Walking into a Disney Store is unlike walking into any other store. It’s a magical experience in which you’re transported to a world of imagination and fairytales full of compelling characters.
This cathartic childhood pleasure will soon be taken away from the Bay Area.
The Walt Disney Company is permanently closing some of its stores in the Bay Area to integrate its products into Target, according to an Aug. 23 Kron4 article.
Disney Store’s discontinuation is a big mistake as many kids will lose their opportunity to explore its wonders.
The company said the store closures are part of a bigger plan to focus on ecommerce as Disney’s Parks, Experiences and Products revenues last year decreased 61% because of the pandemic, according to its 2020 Fiscal Report.
Disney’s Parks, Experiences and Products manages the company’s brands and franchises including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, Twentieth Century Studios and National Geographic, according to its fact sheet.
Disney is prioritizing ecommerce to significantly reduce its brick-and-mortar footprint by closing 60 stores nationwide, according to a March 3 Disney Parks, Products and Experiences article.
Disney saw a 32% increase in profits throughout the pandemic from its ecommerce sales, which went up to about $792 billion in 2020, according to a March 4 article by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
While Disney probably thinks it's acting accordingly to match its revenues from the effects of the pandemic, businesses are now reopened at full capacity and in-person activities have returned.
The Walt Disney Company can still develop its online presence while keeping its brick-and-mortar shops.
Every child deserves to enter a Disney Store with their family and get greeted by an enthusiastic employee wearing Mickey Mouse ears.
The store offers a walk-in experience to Disney's magic without the insane cost of entering its theme parks.
For some kids, the Disney Store is the closest they’re going to get to going to a theme park such as Anaheim's Disneyland Park or Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort.
According to the Shop Disney website, the four main Disney Stores closing in the Bay Area include: the Sunvalley Shopping Center in Concord; Stockton Street in San Francisco, which is a three minute walk from Union Square; Serramonte Center in Daly City; and the Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara.
These stores are expected to close by Sept. 15. Livermore’s San Francisco Premium Outlets will be the only Disney Store left in the Bay Area.
Although closings don’t affect stores located inside Disney theme parks, people who don’t live near the theme parks or remaining Disney Stores will be forced to shop online.
While this transition to online shopping may sound nice to some people, it removes Disney’s largest component: the magical experience.
The Walt Disney Company, however, plans to sell some of its clothing apparel and toys from the Disney Stores to various Target locations.
Target is expected to open more than 100 Disney Store locations inside its stores by the end of 2021, according to an Aug. 23 USA Today article.
While Disney’s agreement with Target will allow fans to shop in person, it doesn’t make up for the loss of the intimate experience of Disney Store.
Target is a corporate mini-mall with myriad sections. It’s overwhelming, overpopulated and impersonal.
It’s not the same as walking into a smaller store with Disney music permeating in the air and friendly faces welcoming you to the extraordinary space.
Disney customers should have the option to choose how they want to shop.
Just because people became comfortable shopping online during the pandemic, doesn’t mean it should or will stay that way forever.
Disney may think it's evolving, but in reality it’s taking away the things that made our childhoods special.
