Halloween stores get into spirit of season

OOOO oooo OOOOO ooooo. Witches and goblins and bats! Oh, my!

Halloween is second to Christmas for the display of holiday decorations around the nation. We have Christmas stores year-round. And with the big bucks on selling decorations, Halloween stores are just becoming available.

This year Coeur d’Alene has two of its own, although both are just seasonal.

This store isn’t new for Silver Lake Mall: Coach House, which is in partnership with Hallmark next door, has had the mall’s Halloween store for a few years now. It has five employees and extends through Halloween.

The Spirit Halloween Store is in the previous Factory to U space (that originally was Montgomery Ward) in Appleway Square. Located in the prime corner spot at Government Way at Appleway, the store has an amazing inventory of scary and cute decorations and costumes.

The Spirit store is an offshoot of the Spencer Gift stores with locations in Spokane Valley and NorthTown malls. Spencer itself has about 600 stores with its headquarters in Egg Harbor, N.J. The Coeur d’Alene Halloween store has 14 seasonal employees.

“It’s a great first-job experience for high school-age kids,” said manager Lorene Roullier-Bennett. “We try to do Halloween right. We have the other holidays covered with our Spencer stores.” Hallmark-Coach House uses the same strategy.

Hours for both Halloween stores begin at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. Sundays. The Spirit store will have a half-price sale Nov. 1.

Meanwhile, back at the mall

The Halloween store isn’t the only news at Silver Lake Mall.

Featuring items special for the yard, garden and pets, the Cedar Gardens store opens Saturday next to the Radio Shack store.

It’s moving from Government Way, where it had been for two years.

The inventory in the 2,000-square-foot store include garden art, wild bird products, collectibles, giftware, high-end wind chimes, carved decoys, soy candles, gourmet sauces and many items related to and for dogs.

Owners are Sue and James Boisseranc. Originally from Beaver Falls, Pa., and Saratoga, Calif., respectively, they heard about North Idaho from relatives and moved here in 2001.

Phone 762-5144.

The mall has other news

A new seasonal store will be the Red Oak Rack, which will take up the Halloween store space before Thanksgiving.

A spin off the neighboring Red Oak Clothing store, the Rack will feature Red Oak’s “best buys,” including close-outs, samples and discontinued items.

Red Oak itself is a successful spin off the Black Sheep sporting goods store. Dave and Barb Knoll started the Black Sheep in 1974 across from what is now the Long Ear on Fourth Street.

Next spring that space will become a “discount” store for Runge Furniture.

The Black Sheep itself moved to the Highway 95 strip a few years ago.

The Red Oak Rack will have three employees.

Also in the mall, Mariposa has moved to a smaller but more viewable location near the Bon-Macy’s center entrance.

The Orange Julius space is being remodeled, and the seasonal gift wrap, See’s Candy and Hickory Farms businesses will be added.

Recent departures from the mall, however, are Kay Bee Toys, Kit’s Cameras, Vista Optical and Gateway Gardens.

Mall hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 to 6 Sundays.