Spirit Halloween cancels opening event due to supply chain issues
Spirit Halloween has canceled its annual summer opening event following damage from tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The seasonal Halloween chain recently confirmed the cancellation on social media and its website.
The company's post stated that 'international disruptions and supply chain challenges' interrupted its annual opening plans. Before the cancellation, Spirit Halloween planned to hold the event at its Egg Harbor Township store in New Jersey.
The chain hasn't stated where most of its products are manufactured, but UCLA professor Chris Tang told Marketplace that most costumes and accessories are made in China and Mexico. 'The flagship store uses a lot of animatronics and props, and it is likely that these things have become more expensive and more difficult to source because of tariffs,' GlobalData retail expert Neil Saunders (pictured) told DailyMail.com.
'Spirit Halloween has likely weighed the costs and determined that it's not worth launching the flagship this year.' 'The store is a nice kick-off to the season, but it's not a critical part of the business – here Spirit will be focused on running its thousands of pop-up shops,' Saunders added.
Spirit Halloween plans to open over 1,500 stores in mid-August and will host another grand opening event in 2026, it said. Known for its seasonal stores in the late summer and fall, Spirit Halloween has been selling various Halloween goods in North America since 1983.
It's been the center of media specials and was the focus of a popular Saturday Night Live sketch last year during the show's 50th season. Spirit Halloween earned $400 million in yearly revenue by 2015, according to Moody's ratings via CNBC.
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