Pop-Ups and Pumpkins: The Secret to Spirit Halloween’s Retail Success

Hiffman National Associate Director of Management Services Shawn Brown finds Halloween season a real treat. While she recently opened the door to Spirit Halloween stores at four locations within the 38-asset national retail center portfolio she manages, Brown laid the groundwork for these stores years ago.

When faced with challenging circumstances like the recent closure of Bed, Bath & Beyond stores across the country, Brown collaborated with asset managers to secure temporary tenants like Spirit Halloween, showcasing her ability to think on her feet and find solutions.

Shawn and her team of 13 management professionals and two engineers are now helping retail center owners and tenants make the most of the increased foot traffic of this spooky season by enhancing the shopping streetscape and making sure buildings are well-maintained.

Spirit Halloween stores pop up for short periods of time and disappear as fast as they surface. In 2023 alone, over 1,500 Spirit Halloween locations operated across the United States and Canada.

Their unique business model contributes to the company’s success with an opportunistic strategy that benefits landlords and fellow retail tenants as much as Spirit itself.

Spirit Halloween’s ‘pop-up’ shop model creates a sense of urgency and excitement among customers, driving sales during the peak of Halloween season.

According to eMarketer, 43% of U.S. shoppers begin their holiday shopping before October, providing a boost for neighboring retail shops as new foot traffic provides new customers. From an owner perspective, Spirit Halloween provides a short-term solution for vacant space, generating revenue from an otherwise idle property.

“Spirit Halloween brings a festive atmosphere to retail centers and increases foot traffic not only to their stores but the entire center,” said Brown. “I think they remain successful because of their pop-up nature that encourages customers to embrace the Halloween season with open arms.”

Even though costumes and decorations might cycle in and out of style, Spirit’s inventory never truly expires, another added benefit of their business model. During their operating months, estimates have suggested that Spirit generates approximately $600 million to $800 million.

With such a robust revenue stream despite a truncated operating season, Spirit Halloween has found great success with their niche business strategy.

Be sure to enjoy the festive atmosphere that comes with the arrival of Spirit Halloween stores because as quickly as they pop up, they’ll disappear scary-fast.

About Hiffman National: 

Based in the Chicago area, with an additional five regional hubs and 30 satellite offices, Hiffman National provides superior property management, project services and accounting services to a diverse portfolio including office, medical office, retail and industrial properties nationally. The firm’s comprehensive property management platform and attentive approach to service contributes to client NOI and has helped the firm to more than double in size in five years. Hiffman National is an award-winning company with more than 250 employees strategically located throughout North America.

About NAI Hiffman:  

NAI Hiffman is one of the largest independent commercial real estate services firms in the US, with a primary focus on metropolitan Chicago, and part of the NAI Global network. We provide institutional and private leasing, property management, tenant representation, capital markets, project services, research, and marketing services for owners and occupiers of commercial real estate. To meet our clients’ growing needs outside of our exclusive NAI Hiffman territory, we launched Hiffman National, our dedicated property solutions division, which provides property management, project services, and property accounting services across the country. NAI Hiffman | Hiffman National is and award winning company headquartered in suburban Chicago, with more than 250 employees strategically located throughout North America.