How Spirit Halloween Went From One Small Store To 1,500 Locations!
Mark Gilliam brings a decade of experience in business reporting to Fargo Current, previously writing for the Grand Forks Herald. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of North Dakota and specializes in local economic trends and business development.
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Ever wonder what the story is besides those pop-up Spirit Halloween stores? It all started with a clothing store in California. Back in 1983, store owner Joseph Marver noticed a Halloween costume shop across the street was booming while his own business was slow. He packed away his regular merchandise, bought Halloween costumes from a trade show and starting selling them. The sales took off and the next year, he rented temporary mall space and eventually grew the business to 60 locations and renamed it Spirit Halloween. He sold it to Spencer Gifts in 1999. Today, Spirit Halloween operates roughly 1,500 seasonal stores across the U.S. and Canada.