News Summary
Spirit Halloween is doubling its presence in Tallahassee with two new locations, one at Governor’s Square Mall and another at Capital Plaza. This expansion comes just in time for the Halloween season, offering a wide variety of costumes and accessories for all ages. Despite experiencing lower foot traffic, sales have significantly increased, and hiring for seasonal staff is underway. The company also continues its philanthropic efforts through the Spirit of Children initiative, enhancing the hospital experience for kids. Tallahassee residents are in for an exciting Halloween season with these new locations.
Tallahassee is buzzing with excitement as Spirit Halloween announces the opening of two new locations in the capital city, doubling its presence just in time for the spooktacular Halloween season. This expansion comes as Spirit Halloween, the largest Halloween retailer in North America, continues its growth trajectory, now operating a total of 1,525 seasonal locations across strip centers and malls throughout the continent.
The first new location has opened in the recently vacated Macy’s at Governor’s Square Mall, which closed its doors in January 2024. The transformation of this former department store into a festive costume and decor outlet signifies the retailer’s investment in the local community. The second location has been established at Capital Plaza, after relocating from its previous spot at Lake Ella Plaza. This move follows last year’s successful opening at the former Bed Bath & Beyond site at Governors Marketplace.
Each of the new Spirit Halloween locations offers a diverse array of costumes and accessories catering to all ages, from infants to adults. The retailer is well-known for its exclusive decor and animatronics that cannot be found elsewhere, creating an immersive shopping experience that customers have come to expect. Notably, this year’s popular adult costume choices include characters like Deadpool, Michael Myers, and Art the Clown from the Terrifier series, while children’s favorites consist of Disney’s Descendants characters and characters from the animated series Bluey. New trends this season showcase outfits inspired by Taylor Swift and characters from the popular video game Fortnite.
Despite reporting lower foot traffic at their locations this year, sales have seen a significant increase of 20% to 30% compared to last year. Anticipated spikes in shopper activity are expected as students from Florida A&M University (FAMU) gear up for the upcoming Homecoming celebrations. Responses from young shoppers suggest a growing trend towards bolder and more risqué costumes, highlighting options like corsets, shorts, and bodysuits.
It is noteworthy that unlike many other Spirit Halloween locations, the new store at Capital Plaza will remain operational until November 3, foregoing the traditional switch to a Spirit Christmas store after the Halloween season. As the Halloween festivities approach, Spirit Halloween has also announced plans to hire 50,000 seasonal employees for its 1,500 locations across North America for the 2025 Halloween season. Currently, there are approximately 1,224 job openings in Florida as of August 5, showcasing the company’s commitment to providing job opportunities within the community.
Adding a philanthropic dimension to its operations, Spirit Halloween supports the Spirit of Children initiative, which aims to improve the hospital experience for kids by providing support funding to Child Life Departments. Over the years, this initiative has successfully raised more than $145 million, supplying essential resources and festive celebrations for children enduring hospital stays at partner institutions.
As the countdown to Halloween begins, the excitement in Tallahassee is palpable with the arrival of Spirit Halloween’s new locations. With a broad range of costumes, ongoing community support initiatives, and a commitment to improving the shopping experience, the company is set to ensure that this Halloween season is a memorable one for residents and visitors alike.
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Additional Resources
- Tallahassee.com: Spirit Halloween Takeover
- Jacksonville.com: When & Where Spirit Halloween Stores Open
- PNJ.com: Spirit Halloween Florida Open Hours
- Gainesville.com: Spirit Halloween Returns to Gainesville
- Jacksonville.com: Spirit Halloween Returns to Jacksonville
- Wikipedia: Halloween
- Google Search: Spirit Halloween
- Google Scholar: Halloween Retail
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Halloween
- Google News: Spirit Halloween
Author: STAFF HERE TALLAHASSEE WRITER
The TALLAHASSEE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERETallahassee.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Tallahassee, Leon County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Springtime Tallahassee, Tallahassee Jazz & Blues Festival, and LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and United Way of the Big Bend, plus leading businesses in education, healthcare, and insurance that power the local economy such as Florida State University, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, and Capital Health Plan. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREJacksonville.com, HEREOrlando.com, HEREStPetersburg.com, and HERETampa.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Florida's dynamic landscape.
