What Spirit Halloween stores used to be in Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — You can rely on a Spirit Halloween shop to bring new life into an empty building. The beloved stores have been known to revive empty buildings in city’s strip malls and shopping centers.

It’s no different in Bakersfield where three Spirit Halloween stores have reanimated the old bones of retailers past.

Anna’s Linens

On Ming Avenue — 4340 Ming Ave. to be exact — you’ll find a Spirit Halloween where an Anna’s Linens once stood.

Anna’s Linens was a “mother’s inspiration” when it was founded in Southern California back in 1987. The chain sold household goods at discounted prices which at one point operated more than 300 stores in the U.S.

Factory 2U

At 1503-A White Lane, you find a Spirit Halloween in a former Factory 2U location.

Factory 2U was a chain of stores that sold apparel and home items from “recognizable national brands” at discount prices. In the former company’s “About us” page, the company said its stores average 15,000 square feet in space (more on that later).

In 2002 Factory 2U operated 261 stores in 13 states. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2004 and closed all of its remaining stores.

CVS

One of the the most recent casualties of corporate downsizing is the announced closure of 900 CVS stores over the next few years. About 300 are expected to close in 2024. A few closed in Bakersfield including the one formerly at 8200 Stockdale Highway at the Town & Country Village Shopping Center. That CVS location closed in 2023.

And when Spirit Halloween swoops in at those locations that were previously home to big-box, brick-and-mortar retailers, it’s no accident.

A Spirit Halloween spokesperson told Nexstar’s KDVR in Denver, the company is reluctant to “reveal our operational secrets,” but did provide some insight into the company’s thinking into where to set up shop.

“Ideal locations for a Spirit Halloween store offer between 5,000 and 50,000 square feet of sales floor space with great visibility,” the spokesperson told KDVR. That square footage can typically be found in strip malls, downtown retail locations and major malls.

These stores open in major population centers, typically with a population of more than 35,000 within a 3- to-5-mile radius.

As you likely noticed, a Spirit Halloween doesn’t stay around for long — just long enough to get the Twix, Skittles and Snickers for trick-or-treaters or the trendy costume of the season.

The company states it typically looks to lease locations for about three months and are typically open from July 1 through Nov. 1.

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