New high-tech, innovative Disney Stores and renovations announced

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-...-tech-disney-stores-announced,0,2843435.story

Steven Ford
Orlando Sentinel
12:02 a.m. EST, January 13, 2011

You might see a few new things the next time you visit your favorite Disney Store, and it won’t necessarily be the merchandise on the shelves.

Disney is moving ahead with plans to add more than 25 new and remodeled stores this year. But don’t expect to see just more reincarnations of existing stores. Rather these new and revamped sites will be variations of the high-tech, interactive concept stores that were built at several locations in 2010, including the new Times Square flagship location in New York City.

These so-called “immersive” stores are designed with entertaining and time-saving innovations, such as interactive displays to entice and entertain kids, and store clerks armed with mobile electronic devices that alleviate the need for customers to stand at line at cash registers. Disney, which made the announcement at this week’s giant National Retail Federation conference in New York, said it plans to eventually change all of its 350-plus stores to the new high-tech concept.

The newly designed stores will open in cities including Atlanta, Seattle and San Antonio, Texas. Also, the Mall of America in Minnesota will get its first Disney Store, as will Puerto Rico, and Dublin, Ireland, and Copenhagen, Denmark. New stores were planned for Canada, as well.

The high-tech innovations being used in the new concept stores are another way for Disney to attract customers to its stores as much for the experience as for making purchases. Some of the new technology includes digital marketing signs that feature specific content for the individual stores. A “magical mirror” will allow children to see Disney characters. And kids will be able to design and play with their own cars inspired by the Pixar “Cars” franchise.

And, using Oracle’s retail-sales technology, the new Disney Stores will feature clerks equipped with specially designed Apple iPod touches. Much as customers to any Apple Store today can purchase merchandise from anywhere on the sales floor, the Disney Store clerks also will be able to take customers’ credit card information with their iPods and complete the sale anywhere in the store, eliminating the need for customers to stand in line at a central register.

Another benefit of this point-of-sale transaction is that Disney Store employees will be able to, in real time and standing beside the customer, access not just their store’s in-house merchandise but also will be able to help customers tap into the inventory of DisneyStore.com. Go to a Disney Store to purchase a Minnie Mouse beach towel, only to find out the store is sold out? No problem, because the Disney Store worker will be able to track it down online.

And the Oracle software also offers other benefits for the company, as well. For example, the electronic data can identify customers based on previous sales habits and other profile information. It can track sales to help more easily facilitate merchandise returns, and it can identify discounts and promotions more readily.

There are more than 200 Disney Store locations in North America, and scores more worldwide.

 

[mickey4ever]

Is there a list of stores that are proposed to be opened or remodeled for this new concept?

 

[nytimez]

One of these "new and immersive" stores is near me. Don't believe the hype -- it's just a Disney store. Half the "new and immersive" things either don't work or don't work well, and you can still walk from one end of the store to the other and not encounter any CMs at all, much less one with one of these spiffy new iPods.

Some of the supposedly interactive stuff goes completely ignored by kids in the store because it's so lame.

Sorry to be a downer on this... but the store is a letdown.

 

[skiingfast]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-...-tech-disney-stores-announced,0,2843435.story

Steven Ford
Orlando Sentinel
12:02 a.m. EST, January 13, 2011
But don’t expect to see just more reincarnations of existing stores. Rather these new and revamped sites will be variations of the high-tech, interactive concept stores that were built at several locations in 2010, including the new Times Square flagship location in New York City.

One of these "new and immersive" stores is near me. Don't believe the hype -- it's just a Disney store. Half the "new and immersive" things either don't work or don't work well, and you can still walk from one end of the store to the other and not encounter any CMs at all, much less one with one of these spiffy new iPods.

Some of the supposedly interactive stuff goes completely ignored by kids in the store because it's so lame.

Sorry to be a downer on this... but the store is a letdown.

Didn't read that paragraph?

 

[nytimez]

Didn't read that paragraph?

I did. What part did you fail to understand? I'd be happy to explain it to you.

 

[anthony2k7]

So, these roaming CMs with ipods that complete your transactions..... after you have paid, do you then have to go queue in line to have your goods put in a bag?

Or does the helpful CM disappear for 5 minutes (no doubt getting stopped by several other customers along the way) to go get you a bag?

OR are you expected to be environmentally friendly and walk out the store with arm fulls of goods without a bag?

 

[skiingfast]

I did. What part did you fail to understand? I'd be happy to explain it to you.

It says it will be different.

 

[nytimez]

It says it will be different.

Not sure where you get off on being insulting about it in your previous post, but yes, I did read the paragraph you quoted. I know you read it, since you quoted it. The question is, did you understand it?

The new stores will be, as you quoted, will be "variations of the high-tech, interactive concept stores that were built at several locations in 2010, including the new Times Square flagship location in New York City."

That means they may be different from your store, but they're not so different from my store since I live near several of the "high-tech, interactive concept stores" including the "the new Times Square flagship location in New York City."

You're welcome.