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The 13th Month of Revenue
Episode 426
Halloween Horror Nights wasn't always a $575M-per-park juggernaut. When Universal launched Fright Nights in 1991 with just three experimental nights and $12 tickets, they stumbled onto something bigger than a haunted house…they uncovered retail's thirteenth month of revenue. In this Spooky Commerce special, we trace how October became the secret weapon for combating theme park slumps, why Spirit Halloween's pop-up model prints money in dead malls, and what happens when horror becomes the ultimate immersive commerce experience.
October: When Pop-Ups Pop Off
Key takeaways:
- Halloween is retail's second-largest holiday and is expected to generate more than $13B in consumer spending this year Universal's Horror Nights operates 48 nights, up from 3 in 1991
- Spirit Halloween's 1,500 pop-ups generate over $1B in dead retail spaces
- Horror reflects cultural anxieties through interactive commerce
- Premium ticketing doubles daily revenue for a single venue
In-Show Mentions:
- Insiders #210: Spooky Commerce – What Halloween Shopping Trends Tell Us About Modern Culture
- Halloween Horror Nights Wiki
- Forbes: Universal's Halloween Revenue Analysis (2023)
- National Retail Federation Halloween Spending Report
Associated Links:
- Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
- Check out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and print
- Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
- Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce
Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!
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Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago