[ATinkatheart]

From The New York Times:

Disney’s Retail Plan Is a Theme Park in Its Stores

"At a time when many retailers are still cutting back or approaching strategic shifts with extreme caution, Disney is going the other way, getting more aggressive and putting into motion an expensive and ambitious floor-to-ceiling reboot of its 340 stores in the United States and Europe — as well as opening new ones, including a potential flagship in Times Square."


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/bu...2&ref=business

[2nd Star]

I really hope they do add a store in Time Square.

[Captgoodguy]

I hope they bring back more merchandise for adults. DW and I used to spend a lot of money in the Disney Store on clothes, etc. for ourselves when it was more like the shops at the parks. That would have been around the time they were making a lot of money based on the article. However, with the changes made, it's been years since we spent a dime on anything in there. Nothing left for us except a T-Shirt once in a while. That would be about the time they were losing $100 million a year according to the article. Gee, were we really spending that much???? LOL!

[Mickeybug]

Originally Posted by Captgoodguy

I hope they bring back more merchandise for adults. DW and I used to spend a lot of money in the Disney Store on clothes, etc. for ourselves when it was more like the shops at the parks. That would have been around the time they were making a lot of money based on the article. However, with the changes made, it's been years since we spent a dime on anything in there. Nothing left for us except a T-Shirt once in a while. That would be about the time they were losing $100 million a year according to the article. Gee, were we really spending that much???? LOL!

We were thinking the very same thing this summer. "Where's all the adult items?" My DD's have hit a plateau on Dis merchandise...too old for the kiddie stuff and not old enough to feel comfortable with the real clothes (so DD 14 says). Personally I think a mickey anywhere on one is appropriate Agree though, an occasional tee and an even more limited supply of classics in those or an unlimited supply of mugs and that's it. Forget on-line, bring back the "big kid stuff" in the stores!

[Captgoodguy]

DW and I stumbled upon an old Disney Store catalog that we still had from several years ago. It was like night and day. The merchandise they used to offer was just as good if not better sometimes than what you can get at the parks. Just like the old days, we used to order all the time from the catalog too. I would love to have merchandise like that again.

[Screever]

DUDE this makes me hopeful. Someone told me there's a new Disney store in our local mall (I miss the old one like crazy) but it sounded too good to be true...

[DonnyD]

I too miss the old Disney Stores. Not only did I buy the greatest clothes but I also purchased alot of pins and especially porcelian statues, too numerous to mention.

Nowadays I get a few t-shirts for nieces and nephews but normally leave the sore unfulfilled. That is why I always plan atleast a half day just shopping at Downtown Disney when I get to WDW. I actually get more excited to go shopping then to the parks. I normally hit every and I mean every store there is in the parks, DD and whatever resorts I visit.

[Captgoodguy]

Originally Posted by DonnyD

That is why I always plan at least a half day just shopping at Downtown Disney when I get to WDW. I actually get more excited to go shopping then to the parks. I normally hit every and I mean every store there is in the parks, DD and whatever resorts I visit.

I know what you mean. Since we typically fly in the night before, it's almost certain we are going to hit the stores at DTD first...and every other day we aren't doing the all day marathon park visits.

[tinker2222]

YES!!!!! What happend to the grown-up stuff??? I feel like they replaced the more expensive adult stuff with kids cheap items.
We also hit DTD, every store!

[hanwill]

They are going to have apple stuff at the registers from what I read... like when you go to checkout at the apple store, the guy standing there, rings you up- right there... no real need for a huge counter... if it sticks- it would be revolutionary... Will be interesting to see how it gets redesigned... And yes, those baby princesses grow up to be 10, and then you need more stuff than dolls to keep them coming back (sadly, but true). Mom, on the other hand, could go anytime...

[anaheimboy]

Im not sure if someone already posted this, but I thought Id share, this is from the HUB (the Disney Cast Network) and I had been following it all the time. The Disney Store's new Prototype store is called "Imagination Park", it will have a brand new very interactive world for kids and adults alike, it will have fiberoptic/plastic tree cutouts that will line the stores walkway which will wind around like you would find in a park, the trees will be able to change colors and graphics to go along with the seasons and promos, etc. There will be sections for boys, girls, world of disney etc, with great theming etc and projector machines that can shoot images onto walls and such, also able to change colors, shows graphics, etc...all themed to each section of the store. The end of the stores "pathway" will bring you to a gazebo like structure which inside will have a HUGE projector TV screen which kids can interact in games, come for story time which will be performed by CMs, watch music videos, Disney news etc. Another new thing will be register "pods" which are smaller square cubes where the registers are located, and they can either be all kept in one section or each "pod" can be rolled to a section of the store so someone can be ringing up guests in each section of the store. There is a lot more to it than this but the new prototype looked great and its something the disney stores really needed. The new age demographic for Disney Stores North America is Baby-Age 12, with moderate adult things mixed in, but Disney has stated that the younger crowds are where they want to go since that age range seems to be ignored now days at malls (or so disney says...my mall has PLENTY of stores for kids ages 0-12...but hey, what do I know?), but dont worry adults, you can still buy your adult shirts and such, just not things like you use to find back in the 80s and 90s, Im not sure if they plan to have any home-items (kitchen, bedding, smaller furniture items that dont tout high school musical, etc), but like always, with Disney, anything can change. As of last I heard, all "Pink and Green" stores (which is what mine was) will be remodeled first, with the highest profit stores getting done first, followed by the stores that were previously remodeled by that cheap Children's Place/AKA Hoop Retail LLP and the rest after that.

[Mickeybug]

They're kidding right..the younger crowds are ignored?!? With the such of Gymboree, Children's Place, Osh Kosh, Gap Kids, Old Navy kids, Limited Too, Justice and the list goes on and on how can they say they're left out. Geesh, maybe they need to check out a mall here lately. Kids and Jr/teens seems to be the direction most stores are heading to now.

[anaheimboy]

Originally Posted by Mickeybug

They're kidding right..the younger crowds are ignored?!? With the such of Gymboree, Children's Place, Osh Kosh, Gap Kids, Old Navy kids, Limited Too, Justice and the list goes on and on how can they say they're left out. Geesh, maybe they need to check out a mall here lately. Kids and Jr/teens seems to be the direction most stores are heading to now.

haha! EXACTLY!! When I heard the new Age Range in the Disney Store presentation and they said that age range seems to be ignored at the mall....I was like uhh......are you kidding?? My Mall - Fashion Fair - has AT LEAST 7 stores dedicated to just kids between 0-15 years of age...so they obviously have their demographic wrong, they need to listen to what Guests want/what is being asked for and WHO spends the most money, (which happens to be the adults, I had adults asking me all the time where the Adult section was, and unfortunately all I really had to offer them was the very small sad adult T-Shirt table)

Anyways, as for what is being asked for is ADULT apparel, Big Figs, Jewelry/Watches, Disney Art, Home and Kitchen Items (and no, not those cheap summer picnic plastic clear pitchers) and the Kids/tween items and then of course Movies/Media/theme park items - guests want to be able to get some Parks stuff ahead of time so they dont have to deal with it once their in the parks, (resort-related merchandise people ALWAYS ask for, autograph books, tote bags and such, I also feel they should have a small parks and resorts merchandise section in the store like they once had, if they offer parks and resorts merchandise on disneystore.com, why not offer some of it in the store? Just a very small selection, it would sure sell, I know the company wants to keep those items "park/resort" exclusive, but they offer it on the stores website, so why not offer some IN the store, and like I said, it would sell, people ask for certain items ALL the time like I said above.)

[MerlinMatt]

Here are some links I found in the news over the past couple of days:
Disney Reinventing Stores as 'Imagination Parks' - Business News Summaries | Newser

Steve Jobs turning Disney stores into 'Imagination Parks' | News | TechRadar UK

Disney and more: Goodbye "Disney Store", Hello "Imagination Park" !

[DonnyD]

Originally Posted by MerlinMatt

Here are some links I found in the news over the past couple of days:
Disney Reinventing Stores as 'Imagination Parks' - Business News Summaries | Newser

Steve Jobs turning Disney stores into 'Imagination Parks' | News | TechRadar UK

Disney and more: Goodbye "Disney Store", Hello "Imagination Park" !

These articles are interesting - I hope they do open a flagship store in Times Square because then I can experience this first hand.