Halloween Express franchise
2022 filing · August 26, 2022Fewer locations
Halloween Express at a glance
A seasonal retail store selling Halloween costumes and related merchandise. At the end of 2021 there were 49 Halloween Express locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Industry
- Retail
- Franchisor
- HEX NEWCO, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Owenton, Kentucky
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $170K–$268K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $10,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of total gross sales, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- Maximum $2,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 49
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 49
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- −33
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 18
- Most in Wisconsin, South Carolina and California
Support and records
From HEX NEWCO, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Halloween Express among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Halloween Express | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $218,850 | Costs less than 67% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $10,000 | Lower than 95% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 49 | More than 64% of franchises |
How much a Halloween Express franchise costs
Opening one Halloween Express costs an estimated $170,000 to $267,700. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are initial inventory ($120,000 to $180,000) and operating cash ($10,000 to $20,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $10,000 | ||
| Travel & Living Expenses While Attending Initial Training | $1,000 | $2,500 | |
| Lease Deposit | $1,000 | $10,000 | |
| Equipment and Furniture | $4,000 | $15,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $120,000 | $180,000 | |
| Marketing | $10,000 | ||
| Signs | $250 | $1,000 | |
| Other Deposits | $0 | $1,000 | |
| Insurance | $250 | $1,200 | |
| Professional Fees and Licenses | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Operating Cash | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Additional Funds 1 Month | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Retail Inventory Control System | $10,000 | ||
| Total | $170,000 | $267,700 | |
Source: HEX NEWCO, LLC, 2022 filing, page 13
Halloween Express franchise fee
The franchise fee is $10,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: HEX NEWCO, LLC, 2022 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of total gross sales, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Transfer | $2,500 |
| Renewal | Maximum $2,500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: HEX NEWCO, LLC, 2022 filing, page 10
Other fees as filed, from page 10. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Halloween Express does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: HEX NEWCO, LLC, 2022 filing, page 28
SBA loans to Halloween Express franchisees
Lenders approved 3 SBA 7(a) loans for Halloween Express franchisees from 2006 to 2010, $250K in all. All 3 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2021 / 2019–2021. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Halloween Express | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −16% / −40% | −0.4% / 0% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 22% / 61% | 5.4% / 18% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical retail brand is the median of the 114 brands in retail franchises with three years of counts.
How Halloween Express compares
Of the 302 retail franchises on this site, Halloween Express is the 121st cheapest to open and the 129th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Halloween Express | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $170K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $268K | $425K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $10K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5.7% | 6% |
| US locations | 49 | 38 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 187 of 302 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 302 brands in retail franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 76 (−6) | 0 | +6 | −12 |
| 2020 | 58 (−18) | 0 | +7 | −25 |
| 2021 | 49 (−9) | 0 | +4 | −13 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: HEX NEWCO, LLC, 2022 filing, page 29
Where Halloween Express locations are
At the end of 2021, Halloween Express had franchised locations in 18 states. The most are in Wisconsin, South Carolina and California.
- Wisconsin7
- South Carolina6
- California5
- Minnesota5
- North Carolina5
- Tennessee5
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 7 |
| South Carolina | 6 |
| California | 5 |
| Minnesota | 5 |
| North Carolina | 5 |
| Tennessee | 5 |
| Kentucky | 3 |
| Florida | 2 |
| Kansas | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 |
All 18 states
| Arkansas | 1 |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1 |
| South Dakota | 1 |
| Texas | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Source: HEX NEWCO, LLC, 2022 filing, page 30
Who owns Halloween Express?
Halloween Express franchises are sold by HEX NEWCO, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From HEX NEWCO, LLC’s 2022 filing, page 8.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 9–10. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: HEX NEWCO, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on pages 9–10, bankruptcy on page 10
Halloween Express filings
The figures on this page come from HEX NEWCO, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued August 26, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | August 26, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
