By: Morgan Roberts
Location: In Southern Hills Mall, 4400 Sergeant Rd #1, Sioux City, IA 51106
Hours: (August-November) Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-7pm
Spooky season is finally upon us. What better way to get ready for Halloween than to have one big store that has any and all items you need to show out this year. This seasonal store ranges from costumes for all ages, accessories for a DIY look, and even outdoor and indoor decor. The physical store is conveniently located in the Southern Hills Mall where a customer can enter directly from the parking lot to the store, or from the mall entrance for those who are wanting to go to more than just Spirit Halloween.
This limited edition store can be overwhelming for a first time customer; especially if they enter through the mall entrance. Right when you enter, you are surrounded by animatronics that are set off by motion close to a sensor or pushing a button. They usually are gory or scary (like the image on the right) so if you have a weak heart, certain phobias, or small children, be aware that this store has multiple triggers within.
If you are a customer just looking for a costume or accessories then I suggest entering through the parking lot because you are met with the adult sized costumes to your left and right. Straight across the entrance is the childrens costumes and accessories. The entrances are on opposite sides and each gives off a different vibe. Like I stated above, the mall entrance has scary animatronics, creepy outdoor decor, and even indoor decor from scary movies that are geared towards adults (Michael Meyers, IT, Chucky, etc.) while the parking lot entrance is simply costumes where the customer can either grab a costume kit or create their own.
I personally love Halloween and get excited when I hear Spirit Halloween is coming to Sioux City each year. I’m less interested in the costumes but love the decor and little accessories. I’ve already been inside a few times and each stop I leave with more than I intended to purchase. What gets me is right before checkout you have to maze through barriers with items like cat earrings, witch socks, cute mugs, printed hair ties, etc. all with a spooky season aesthetic. Besides the actual items, the staff has that aesthetic about them as well. Whether it be their makeup look, outfit, or accessories, the staff (from what I’ve encountered) is like what I have come across in Hot Topic. That kind of gothic edgy look with the nicest personalities and always wanting to make sure customers are finding what they need. The first trip to the store was overwhelming for me because I was just there to meander around, but I had a great staff member come and give a layout of the store for me if I was looking for anything specifically.
Being a one-stop shop is crucial to Spirit Halloween because it’s only open for a few months out of the year. It can only be open so long with having such a specific theme for all of its items. The only reason the store is open through November is so it can have clearances to clean out what is left over. The layout is great for all because you can avoid all of the scarier gory items if you aren’t interested and find what you need with the help of their genuine staff members.
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