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Every year I see the same people selling Christmas trees, starting right before Thanksgiving. I know their lot will be around for about four weeks, then that's it until next year. I'd love to work four weeks a year, wouldn't you?
And though pop-up stores are now old hat, I've long wondered how these stores make so much money in a mere 8 weeks or so per year.
And what do they do with inventory after Halloween? Do they blow it out to a jobber or put it in storage for next year? Or does it go on their website, which has stuff for every holiday, not just Halloween?
There's got to be people who've worked for them who know the answers. Post if you know.
The vast majority of those specialty holiday retailers are owned by much larger companies. They operate these holiday stores often with borrowed management from the parent company's stores and filling the rest with short term holiday help.
Many of the tree sellers may own other agricultural ventures that are dormant during the winter, or transient workers who sign on year after year either selling trees in the winter or fireworks during the fourth of july and other shorter term seasonal employment. None of them really make all their yearly income selling tress during the winter, they all have other sources of income. They are basically Carnies of the vacant lot holiday retailing.
Since these specialty retail locations have been around for awhile, they pretty much have a general idea how much items will be needed. If they run out of a specific item, that's usually it for that item for that year. What is left over does end up on their retail website all year or placed in storage for the following year. If the item is a dude, they just sell off the lot or donate it. The markup on these items are huge so they make a nice penny. The real secret is their operating expenses are cost shared with their full-time year round business. Spirit Halloween simple uses the purchasing, administrative, warehousing, HR and other functions of their parent company to keep cost low.
Spirit Halloween is owned by Spencer Gifts and it makes up about half of the company revenue through the 1000 or so stores that are open for 60-90 days every year. They also maintain a year round website selling those items.
As for the little tree stands, the only ones I see around here are usually run by a local organization - Lion's Club, Boy Scouts, local church.
Spirit Halloween is owned by Spencer Gifts and it makes up about half of the company revenue through the 1000 or so stores that are open for 60-90 days every year. They also maintain a year round website selling those items.
As for the little tree stands, the only ones I see around here are usually run by a local organization - Lion's Club, Boy Scouts, local church.
We have both, non-profits and for-profits, running the tree lots. It's the same people every year.
I did know that Spirit is owned by Spencer Gifts, even though there's no mention of it on their website.
On the flip side of the pop-up store, what about those "Christmas all year 'round" stores? How do they do? I sometimes see them in tourist areas.
Halloween stuff should be out in select store in a few months.
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