Are The Disney Stores on the way out?

[raidermatt]

I guess where I've been going with all this is that Disney has apparently decided that losing you as a customer is less valuable than the customers they anticipate to gain in refocusing their merchandise options.

That's pretty much it.

I don't know if they are correct or not, but that's what they think.

Scoop also makes a very good point about retail being a different animal than the parks, and even the studios. Certainly a "quality" retail model can be successful, but even then, its not the same as a "quality/innovation/show" parks model.

Maybe that's why Walt didn't get too directly involved with retail?


I've been wondering if Disney wouldn't be better off scrapping the smaller stores located in malls and instead rolled out the World of Disney concept on a much more limited basis. (If they've already rolled out the WoDs, my apologies, but I didn't know about it)

Disney has so many animated films and characters that it seems they struggle with finding what the "right" things to carry are. And in the process of trying to find only what is most popular (Pooh, Toy Story, and the most recent release), they alienate those looking for something else. Also, while we may go back and forth on which group Disney should cater to (Adults, collectors, toddlers, etc), its clear that they have a fairly large following in all groups.

I think many expect to be able to go to The Disney Store and find something no matter what they are looking for, and that just isn't going to happen with the smaller stores that currently exist. Perhaps Disney should pursue more of a FAO Schwartz model instead of a KayBee model.

Thoughts?

 

[Testtrack321]

We need to illimanate the excess Disney stores. Do we really need 3 in one city? Make it an experence instead of another Peircing Pagota.

 

[ohanafamily]

OK, maybe I am wrong, but I still wish the store would be back to "Some Things for all groups" rather than "Small Kids and Toddlers Mommy can I have this"

We need to illimanate the excess Disney stores. Do we really need 3 in one city? Make it an experence instead of another Peircing Pagota.

Dallas and larger cities can support that many locations easily, but I agree that the smaller stores will be more focused on their primary target. A store the size of our Northpark store should have more than just a little adult merchandise.

I've been wondering if Disney wouldn't be better off scrapping the smaller stores located in malls and instead rolled out the World of Disney concept on a much more limited basis. (If they've already rolled out the WoDs, my apologies, but I didn't know about it)

I would be quite happy with that!

I think many expect to be able to go to The Disney Store and find something no matter what they are looking for, and that just isn't going to happen with the smaller stores that currently exist. Perhaps Disney should pursue more of a FAO Schwartz model instead of a KayBee model.

My point is that you used to be able to!

However, although we have taken out this merchandise, our stores are still doing very well. Disney felt that we weren't selling a majority of our adult merchandise until it was marked down substantially.
...
We'll have to see what happens, but for now, the change in store merchandise hasen't seemed to effect sales that negatively.

I will repeat: OK, maybe I am wrong, but I still wish the store would be back to "Some Things for all groups"

 

[raidermatt]

We need to illimanate the excess Disney stores. Do we really need 3 in one city? Make it an experence instead of another Peircing Pagota.

...about a year ago we all were discussing the Disney stores and my suggestion was that they needed to be reduced in number and more of an "experience"...have occassional characters once a month or viewing parties or even some interactivity.

Yes, this is what I was getting at as well. Are we actually coming to some kind of a consensus??????

Now, to get this implemented...

 

[ohanafamily]

Mr. Peter Whitford
Disney Stores, Inc.
101 North Brand Blvd.
Suite #100
Glendale, CA 91203

He is the president of the Disney Stores, but then again,

Check out this thread:
Upset at losing Gallery Stores

Here is the "Official Place to write"

phone:
1-800-689-0789, option 2
If you call you will most likely get voicemail. Joe told DH that they only check messages once a day and that response time is within 48-72 hours. (Seems to me they don't have enough people - right now just 2 - to handle the calls that come in if it takes that long.)

fax:
818-240-1979

mailing address:
Disney Store, Inc.
Attn: Guest Services
101 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 1000
Glendale, CA 91203

I am feeling a bit synical, so I don't suppose it will do any good.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Not finding anything for adults is the most frustrating thing about going to TDS. Our local Disney Store has a great cast and DW Lauri and I have become friends with many of them. Unfortunately, the bulk of our purchases there are for pins. Yeah, sometimes there's a new sweatshirt or coffee mug that DW likes, but there's only been one mug I've gotten in the past year and I can't remember the last article of clothing I bought at TDS.

What The Disney Stores need is more variety.

Variety in age groups the items appeal to. The catalog could have great offerings for adults. Out of 100+ pages, I usually see maybe 4 of adult clothing, and even then the men's clothes is unisex.

Variety in the characters utilized for the merchandise. Let's see some more of the Disney characters and a little less Pooh. I would LOVE to see an Uncle Scrooge necktie or a Chip and Dale shirt.

And I agree ... maybe they should reduce the number of stores they have and increase the size of the stores. That way they can have stores with more merchandise and a larger variety per location but a Disney Store isn't everywhere like The Gap. (of course, this is only if they keep the store near my house open )

 

[cindyfan]

I am also one of those "former" TDS shoppers.....just can't seem to find anything to purchase there if my life depended on it!

I've seen the store go from a roaring success.....like 7 years ago to what it is today and it is truely sad to see a retailer die such a slow death!

I agree with Scoop, RaiderMatt and Testtrack on many of the points posted here!

They opened WAY TOO MANY stores! They were successful when they were "unique" and "special".

And they are just looking for what type of merchandise that makes the greatest profit margin! And that is PLUSH and kids stuff!
It costs next to nothing for them to manufacture plush toys and stick a Disney label on it!
They are doing what any retailer would do to try and make money. If it is not profitable because the gross margin is too small then they dumped it.

Let's also remember that TDS was one of Eisner's ideas....therefore if there is a way he can save it.....he will try.

I have recently seen (just in the past 2 months) in our area the Regional Manager, District Manager and 2 Store Managers quit after as many as 11 years of service. As hard as they have tried...they can see the end is near or they wouldn't have jumped ship.......IMHO

It will be interesting to see what the stores look like in just 6 more months.

 

[d-r]

I just read a rumor on radp that all of the Disney stores in Austrailia will be closed in March 2003.

 

[TexasErin]

It's not just adult clothing that has disappeared.
We have a 3 week old son and there is nothing for him at TDS (even in the catalog- there is one outfit and it is a Christmas outfit). A couple of years ago, I could go in there and look around and think about how one day, I might have a son and could buy cute things there. But not anymore. The smallest size they go to is 2 yrs. It is such a disappointment.

 

[Lesley]

Yes, the children's clothing has really gone downhill....when my 7yo was younger I found lots of great clothes for him at TDS...good quality, really unique, cute stuff. Now they don't seem to have much more than pajamas and tshirts or sweatshirts. Admittedly I bought a lot of the nice clothing for him on sale.....but that was when there was no way I could afford it otherwise. And I recall many times when I had my eye on an outfit and it was gone before it went on sale. It seems that I've seen a lot more large discounts at TDS recently than I've seen in the past....dress ups at 70% off over the summer, every other week they have those kids' suitcases on sale, and they are still stocking the shelves with the Woody and Jessie dolls that they had on sale for $15 and still didn't seem to sell....and if you've noticed a trend here, they seem to keep trying to sell the same things they've needed to discount.

Admittedly, I like the idea of play areas for the kids.....but that doesn't necessarily translate to sales. We always go into TDS when we're at a mall that has one (none closer than 40 min. or so from us) and we usually don't buy anything. It used to be that I'd at least leaving the store wanting something....but its been a very long time.

 

[hopemax]

I've debated on saying anything, considering the last time I said anything about the Disney Store but...

Does anyone remember what was going on in them for the last 2 years vs. now? Then the complaints were still there about what they weren't carrying. Many of the stores had no product to sell, especially during the Holiday season. I remember at our stores several of the wall bays, and fixtures had their shelves removed and were replaced with what ever pieces of framed art they had. When the art was sold, some of the fixtures were taken off stage. One of the top questions was, "It's so empty, are you going out of business?" So that the Disney Stores are making more money by comparison? Not hard to do when you have product to sell. So I'm hesitant to accept that the increased sales is primarily the result of changing the focus of the store to mainly girls 3-9. Of course, changing your store so 1/3 of it is of your highest marked up item, helps. But how long will people want to shop in the plush store?

 

[Bob O]

We also stop at TDS every time we are near one, hoping that they will have improved. But we have been disappointed greqtly in what we see their, and even our daughters who would be TDS demograhic end up leaving before we do when years ago we couldnt leave the store without buying something!!
They need to do something to entice people to buy things and they arent doing it now for my family and by the results of the stores they arent doing it for alot of families like they used too.

 

[abitjaded]

We used to visit a few of our local malls JUST to go to TDS. Now, we do not even bother to visit the malls they are in. We have two huge fancy malls that opened here recently, no TDS in either. We went to one store recently, just to get a pin. And everyone was right, we bought pins and the new Disneyland guide and nothing else. For a family that never escaped out of the store for less than $100, a sad commentary. Maybe the marketing says the kids' junk is what sells, but it is not what I now buy. But hey, our store DID have three different models of adult sweatshirts.

 

[ohanafamily]

For a family that never escaped out of the store for less than $100, a sad commentary. Maybe the marketing says the kids' junk is what sells, but it is not what I now buy. But hey, our store DID have three different models of adult sweatshirts.

Dear Jaded one,
That is why we must all write to them. If we do not let them know that we are a demographic that is being denied, then they will not be able to fix it. They will never admit a mistake, but they have been known to fix them (as best possible) (IE JIYI3 vs. JIYI2)

Mr. Peter Whitford
President, Disney Stores, Inc.
101 North Brand Blvd.
Suite #100
Glendale, CA 91203

or, if you just want to try the regular guest relations:

phone:
1-800-689-0789, option 2
If you call you will most likely get voicemail. Joe told DH that they only check messages once a day and that response time is within 48-72 hours. (Seems to me they don't have enough people - right now just 2 - to handle the calls that come in if it takes that long.)

fax:
818-240-1979

mailing address:
Disney Store, Inc.
Attn: Guest Services
101 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 1000
Glendale, CA 91203

 

[JudithM]

I vote with my pocketbook & have saved quite a bit of money !