If baking cookies and watching Christmas movies are more preferable to you than carving pumpkins and dressing up in costumes, the good news is Halloween is in the rearview mirror, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are next up on the holiday calendar.
There is no clearer indicator that spooky season has come to an end than the disappearance of Spirit Halloween stores and the arrival of Spirit Christmas stores. While some Spirit Christmas stores will take over Spirit Halloween locations, others will occupy spaces previously used by retailers that have since gone bankrupt, such as Joann Fabrics, Party City, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Big Lots.
Spencer Gifts, which owns Spirit Halloween, launched eight Spirit Christmas stores throughout the Northeast in 2024. The company is nearly quadrupling its footprint this year with 30 locations across 12 states in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Spencer Gifts Spokesperson Mary Griswold told USA TODAY on Nov. 4 that five of the 30 Spirit Christmas stores were open for business, with the remaining 25 locations set to open within the next week as the company worked "diligently to transform each space from Spirit Halloween into a Spirit Christmas store." Spirit Halloween stores have closed for the season, Griswold confirmed.
