Disney Store Ala Moana closed

[SteveNZ]

I hadn't heard until now that they closed the Disney Store at Ala Moana mall. I don't know about you all but I feel like these sweeping closures are very short-sighted. We're not from the US (we live in New Zealand) and we don't have Disney Stores here. Even though we stay at Aulani, another exciting Disney aspect to vacationing in Hawaii (for us) was a visit to the Disney Store. It was another touchpoint to a brand that means a great deal to us as a family, and we always spent money there on stuff we just can't buy at home. One of my Son's favourite plushes is his Hawaiian Mickey, which we bought there and didn't see at Aulani. There are also a lot of visitors to Hawaii from Australia and Japan, and neither of those countries have Disney Stores either.

It's hard to imagine this store (and many others) don't turn a profit... but even if it's "not much" of a profit or even a small loss, I still feel like Disney should keep more of these around as just a cultural touch-point to keep their brand alive in peoples' minds. I'm really sad about this particular closure.

 

[bcla]

I hadn't heard until now that they closed the Disney Store at Ala Moana mall. I don't know about you all but I feel like these sweeping closures are very short-sighted. We're not from the US (we live in New Zealand) and we don't have Disney Stores here. Even though we stay at Aulani, another exciting Disney aspect to vacationing in Hawaii (for us) was a visit to the Disney Store. It was another touchpoint to a brand that means a great deal to us as a family, and we always spent money there on stuff we just can't buy at home. One of my Son's favourite plushes is his Hawaiian Mickey, which we bought there and didn't see at Aulani. There are also a lot of visitors to Hawaii from Australia and Japan, and neither of those countries have Disney Stores either.

It's hard to imagine this store (and many others) don't turn a profit... but even if it's "not much" of a profit or even a small loss, I still feel like Disney should keep more of these around as just a cultural touch-point to keep their brand alive in peoples' minds. I'm really sad about this particular closure.

I don't normally follow this sub-forum, but I found it in a search. I remember a time when Disney Stores were more or less a licensed operation by a third party before Disney took it back, and there were locations (mostly at malls) nearly everywhere. However, they've simply been closing everywhere as Disney seems to be moving to an online model, although they're keeping some of their outlet stores open. They've also started opening fairly large Disney sections at certain locations of the American discount retailer Target called "Disney Store at Target". This isn't the Australian retailer Target, where it's a long story as to the same name and similar concept.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and my child used to enjoy going to them even if we didn't buy anything. We especially would spend time at one of their flagship locations in downtown San Francisco. They would typically have a video screen and perhaps a table where employees would hand out coloring pages. I didn't follow it that closely, but locations started closing in 2020 and especially picked up in 2021. There is one remaining Disney Store in the San Francisco Bay Area, and that's at an outlet mall where it's technically a Disney Store Outlet. I've been there a few times, and it's mostly selling normal Disney Store merchandise at normal Disney Store prices, but also with a far more extensive clearance section that one would find at a regular Disney Store. Also some Disney Parks (mostly Disneyland) items.

https://www.sfgate.com/disneyland/article/disney-store-closures-california-bay-area-16408186.php
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...shuttering-march-2021-liquidation/6945644002/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...t-september-2021-liquidation-sale/8244550002/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...n-september-2021-liquidation-sale/8324369002/

 

[SteveNZ]

I don't normally follow this sub-forum, but I found it in a search. I remember a time when Disney Stores were more or less a licensed operation by a third party before Disney took it back, and there were locations (mostly at malls) nearly everywhere. However, they've simply been closing everywhere as Disney seems to be moving to an online model, although they're keeping some of their outlet stores open. They've also started opening fairly large Disney sections at certain locations of the American discount retailer Target called "Disney Store at Target". This isn't the Australian retailer Target, where it's a long story as to the same name and similar concept.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and my child used to enjoy going to them even if we didn't buy anything. We especially would spend time at one of their flagship locations in downtown San Francisco. They would typically have a video screen and perhaps a table where employees would hand out coloring pages. I didn't follow it that closely, but locations started closing in 2020 and especially picked up in 2021. There is one remaining Disney Store in the San Francisco Bay Area, and that's at an outlet mall where it's technically a Disney Store Outlet. I've been there a few times, and it's mostly selling normal Disney Store merchandise at normal Disney Store prices, but also with a far more extensive clearance section that one would find at a regular Disney Store. Also some Disney Parks (mostly Disneyland) items.

https://www.sfgate.com/disneyland/article/disney-store-closures-california-bay-area-16408186.php
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...shuttering-march-2021-liquidation/6945644002/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...t-september-2021-liquidation-sale/8244550002/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...n-september-2021-liquidation-sale/8324369002/

Yes, it's very sad. I'm from the UK originally but spent a couple of years in the Bay Area in the early 90s. We lived in Cupertino and our closest Disney Store was at the Valley Fair mall. I had no idea Disney Stores were even a thing and I still distinctly remember seeing it for the first time and just instantly falling in love! A trip to the mall was always more exciting because of that store. We also loved the store at Pier 39 in San Francisco which was themed to the Fisherman's Wharf surrounds and it was just gorgeous. A few years later when we returned to the UK I was thrilled when the stores started opening there, too. But just like in the US nearly all of those are gone, and there never were any here in New Zealand to begin with.

I do understand Disney streamlining things, but I really think the Honolulu store closure was a mistake when that was the only store in the state and attracts so many overseas visitors. Whenever we visited the store was always very busy. Such a shame.

 

[bcla]

Yes, it's very sad. I'm from the UK originally but spent a couple of years in the Bay Area in the early 90s. We lived in Cupertino and our closest Disney Store was at the Valley Fair mall. I had no idea Disney Stores were even a thing and I still distinctly remember seeing it for the first time and just instantly falling in love! A trip to the mall was always more exciting because of that store. We also loved the store at Pier 39 in San Francisco which was themed to the Fisherman's Wharf surrounds and it was just gorgeous. A few years later when we returned to the UK I was thrilled when the stores started opening there, too. But just like in the US nearly all of those are gone, and there never were any here in New Zealand to begin with.

I do understand Disney streamlining things, but I really think the Honolulu store closure was a mistake when that was the only store in the state and attracts so many overseas visitors. Whenever we visited the store was always very busy. Such a shame.

OK. I wasn't trying to talk down to you or anything, but often I mention places like Target where I wasn't sure if someone from NZ would understand the reference. I don't recall a Disney Store at Pier 39. The prime location they had that just closed in August 2021 was near Union Square, with two levels.

I remember previous Disney Stores that were a lot more common and seemed to be at every mall including ones that weren't in the best locations. The history is that in 2002 they decided to license the operations to The Children's Place retail children's clothing company but they had difficulties and sold the operation back to Disney in 2008. I remember this was around the time that Disney started to close a lot of the poorer performing stores and then limited the number of locations. But now they're down to less than two dozen stores in the United States.

It's kind of sad, but at this point they're obviously selling a lot more merchandise on ShopDisney and the cost of retail employees is higher. But here's the Target Disney concept:

 

[rocketriter]

I remember the pre-Children's Place stores fondly and a bit sadly. My wife and I could shop for the kids, yes, but we could also shop for ourselves, finding merchandise and clothing that was suitable for grown-ups that wasn't available anywhere else. (I wore out that Mickey jean jacket completely!) When the grown-ups merchandise was dropped, we dropped the Disney Stores.

 

[scoobdoo]

I hadn't heard until now that they closed the Disney Store at Ala Moana mall. I don't know about you all but I feel like these sweeping closures are very short-sighted.

of course it’s a short-sighted, cost-cutting move — this was a Chapek decision after all.