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Dive Brief:
Spirit Christmas will have 30 pop-up locations in the Northeast and Great Lakes this holiday season, nearly quadrupling its footprint from last year, Spencer Gifts and Spirit Halloween Superstores said in a press release.
The stores offer free visits with Santa at select locations, and guests can make reservations for a paid family photo session.
New this year is the Peppermint Village, an immersive in-store experience that features decor, gifts, apparel and interactive displays.
Dive Insight:
In one year, Spirit Christmas has gone from testing its concept to accelerating its brick-and-mortar presence.
In October 2024, the company announced that it was piloting 10 locations, with some stores transforming from Spirit Halloween stores to Spirit Christmas locations.
“Our goal is to create a festive retail experience that captures the spirit of the season, much like we do for Halloween,” a company spokesperson said at the time of its launch.
Now the specialty retailer is building on last year’s success.
“At Spirit, we believe the magic of the season does not end with Halloween — it transforms,” Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Christmas, said in a statement. “Back by popular demand and with even more locations, Spirit Christmas is an extension of our sensory-rich, interactive holiday experiences.”
Holiday retail sales are projected to grow 4% this year, below the 10-year average, according to a recent report from Bain & Company. In-store sales are expected to grow 2.75% year over year.
Halloween in particular is set to be a boon for retailers, with spending expected to hit a record $13.1 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Most consumers expect product prices to be higher this year due to tariffs, yet a majority said they will continue to celebrate the holiday, per the NRF.