Popular Halloween store reopens locations around Rochester

Summer is still in full swing, but the spooky shopping season is underway as Spirit Halloween locations begin to open.

Spirit Halloween 's stores are opening nationwide for the fall, with the first stores opening at the start of August to seasonal swag bags. Throughout the month, the national pop-up purveyor of Halloween costumes and towering outdoor animatronic decorations is expected to open more than 1,500 locations across the U.S. It is not the lone retailer already peddling Halloween wares. Other large retailers - including Costco - have already started displaying and selling Halloween costumes and other spooky decorations.

Here's what you need to know and how to find your closest Spirit Halloween location.

Spirit Halloween stores in Rochester NY

Stores already open for the season, include:

• Greece - 294 Greece Ridge Center Drive (former Burlington storefront at The Mall at Greece Ridge)
• Henrietta - 3333 State Route 15A (former Burlington storefront in SouthTown Plaza)
• Irondequoit - 2255 East Ridge Road (former Party City storefront)
• Penfield - 1900 Empire Blvd. (in BayTowne Plaza)

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Stores to open this month in Rochester, include:

• Pittsford - 3349 Monroe Ave. (former Bed, Bath and Beyond storefront in Pittsford Plaza)
• Victor - 4-20 Commerce Drive (former Golf Galaxy storefront)
• Batavia - 587 E. Main St.

Shoppers can purchase Halloween products on Spirit Halloween's online store .

What is Spirit Halloween?

Spirit Halloween, which touts its status as the largest Halloween retailer in the country, opened its first pop-up store in the Bay area in 1983. Purchased by Spencer Gifts in 1999, the company now operates more than 1,500 seasonal locations across the U.S., often in shopping plazas and malls.

The company also operates a website that is open year-round where shoppers can purchase costumes and decorations, including animatronic characters.

Halloween is an over $10 billion industry, according to the National Retail Federation , and despite the stores being transient, Spirit has made itself a permanent fixture of the holiday in the 40 years since it first opened.

Includes reporting by USA Today reporter Mike Snider

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Popular Halloween store reopens locations around Rochester