I have a soft spot in my heart for Spirit. They’re owned by one of my most fun, former clients, Spencer Gifts.

I’ve noticed more and more Spirit stores opening up around the country. I had no idea how big a brand Spirit had become. They’ve gone from 63 stores in 1999 to 1300 stores in 2019. That’s pretty impressive in this retail environment.

Their real estate leasing has undoubtedly gotten easier as more stores sit vacant. Based on their website, they look for temporary 3-month leases that run from August 1st through mid-November. See below for their criteria when seeking the most productive locations.

How big is the Halloween opportunity?

• $9 billion will be spent on Halloween-related items in the U.S.
• NRF’s annual Halloween Spending Survey found that 175 million Americans (54%) celebrate Halloween.
• They’ll spend an average of $87 per person on decorations, candy, and costumes (for humans and pets – millennials are big on costuming their dogs and cats).
• 90% of celebrants will buy candy, spending $2.6 billion. Almost 75% will purchase Halloween decor, spending $2.7 billion.
• 70% of celebrants will spend $3.2 billion on costumes (the most expensive part of Halloween).
• On Pinterest, Halloween generates 933 million saved Pins and 227 million searches per year, and the “peak advertising opportunity” for marketers begins in June and runs through October.
• Adult costumes expected to be big sellers this year include Pennywise Creepy Clown, Sharks, Avocado and Toast couples, Stranger Things’ Eleven, Inflatable Car Guy, Fortnite Drift, and Trick ‘R Treat Sam.

Read on below for some watchouts when it comes to costumes as well as insights on best retail locations.

Watchouts:

We’re living at a time when any costume can be deemed inappropriate for all manner of reasons but most especially for perceived “cultural appropriation” or cultural insensitivity.

So have fun but remember there are people who will be second-guessing your motivations. I predict aliens, sharks and inflatable car guy may be the safest route.

Retail location scouting for best short term store leases:

We scour the country, making our site selections from January through August. We like to locate our stores in power centers, strip centers, free-standing stores, major downtown retail locations and in major malls surrounded by a national retailer mix. Our aim is to set up in communities that have 1) a population of approximately 35,000+, 2) living within a 3-5 mile radius, and 3) with a car count of at least 25,000 cars per day. Our flexibility is key! While our ideal locations feature between 5,000 to 50,000 square feet of sales floor space with awesome visibility, no store is too large (or too small). We can even adapt to a space with as little as 3,000 square feet

Frank Pacera
Sr. Director, Real Estate