It is still the middle of summer but fall will be here before we know it, and retailers are already preparing for the season.
That includes Spirit Halloween, the pop-up retailer that takes over local storefronts for a few months each year. The company’s stores popping up is a signal that summer is nearly over and spooky season is on the horizon.
The company opened its first pop-up store in the Bay area in 1983 and was purchased by Spencer Gifts in 1999. Last year, over 1,500 seasonal locations opened across the U.S. While its brick-and-mortar stores are only seasonal, customers can purchase items online on Spirit Halloween’s website year-round.
The company has not yet announced when its stores will begin opening in 2025, or how many locations it plans to open, but we’ve decided to make a guess based on when stores opened in previous years.
Here’s our early look at when Spirit Halloween stores may begin popping up this year.
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What do we know so far for Spirt Halloweens in 2025
The company hasn’t spilled an exact date, but the website tells customers to check back in mid-August to find your local Spirit Halloween store.
Additionally, the company announced in June it is seeking 50,000 seasonal employees to support more than 1,500 retail locations it expects to open this year.
When do Spirit Halloween stores usually begin opening?
In 2024, the retailer had a special grand opening celebration at its flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, on Thursday, Aug. 1. The Spirit Halloween website also suggested customers return to the site on Aug. 1 to find your local store.
According to multiple reports, the flagship store opened on July 29 in 2023, with other locations opening in the weeks that followed. According to a 2022 news release from the company, its grand opening event was held on July 30 that year. Both of these dates fell on Saturdays.
In 2021, the company’s grand opening event was held on July 31, according to a news release, which was also a Saturday.
With all of this in mind, our best guess as to when the flagship Spirit Halloween store will open in 2025 is Saturday, Aug. 2. We think stores will begin popping up around the country after that.
Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When do Spirit Halloween stores open this year? Here’s our guess.
