Retail Watchers

It seems like there has been an increase in Halloween stores this year. Normally, you just see Spirit Halloween, but now I see many other independent or lesser known Halloween stores. You can find them just blocks away from each other.

There certainly are plenty of abandoned stores available.

I even noticed one Halloween store that also had signs proudly announcing that the location will become a new CVS with a drive thru. CVS appears to be expanding like crazy with all of these cheap buildings on the market.

I noticed Spirit opened a couple weeks ago and it was very busy on opening weekend.

CVS probably determined it is cheaper to build out new spaces than attempt to renovate many of the smelly, old, run down Longs dumps. Up here in Reno it is interesting, CVS has done second round remodels to a few stores. They've only done a second round remodel to 2 original Longs (which make up the majority of the local store base), but did second round remodels on 2 former Rite Aids (late 90's builds), 1 former Thrifty (late 80's build), and 2 CVS builds (2010's builds).

Two words that best describe most of the former Longs Stores- smelly and decrepit.

CVS also did take out a couple 70's era former Sav-On Stores relocating one and rebuilding another. Those stores were certainly decrepit but not smelly. The former Longs facilities that date back to the 80's are simply rock bottom.

We were in NYC in early August--was sad to see a halloween store opening at the Barney's main store...such a comedown.

We used to have one of those Spirit stores in the former CIrcuit City space. After Ashley Furniture moved in it stopped, but oddly, I think they are actually partnering with the Goodwill here. I think I mentioned it last year. But Goodwill puts the Halloween stuff in their seasonal dept near the front and there is some kind of banner on the front of the store when this happens. I will have to look next time, I saw the Halloween stuff out last Saturday when I went but I didn't notice if the banner was up. But pretty sure it says Spirit on it.

By nature, these stores tend to jump around to whatever vacant spaces are available. When a building is vacant for years they might be there several years in a row.

There was also a competitor called Halloween City operating here for a while, but I haven't seen that one in several years now. I kinda wonder what effect Covid has had on these stores compared to previous years.

Super S wrote: ↑September 7th, 2021, 6:31 am By nature, these stores tend to jump around to whatever vacant spaces are available. When a building is vacant for years they might be there several years in a row.

There was also a competitor called Halloween City operating here for a while, but I haven't seen that one in several years now. I kinda wonder what effect Covid has had on these stores compared to previous years.

Perhaps that competitor was connected to Party City, and they didn't find it worthwhile to have a second store space (since they could also set up merchandise in the regular stores)?

I'm actually seeing significantly less Spirit Halloween locations around here this year than usual. In previous years there have been locations in Lake Stevens and Everett (the Everett one being in the former Sears space at Everett Mall) but this year the closest one is in Lynnwood. It seems there's less large vacant spaces available here than you'd expect...

Super S wrote: ↑September 7th, 2021, 6:31 am By nature, these stores tend to jump around to whatever vacant spaces are available. When a building is vacant for years they might be there several years in a row.

There was also a competitor called Halloween City operating here for a while, but I haven't seen that one in several years now. I kinda wonder what effect Covid has had on these stores compared to previous years.

They are in fact run by Party City, and they're still around...

https://www.halloweencity.com/

DFWRetaileWatcher wrote: ↑September 7th, 2021, 3:58 pm

Super S wrote: ↑September 7th, 2021, 6:31 am By nature, these stores tend to jump around to whatever vacant spaces are available. When a building is vacant for years they might be there several years in a row.

There was also a competitor called Halloween City operating here for a while, but I haven't seen that one in several years now. I kinda wonder what effect Covid has had on these stores compared to previous years.

They are in fact run by Party City, and they're still around...

https://www.halloweencity.com/

Perhaps they have scaled back to areas with Party City locations. Party City does not have a location in Longview, WA.

In Sacramento there is a Halloween City in a former Party City space.