GoKawiilSpirit Halloween's pop-up model traces back to a 1983 California apparel shop pivot
Joseph Marver converted his struggling clothing store, Spirit Women's Discount Apparel, into a seasonal Halloween shop in 1983 after noticing a costume store nearby thriving each October. He expanded the concept into short-term mall leases, growing to 60 locations before Spencer Gifts acquired the business in 1999. The chain, now called Spirit Halloween, operates roughly 1,500 seasonal stores across the U.S. and Canada today.