40 new disney Concept stores

[pinkerbell]

I saw in a disboards facebook post Disney will open 40 more concept stores in 16 major areas by the end of 2011. Not being a business major, I have no idea what this means. I would like it to mean my local mall may get it's Disney store back, but cannot see any company opening redesigning stocking and staffing a major store in 6 months. I also don't undertand why they would doubleup stores (40 in 16 major areas??)
Can anyone help me decipher this?

 

[lovetoscrap]

I'm going to move this to the Community Board.

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

well, there are 6 stores that are being closed within the next month for starters. One at the Burlington Mall, and another in Mass I have not heard of "40" stores, I know of 6 new ones opening, with a concept store that will open in or around Boston. I am not sure where in Mass you are, I am also. but I do not think one in that area is slated to open.

so not sure how that came about. I do know that one in Canada also is opening.

 

[bicker]

I haven't seen anything about this, but if my decades old marketing knowledge is still valid, concept stores are stores that are selling not products but rather a purchasing experience. The original Disney Stores were like this, and for a while they were competing with comparable Warner Bros. Studio Stores. If you went into these stores comparing their prices to comparable products available elsewhere, you'd be disappointed. A concept store is about fostering and/or exploiting an emotional attachment, to earn higher profits than a commodity store.

The "studio" concept stores hit tough times in the late 1990s and by 2001 (before 9/11, I believe) the Warner Bros. Studio Stores were already dead. Disney held on a bit longer before selling naming rights and other transitory assets to Children's Place, effectively acknowledging that the market for studio concept stores was gone. Disney eventually regained control over Disney Stores, but have continued to operate them pretty much as commodity stores.

The consumer economy has, of course, substantially improved, so it is not surprising that Disney is considering or acting to restart the concept store approach.

 

[pinkerbell]

I'm going to move this to the Community Board.

I was 50/50 on where to put it between the two... glad I dont gamble
thanks!

 

[pinkerbell]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/General_Disney_News/Disney_Store_to_open_40_more_concept_stores.htm

this is the link

I googled the info,but didnt get anything more than the same relase in a few different outlets.

We used to have a store in Holyoke Mall,but it closed and now have to go to Hartford..only do that about twice a yr.... sure would buy a lot more if they had one closer guess it'sbetter for my pocketbook this way

 

[bicker]

Thanks for the link. I think it is brave of Disney to go back down this path so quickly after the recession. I don't see that many other companies acting with such optimism about the consumer economy.

 

[bekkiz]

One opened here a few weeks ago, and it has been PACKED. They're having a big opening day ceremony this weekend, I think, with Micky but there is no way we're going. I can only imagine how crowded it will be. It's a neat concept though, and I think it will serve the purpose of getting people in the stores.

 

[bicker]

I think the real test, though, is whether those folks return, time and time again, even though the pricing eventually rises to "concept store" levels. We've seen so many cases where consumers say, "What a great idea, but too bad that they decided to charge us extra for it," and so the idea dies because no one is really willing to pay for it.

NatashaDisneyCM: You heard that - for sure - the Burlington store won't be reopened as one of the new "concept stores"?