Of the 1,500-plus stores nationwide that Spirit Halloween plans to open for the upcoming spooky season, 35 will be right here in New Jersey.

Starting in August, the Egg Harbor-based specialty retailer will rise up from beyond and possess empty storefronts in shopping plazas and strip malls across North America to sell decorations, costumes, props and accessories for the spookiest night of the year.

The demise of chains such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid and Party City in recent years has presented more opportunities for Spirit Halloween to secure short-term space. It’s also been a positive for commercial landlords because it means unused storefronts are leased — if even for just a few months.

According to Spirit Halloween, local stores are coming soon to:

• Barnegat Township former Rite Aid
• Bridgewater former Christmas Tree Shops
• Cherry Hill former Joanne Fabric
• Cherry Hill former LA Fitness
• Clifton former Rite Aid
• Deptford former Shoe Carnival
• Egg Harbor Township
• Evesham former Bed Bath & Beyond
• Gloucester former Party City
• Hazlet former Party City
• Howell former Party City
• Howell
• Jersey City former Party City
• Kinnelon former Bed Bath & Beyond
• Mays Landing former Party City
• Middletown
• Millville former Big Lots
• Mount Laurel former Party City
• Newton
• North Brunswick
• Old Bridge former Staples
• Paramus former Party City
• Parsippany former Blink Fitness
• Point Pleasant former Rite Aid
• Rio Grande former Family Dollar
• Rockaway former Party City
• Springfield former Bed Bath & Beyond
• Succasunna former Joann Fabrics
• Tinton Falls former Rite Aid
• Toms River former Rite Aid
• Trenton former Party City
• Washington Township former Sears Appliance
• Watchung former Tuesday Morning
• Wayne former Mandee
• Woodbridge former Sears

Last year, the brand’s 1,525 stores included 45 in New Jersey.

Creeping in

Spirit Halloween also recently kicked off efforts to hire 50,000 seasonal employees for all its stores.

The push comes about two months after the retailer canceled the grand opening of its flagship pop-up in Egg Harbor over “international disruptions and supply chain challenges.” The midsummer launch of its seasonal storefront at Harbor Square Plaza typically draws thousands of people eager to get a first look at new merchandise and the many interactive retail displays.

Spirit Halloween said it intends to bring the event back next year. The company also said its teams have been “working around the clock to bring back the ultimate Spirit Halloween experience” for the 2025 season.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent an estimated $11.6 billion on candy, costumes and decorations to celebrate Halloween in 2024. That’s slightly down from the record $12.2 billion in 2023 but still higher than any year since 2005, NRF said.