spots is beginning as Spirit Halloween starts opening its seasonal pop-up stores, including locations already listed for the St. Louis area.
Spirit plans to operate more than 1,500 temporary locations across North America for the 2025 season. This business model provides a seasonal boost in hiring and fills vacancies left by other retailers' closing.
According to a company announcement, this year's in-store theme will be based on a haunted subway concept called "Madison Scare Park." The theme will be supported by new animatronic figures, some of which feature dual-axis rotational motors and motion-tracking technology, the company said.
"The opening of Spirit Halloween stores signals the start of something special," Spirit Halloween CEO Steven Silverstein said in the news release.
Available merchandise will include costumes from popular media franchises like Squid Game, Marvel, and Wicked, in addition to an expanded collection of home décor.
The company also announced the start of its annual "Spirit of Children" fundraising campaign, which collects in-store donations for 162 partner hospitals. The campaign aims to raise $18 million this year to support children's hospital departments like emergency room services, sensory spaces, therapeutic programs, and festive celebrations. To date, the program has raised more than $145 million, according to the news release.
Spirit Halloween is currently hiring for its temporary locations.
