The Walt Disney Co. has opened its first Disney Store in China, a 9,257-square-feet store in Shanghai that is the company’s largest retail store in the world.
The new store, opened May 20, comes as Disney strives to tap into China’s growing middle class. The store is in Shanghai’s Pudong district, where Disney plans to open a $5.5 billion theme park next year.
Disney said an estimated 40 million tourists visit Pudong’s Lujiazui shopping area, where the store is located.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to open our first Disney Store in China, in Shanghai,” Paul Candland, Disney’s Asia-Pacific region president, said in a statement. “Disney Store plays a critical role in how millions around the world experience our brand and allows kids, young adults and families to have a uniquely fun and immersive experience while shopping for their favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars products.”
The new Shanghai store showcases a 19-foot castle at the heart of the store, featuring an hourly musical and projection show, and a Marvel-themed area with hand-sculpted statues of superheroes. Its exterior includes a landscaped plaza and Mickey Mouse-shaped roof sculpted with 8,000 LED lights visible from key tourism points such as the Pearl Tower.
Disney, which opened a theme park in Hong Kong in 2005, broke ground on its Shanghai theme park in 2011. A day before the Shanghai store opening, the company put the top on the Enchanted Storybook Castle at its Shanghai park. Disney also has a theme park in Tokyo.
The Disney Store chain is the retail merchandising arm of Disney Consumer Products, the business segment of Burbank-based Walt Disney Co.(NYSE: DIS) and its affiliates that extends the Disney brand to merchandise. There are currently more than 200 Disney Store locations in North America, 40 locations in Japan and about 70 stores in Europe.
