Spencer Spirit CEO: Temporary stores are not temporary, operating around Halloween all year long
Fortune reported that Spencer Spirit Holdings CEO Steven Silverstein said temporary stores are not temporary. “We operate around Halloween all year, around the clock, you just don’t see it.”
Spirit Halloween stores are open only eight to ten weeks each year, but planning for the next season begins before the current season closes. The rest of the year is used to sign leases, produce and ship millions of costumes, and arrange tens of thousands of seasonal employees.
When Silverstein joined the parent company Spencer’s in 2003, Spirit had only 130 stores nationwide; now it has about 1,600 locations each year. Moody’s estimates that Spencer’s and Spirit together generated about $1.9 billion in revenue in 2023, and that Spirit’s two months of operating revenue exceeded Spencer’s full-year revenue. This year, the company completed its acquisitions of Hot Topic, BoxLunch and Her Universe, bringing the total number of North American stores to more than 3,000.
Original sources:
Title: ‘There’s nothing temporary about a temporary store’: How Spirit Halloween’s CEO took it from 130 stores to 1,550—and swallowed your mall’s Hot Topic Publisher: Fortune Publication date: 2026-10-24 URL: https://fortune.com/2026/10/24/spirit-halloween-spencers-hot-topic-steven-silverstein-temporary-store-costumes/ Source nature: media report Verification status: read this time (2026-10-26) Supported content: Steven Silverstein quote; stores increased from 130 to about 1,600; combined 2023 revenue of about $1.9 billion; acquisition of Hot Topic and others
Title: Related post by FORTUNE (@FortuneMagazine) Publisher: Fortune Magazine Publication date: 2026-10-26 URL: https://x.com/FortuneMagazine Source nature: original media post Verification status: read this time (2026-10-26) Supported content: repost of Silverstein’s quote about temporary stores and the article link
ABAB AI Insight
Spencer Spirit Holdings separates Spirit Halloween’s seasonal stores from its year-round back-end operations. The stores are open to customers for only eight to ten weeks, but lease signing, product manufacturing, logistics and seasonal hiring continue throughout the year. This structure allows short-term leases and a year-round supply chain to coexist.
When Silverstein joined in 2003, Spirit had only 130 stores; now it has about 1,600 locations each year. Moody’s estimates that Spencer’s and Spirit together generated about $1.9 billion in revenue in 2023, and that Spirit’s two months of operating revenue exceeded Spencer’s full-year revenue. Seasonal stores contribute more than year-round stores in terms of revenue, reflecting the contribution of peak periods to overall revenue.
This year, the company completed its acquisitions of Hot Topic, BoxLunch and Her Universe, bringing the total number of North American stores to more than 3,000. The acquisitions place seasonal Halloween retail business and year-round pop-culture retail brands under the same holding company, changing the previously Spirit-and-Spencer’s-centric portfolio.
Spirit is currently North America’s largest Halloween specialty chain, and its main competitors have exited. The short-term lease model allows the company to pay rent only during periods when customers concentrate, while year-round back-end work supports next season’s site selection and supply.
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Spirit Halloween stores are open for only eight to ten weeks, but year-round back-end work continues, allowing short-term leases and a year-round supply chain to coexist.
Revenue from the seasonal business over two months exceeds the annual revenue of year-round stores, showing the contribution of peak periods to overall revenue.