You see it every day on your way to work. That vacant storefront. What used to be your favorite CircuitCity is now just an eyesore. Only today as you drive past something catch’s your eye. A bright banner fluttering against the facade. The store has been given a new purpose, albeit a temporary one, selling Halloween costumes.
in the spirit of Halloween, Spirit Halloween stores take a temporary hold of vacant storefronts to satisfy the most temporary of market demands. Their orginzation ramps up from a few hundred to over 20,000 in just a few months. Coordinating these efforts requires a whole year of planning.
Employees scout for locations throughout the year…Merchandise starts rolling into Spirit Halloween’s warehouses in May. By the summer, sites have been chosen, and by mid-August, the stores are prepped to receive the goods. Trucks start arriving, and the locations go from bare walls and floors to racks and shelves bursting with costumes, accessories, props and home decor.
These temporary stores are huge money makers. Operating them is akin to a military operation. And this is a boutique as boutique CRE can get. Will these ad-hoc stores be the future of brick and mortar retail?
Source: Real estate zombies: shuttered stores return to life for Halloween – The Boston Globe