Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
“We have some people who are so excited to see us. They wait all year. And then we have some who say, ‘Um, it’s August,’” Liggett said.
Liggett and Spirit Halloween are part of the national retail trend that has seen holiday shopping seasons start earlier and earlier.
Long gone are the days of Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving - marking the start of the season. Back-to-school has quickly become the signal it’s time to hit the stores.
Home Depot had promotions to its Halloween decorations on its website Aug. 1, with merchandise available in store on Aug. 4. Halloween was trending on Michaels Aug. 1.
Walk into Reichley’s Hallmark Shop in the Mall at Fairfield Commons and you’re greeted by great pumpkins and snowmen.
Hallmark stores began building Christmas displays in June in preparation for the company’s Keepsake ornament kickoff in mid July.
According to the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade association, about 40% of Americans begin shopping for the winter holidays by October.
Online retail titan Amazon may have done more to shift the holiday shopping calendar away from the traditional Black Friday start date with the launch of Prime Day on July 15, 2015.
That first day saw about $900 million in sales. Prime Day is now a multi-billion dollar event, and spanned four days this year for the first time.
Mega retailers such as Walmart and Target have since followed suit with online and in-store sales coming earlier. It’s trickled down to smaller retailers.
Morgan Newman, of Middletown, worked for Family Dollar last year.
She said Halloween items started appearing as early as late June.
“And Christmas went up the day after Halloween,” Newman said.
With more than 1,500 stores nationwide, Spirit Halloween has become almost synonymous with the new kick-off of holiday shopping since first opening in the San Francisco area in 1983.
Stores operate for 60 to 90 days using vacant storefronts in towns across the country. The stores are typically open from mid August to a few days after Halloween when lots are shuttered again.
There will be no fewer than eight Spirit Halloween stores open in the area by the end of August, including Beavercreek, Centerville, Dayton, Huber Heights, Miamisburg, Middletown, Riverside and Springboro.
Halloween is the second busiest holiday for retailers, according to the NRF, accounting for $11 billion in sales on candy, costumes and decorations in 2024.
Christmas remains No. 1 with almost $980 billion spent on presents, decorations and food last year, according to the NRF
While some shoppers may roll their eyes when they see a giant skeleton or Santa Claus greeting them in mid summer, the start of the Halloween and winter holiday season can’t come early enough for retailers, who are dealing with economic uncertainty amidst government policy.
Total retail sales in June were down .33% from May, the first monthly decline since January-February.
NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said prolonged uncertainty surrounding the economy, tariffs and trade policy could be pushing consumers to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach to their household budgets.
Other shoppers don’t mind a little scare with their summer sweat.
“I love Halloween,” said Jessica Tomlinson of Madison Township. “As soon as the Fourth of July hits, I’m ready to go.”
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