A Spirit Halloween outlet will be opening at the Keltic Plaza in Sydney River by mid-August. According to the company that operates the chain in Atlantic Canada, it’s the first time the seasonal Halloween store will be in Cape Breton. Photo by T.J. Colello /Cape Breton PostArticle contentSpooky season is coming a few months early to Cape Breton.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentSpirit Halloween will open its doors in mid-August at the Keltic Plaza in Sydney River. The seasonal Halloween store will be located next door to Don Cherry’s Sports Grill in half of the former Value Village location.Article contentArticle contentChristopher Bayer, operations manager for H&M Global, said the Sydney River opening is the first time for Spirit Halloween in Cape Breton. He said they’re already anticipating a big reaction to the store’s openingArticle contentArticle content“Our regional manager in the Maritimes, because he’s also from Quebec, he heads out there a bit earlier than everything else gets started,” said Bayer.Article contentH&M Global operates the retail chain’s stores in Atlantic Canada, Western Canada, Quebec and Northern Ontario.Article content“We have ‘we’re hiring/opening soon’ window clings. He put them up in the window and no joke, cars started stopping, asking him – and on there, he has his phone number and our email – and we started getting CVs.Article content“We post on Indeed for hiring in advance just to make it easier for the store managers and I’m kidding you not, Sydney exploded. We had 89 applications.”Article content Julie Jacques, a sales associate at Spirit Halloween in Sudbury, Ont., dons a mask in 2016. Photo by File /PostmediaArticle contentALL HALLOWEEN, ALL THE TIMEArticle contentAccording to the company, Spirit Halloween is the largest Halloween retailer in the United States. It has over 1,500 seasonal locations across North America.Article contentThe company began in 1983 and sells costumes and accessories for all ages, as well as Halloween decor and animatronics.Article contentArticle contentBayer said another draw for the store is its in-store entertainment.Article contentArticle content“We have all the products to sell, but in the centre of the store, we have a haunted house that has animatronics,” he said. “They’re all sensored, so when you walk by or you step on something, the animatronics will jump out and scare you and react. Sometimes fog machines, strobe lights, so it’s really like an experience.”Article content The exterior of a Spirit Halloween location in Fredericton, N.B., in 2021. Photo by File /PostmediaArticle contentSECOND LOCATION IN NOVA SCOTIAArticle contentThe only other Spirit Halloween location in Nova Scotia is in Halifax that first opened in 2007, although Bayer said they are looking at other locations in the province as well.Article contentIn Atlantic Canada, they’re also located in Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton in New Brunswick, St. John’s and Corner Brook in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Charlottetown in Prince Edward Island.Article contentThe company is hiring people for the store and Bayer estimates they may have around 20 employees, but it’s dependent on store size and other factors.
‘It’s really like an experience’: Spirit Halloween outlet to open in Cape Breton next month
