Local Disney Stores closing

[BigBlueWho]

Hello all, checking in from Virginia Beach; we where just informed that our local Disney Store would be closing (it closed on Jan 18th). There was no real notice, and as a family, we are pretty bummed. As far as I know, the cast members did not get a reason and had a very short notice before the holidays.
A few families (including ours) have written letters to guest relations. They have no plans to open a new store anywhere near us, and the closest one is a few hours away.

We have shopped there many times over the years, and it WAS a tradition to buy DW a plush every year at Christmas (It isn't the same on-line). Talking to other mall employees, I get the sense that there were multiple stores closing over the country this week. Is anyone else having there local stores closed? How are you dealing with it? Will letters help?

*Mods, I figured this would be the best spot for this topic, in news; please move it if I am wrong.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The Disney stores were over expanded and peaked around 1995.

They also were run by this cat named Paul pressler...who later did his best to destroy parks and was later hired to run the Gap, dogged that, and was fired unceremoniously a few years ago.

Gap is in danger of going under...if you check the scoreboard.

The reality is that brick and mortar retail is incredibly hard...it's all
On the decline.

But the Disney store pioneered an approach that has ruined parks too...they dumped specialty items for the cheapest, least variable, highest volume Chinese junk they can mass produce under the Small World at Shanghai Disneyland.

It's a little sad...but very predictable.

 

[OldsDr]

I have stepped foot in a Disney Store only twice since that late 1990s change. The first time was when I was informed they were no longer selling watches and cells and all the specialty stuff, and the second was to give it a second chance a little before the Children's Place sell off was announced, never went back. I miss those watches, I have a lot of them. It was just a few years later when I stopped finding new watches at WDW every year too.

 

[rteetz]

I have not seen any closings for any other Disney Stores around the country. We have one in our area. During the peak we had two at area malls.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We had a new Disney store just open in our area, which puts two in our market. Granted, one is at the Mall of America, but the other was put into a suburban shopping center that is reinventing itself.

 

[niffer5150]

i'm not surprised. our store went from incredible to meh because of the selection and quallity. it went from unique and expansive to "things i can find at target".

 

[Planogirl]

We still have ours just down the street but all it has are super flimsy t-shirts and kiddie products. We never bother with it.

 

[BigBlueWho]

I see a few opening around the country. I didn't like everything there, but the cast members where awesome, and I won't be able to buy plushes anymore. Hopefully they open a new one, the JC Penny shop doesn't cut it.

 

[DebbieB]

There used to be 4 that I remember in the Pittsburgh area, we are down to 1 (South Hills Village). It's been about a year since I bought something there but I have bought online. I think they are finding the same thing as other retail, people are purchasing online instead.

 

[Lumiere Lover]

I miss the good old days when the stores had collectibles. Now they are just toy/clothing stores.

 

[ettinkerbell]

Hoping this doesn't affect our local store - always buying stuff for DGS there.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

There used to be 4 that I remember in the Pittsburgh area, we are down to 1 (South Hills Village).

The first one I ever walked into...

Remember when there was a Warner bros store below it?

I'm feeling old...I miss Horne's and Kaufman's

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We have a Disney Store in our local mall and it's in a fantasic location inside the mall. I'm sure that is why it still gets enough business to pay the rent; the store has been there since the mid-90s. I used to love going into that store as a little kid but the problem is the type of merchandise over the years that the Disney Store's get don't appeal to me as much. Granted they are mostly for kids but a lot of the ones I've been in lack items adults can buy and the items kids can buy are a lot less appealing to me (meaning I'm not sure I would buy many things for children). I can't see my local store closing anytime soon (mostly due to it's location inside the mall as already mentioned) but it's def. not appealing to the kids like it used to as I don't see as many families enter into as much as I used to.

I've been to multiple stores in multiple states and for the most part they are the same however I sometimes find more that I want at the outlet mall locations than the regular stores.

 

[texasroni75]

Our local Disney store is actually an "Outlet" location (although there are other Disney store locations 30-45 minutes from us). I prefer the outlet not just because it's so close to home, but because it actually carries a significant volume of DisneyParks items at great discounts. Most of it is from DL, but we don't care. I shop there regularly for items to wear and bring to our trips to WDW, and for items to add to youngest DS' growing Disney collection. I would miss it terribly if it ever closed.

 

[GroovyArtMomma]

I also go to a Disney "Outlet". I hope it doesn't close, I go there when I'm missing the parks. I just walk around and take it all in. Then I go scrounge through the clearance items.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I wish I had a Disney Store Outlet location near me..closest one is a 3 1/2 hour drive (in Branson,MO) and another one is just over a 3 1/2 hour drive (St. Louis,MO) I only get to go to those locations when I'm visiting one of those two places.

 

[Funfire240]

I miss the good old days when the stores had collectibles. Now they are just toy/clothing stores.

I agree! I have some beautiful Beauty and the Beast figurines I bought when the movie came out that are now on a shelf in DD's room. We used to find fun things.



We still have a store about 1/2 from our house and for awhile we were going a lot as the kids enjoyed the activities on the weekends (and most of hte CM's working there would recognize me when I walked in! I even got "yelled" at one time for staying away too long lol) and once in awhile we still try to get there so they can open the store. However I find myself shopping more and more online just because it's more convenient for me during the week when I need something and I also like that I can always throw something from the parks in with my order.

 

[huntconn]

I almost never find a reason to stop in to our local Disney store anymore. Used to have cool collectibles years ago but no longer. It all seems to be cheaply made merch aimed at the toddler set now.

 

[Whatsthegoodword]

Agree, agree...

I miss the cels, the "Disney Classic" figurines, the watches - the cool stuff! My mama has three curio cabinets cram packed with those Disney Classic ceramics. They made a mint offa her.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Agree, agree...

I miss the cels, the "Disney Classic" figurines, the watches - the cool stuff! My mama has three curio cabinets cram packed with those Disney Classic ceramics. They made a mint offa her.

Blame Walmart...the American public wanted a higher volume of cheaper crap long ago and nobody held the line on selling it to them.

Now that cheaper crap got jacked In price: good example is Ralph Lauren - high price for the sludge they produce now.

And it's such a good model that he got himself fired.

Disney falls right in line with shortsightedness on these things.