Spirit Halloween has set up shop at the Augusta Mall.
After some delays, the seasonal costume retailer opened on Aug. 21, in the space that housed the Sears. But word has spread fast enough to keep fairly steady traffic, says store manager Kameron Nelson.
“People are eager to be here,” Nelson said. “It’s a bit complicated, and with the way the business goes, but people are definitely eager to be here and it’s going pretty smoothly at the moment.”
The novelty shop saw a solid crowd Saturday, Sept. 30, as shoppers surveyed the colorful selection of props, spooky accessories and costumes ranging from the creepy and colorful to scary to silly.
So far, the costume preferences have run the gamut among customers, fitting for its stock that includes everything from fake chainsaws to adult size Ninja Turtle costumes, said Nelson. But its decorations, particularly animatronics, have by far been the biggest draw.
The automatic creature features are pronounced in the store: browsers walking through the doors are greeted with a grotesque clown wielding bloody bowling pins and Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Simple animatronics, such as the jumping spider, may run about $50, whereas something as large and complex as Leatherface may cost six times that. But interest in them is constant, says the manager.
“The thing I get asked about the most, bar none, is our animatronics,” said Nelson. “That is the number one thing I am asked about, on an everyday basis.”
The 40-year-old chain of stores, owned by novelty store company Spencer’s Gifts and headquartered in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., is generally comprised of seasonal pop-ups. The Augusta Mall location is slated to stay open through October.
“We’ll be open for Nov. 1,” Nelson said, adding that the shop may stay open for as long as through Nov. 3, though the company is likely to decide closer to the end of the month.
Spirit Halloween is located at 3450B Wrightsboro Road, and is open Monday through Sunday. Another location is in the Augusta Exchange at 1177-1169 Agerton Lane.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
