Dive Brief:
- Now in its third season, Spirit Christmas will have 44 locations this year across 15 states, according to a press release from parent company Spencer Gifts and Spirit Halloween Superstores.
- Sister brand Spirit Halloween will transform 39 of its stores to Spirit Christmas locations, according to a company spokesperson.
- “This growth allows us to bring our interactive in-store experiences to more guests as we continue to develop the concept,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Retail Dive.
Dive Insight:
Spirit Halloween is building on decades of holiday experience to grow its Christmas concept.
“Spirit Christmas locations will transform from spooky to merry in just a blink of an eye,” the company said in a statement.
The retailer known for the spooky season began testing Christmas-themed stores in 2024, then expanded with 30 pop-up locations last year.
Spirit Halloween declined to comment on the specifics regarding how the company determines which locations will transform to a Spirit Christmas store. However, a company spokesperson said, “we target high-visibility locations such as lifestyle centers, strip centers, free-standing stores, major downtown retail areas, and malls anchored by national retailers.”
Spirit Christmas locations will feature interactive experiences and carry festive apparel, inflatables, animatronics, accessories, ornaments, games, decor and white elephant gifts.
On average, consumers plan to spend $285 per household on Halloween this year, with $219 of that spent at retailers, according to a recent Deloitte survey. Meanwhile, consumers on average are expected to spend $708 on gifts during the holiday season this year; households with children are expected to spend more at $875, per PwC.
