Inside the Terror That Sells in the Night, Spirit Halloween

This pop-up retailer brings the spooky season to millions—then vanishes into thin air

When October rolls around, millions of Americans take comfort in the familiar harbingers of fall: The leaves turn colors, the sun sets earlier, Starbucks pours pumpkin spice lattes—and a six-block line forms outside the nearest Spirit Halloween.

Odds are, in fact, that you’ve stood in that line yourself. Not only do 65% of adults now celebrate Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation, but those who do will drop $3.3 billion on costumes. And though it’s easy enough to find a Dracula cape or a pair of Bernie Sanders inaugural mittens online, many of us prefer to browse the aisles of the local Spirit Halloween.

Which

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This story first appeared in the Oct. 25, 2021, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.