Current:Home > NewsHalloween in July is happening. But Spirit Halloween holds out for August. Here's when stores open -Trailblazer Capital Learning
Halloween in July is happening. But Spirit Halloween holds out for August. Here's when stores open
View
Date:2025-04-12 02:58:55
It's still summer, but you may feel a chill in the air: It's coming from Spirit Halloween, which is scaring up its annual retail assault to bring shoppers nationwide everything Halloween.
The pop-up retailer, which takes over local storefronts for a few months each year, is expected to open more than 1,500 locations in August. The Spencer Gifts-owned subsidiary began prepping for the 2024 holiday season in June with its search for up to 50,000 seasonal employees.
Halloween has become a monster holiday, with consumer spending hitting records each of the last three years – $12.2 billion in 2023, according to the National Retail Federation.
And the opening of Spirit Halloween is a key milestone on the path to the holiday.
Christmas already?:Hallmark releases 250 brand new Christmas ornaments for 2024
What is Spirit Halloween?
A Halloween-focused company, Spirit Halloween opened its first pop-up store in the Bay area in 1983. Purchased by Spencer Gifts in 1999, the company has grown to more than 1,500 seasonal locations across the U.S.
Spirit Halloween does have a website open throughout the year where you can buy costumes, decorations and giant towering animatronic characters including the 6.2-foot-tall Art the Clown Terrifier ($199.99) a 10-foot-tall Giant Death Ray Animatronic extraterrestrial ($349.99; spaceship not included).
When does Spirit Halloween stores open for 2024?
Spirit Halloween has announced its flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, will open Thursday, Aug. 1, with a special grand opening celebration.
The company did not respond to queries about when other stores would open. However, job descriptions for store manager and sales associate say work starts on or about Aug. 1. The Spirit Halloween site suggests returning to the site on Aug. 1 to find your local store.
Target, Home Depot among stores with Halloween animatronic toys
Spirit Halloween isn't the only retailer unearthing a squad of scary towering Halloween decorations.
Home Depot has unveiled its 2024 Halloween lineup, which includes a new, limited edition model of its 12-foot skeleton Skelly with a rotating head, called "Servo Skelly," available online only for $379. Also available: the original $299 Skelly, which helped jumpstart the animatronic craze when it went viral in 2020.
Other new offerings include Skelly's dog ($199), which stands at 7 feet long, and a 7-foot-tall animated Frankenstein's monster ($279).
Target recently also unveiled its Halloween lineup and it includes some monsters, too. Returning is last year's hit purchase Lewis the Pumpkin Ghoul ($180), an 8-foot pumpkin-headed figure with a face that lights up and makes noises. There's also an 8-foot Bruce the Skelton Ghoul ($180), whose eyes and rib cage glow.
Lewis is joined by a quartet of new pumpkin-headed decorations: a 70-inch motion and sound-activated guitarist Pumpkin Rocker Billy ($150), plus hanging decorations the 65-inch Little Lewis ($30) with a pumpkin head that lights up, Pumpkin Iron Lewcy ($20), a light-up ghoul pumping dumbbells, and Baby Lewis ($10), which also lights up.
Halloween 2024: Decorations go big
Other stores going big into animatronics include:
- Costco: It has a 7-foot animated pumpkin-head scarecrow ($224.99). But its Giant Ground Breaking Skeleton ($249.99-$330), which is more than 5 feet tall – and stretches across more than 9 feet – was sold out for some on the Costco site on Friday, but has been spotted in stores – and on reselling sites such as ebay.com for more than $700.
- Party City: Among its scary products is a 9.7-foot Dr. Payne the Fire Eater on Stilts ($324.99).
- HalloweenCostumes.com: Its selection includes moving 6-foot Freddy Krueger, Michael Meyers, Pennywise the Clown, and Nightmare Before Christmas characters, all priced at $299.
Contributing: James Powel and Mary Walrath-Holdridge.
Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.
What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
veryGood! (948)
Related
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Hollywood agent's son arrested on suspicion of murder after torso found in dumpster
- The son of a Spanish actor pleads not guilty in Thailand to most charges in the killing of a surgeon
- No. 1 Georgia deserves the glory after the Bulldogs smash No. 10 Mississippi
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Former Ghana striker Raphael Dwamena dies after collapsing during Albanian Super League soccer game
- With both homes at war, a Ukrainian mother in Gaza struggles to find new place to go with her 5 children
- Floods kill at least 31 in Somalia. UN warns of a flood event likely to happen once in 100 years
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Myanmar army faces a new threat from armed ethnic foes who open a new front in a western state
Ranking
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- 3 dead, more than a dozen others injured in large Brooklyn house fire, officials say
- NC State stuns No. 2 UConn, beating Huskies in women's basketball for first time since 1998
- With both homes at war, a Ukrainian mother in Gaza struggles to find new place to go with her 5 children
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Ohio GOP lawmakers vow to target state judiciary after passage of Issue 1 abortion measure
- AP Top 25: Georgia’s No. 1 streak hits 22, second-best ever; Louisville, Oregon State enter top 10
- Houston Astros set to name bench coach Joe Espada manager, succeeding Dusty Baker
Recommendation
The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
Mexico City imposes severe, monthslong water restrictions as drought dries up reservoirs
76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. has a broken rib after being struck by vehicle that fled the scene
AP Top 25 Takeaways: Alabama is a national title contender again; Michigan may have its next man
'Most Whopper
32 things we learned in NFL Week 10: C.J. Stroud running away in top rookie race
2 arrests, dozens evacuated from apartment fire possibly caused by fireworks, authorities say
Alabama football clinches SEC West, spot in SEC championship game with win vs. Kentucky