Take a look inside the massive, 1,000-store chain that only operates in the run-up to Halloween

Business Insider/Jessica Tyler

Spirit Halloween sells all sorts of costumes and Halloween-related merchandise.

• Spirit Halloween is a Halloween specialty store with more than 1,000 locations in the United States.
• But the stores are only open from late August through early November.
• Operating seasonally has its advantages and its disadvantages. Spirit Halloween's public and media relations manager, Erin Springer, told Business Insider that as the economy continues improving and more retailers are opening stores, it can be more challenging to find locations for the Halloween stores.
• We shopped at a Spirit Halloween store in New York's Financial District. Here's what it was like.

Spirit Halloween is one of the largest Halloween specialty stores in the United States, with roughly 1,325 locations.

But by November 2, they'll all be closed until next year.

The pop-up Halloween retailer has been in business for 35 years, and its store count continues to grow. Unlike most retailers of that size, however, Spirit Halloween stores are only open for a few months each year.

Spirit Halloween locations don't always look the same, because they often move in to empty and abandoned storefronts. Many have taken to calling these Halloween stores the "hermit crabs" of retail because of this.

Spirit Halloween's public and media relations manager, Erin Springer, told Business Insider that Spirit Halloween's team scopes out locations year-round, even though the stores are only officially open from late August until early November.

Being a seasonal store has its advantages and disadvantages.

"As the economy continues to improve, retailers are beginning to expand their portfolios and vacant spaces are beginning to backfill. We do face challenges securing the best locations," Springer said. "However, Spirit Halloween has an excellent real estate team."

While Spirit Halloween is a privately held company that does not disclose sales numbers, Halloween spending is predicted to reach $9 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

We visited a Spirit Halloween store that popped up in New York's Financial District. Here's what it was like to shop there: