CNBC and Company Man examine Spirit Halloween, spooky tales of the Retail Apocalypse for Black Cat Day

For today's spooky season post, I'm returning to CityNerd's 'How Spirit Halloween Transforms Strip Malls Into Vibrant Wonderlands,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, where I wrote "both Company Man and CNBC have recent videos about Spirit Halloween, but I'm going to be a good environmentalist and conserve my resources." Time to use those resources before they go stale. I begin with CNBC explaining How Spirit Halloween Became A Billion-Dollar Business.

Spirit Halloween occupies more than 1,500 storefronts and hires around 50,000 seasonal workers for just a few months of business. Spencer Spirit Holdings, which includes Spirit Halloween and long-time mall retailer Spencer's, brings in $1.87b of annual revenue, according to Moody’s Ratings. The company often targets struggling real estate to execute its niche retail operation. Watch the video to find out how Spirit Halloween became the ultimate pop-up store.

That had to be the most fun CNBC video I remember watching. In particular, I was looking for the Saturday Night Live Spirit Halloween skit and CNBC clipped exactly the part I wanted. Nothing like both CNBC and NBC having the same corporate ownership to make that convenient. As I last wrote in Closer looks at the Trump-Musk feud from Colbert, Kosta, Kimmel, and Meyers, "It's not just news value that's driving it."

CNBC's history essentially began in 1999, when Spencer's bought Spirit Halloween. Company Man Mike went back to the actual founding during the 1980s in Spirit Halloween - Why They're Successful.

Spirit Halloween is the popular Halloween store that pops up in empty buildings each year. This video outlines the main reasons behind its success.

It's a Company Man video, so there's a list. Here it is:


Company Man Mike uploaded this video just over a year ago, so he was too early to include Party City closing in the United States when he described Spirit Halloween's failing competitors, so it has one fewer competitor. Other than that, this is a comprehensive compilation of reasons for the chain's success.

Since today is National Black Cat Day and tomorrow is National Cat Day, I'm closing with Liqr Media describing How to Make a Black Cat Martini with Momo!

Today is #NationalCatDay and we're celebrating with Momo! She's gonna teach us how to make a Black Cat Martini. Me-ow!

We hope you enjoyed this video. Please like and subscribe! Tune in for a new drink recipe each weekday.

Black Cat Martini Recipe
2 ounces Black Vodka
1/2 ounce Raspberry Liqueur

Combine in shaker with ice. Shake and strain into cocktail glass.

Enjoy with your feline friends!

Have a drink recipe you'd like us to make? Want to see a particular character? Let us know in the comments below!

Please drink responsibly, and have a great Halloween-month!

Yes, that's what a real cat would do to the drink.

Stay tuned for more Halloween posts through the end of the month plus a bonus Day of the Dead entry. Trick or treat!