Disney Store Make-Overs

[Polynesian Dweller]

Actually, IMO they started going downhill loooooooooooong before that.

I think the initial decline started when Paul Pressler took over as President back in 1993.

Quite true. Pressler did not seem to want them and that's probably a big reason they were gotten rid of back then. Just my thoughts, but things seem to decline much more wuickly and deeply when they were sold. Before that we went into them, after never went in.

As far as becoming more adult, maybe a little perhaps based on the premise that if you can get the kids to bring them in you might be able to sell something to the parents.

[fupresti]

The problem with this is Steve Jobs.....

Let's face it: he's not long for the road. He has been traveling out of the country for experimental treatment for his pancreatic cancer for years....and obviously has had some success with it....

But there are limits to that....and if Jobs is not with Disney any longer....for whatever reason...then i think this could be a disaster waiting to happen.

He carries tremendous power...and if anything in his tenure at Apple has shown: he's willing to produce higher end product and sacrifice volume of sales for what he perceives as quality of sales....

That would be a great take on the Disney Stores....because Disney is not a budget franchise...it hasn't been since right about the second Disneyland opened its gates in soft asphalt....

So they should put money into it....and should bring higher end product back into the fold....

I just worry that the beaners might get to this before it is implimented...or after it is in place and the result is a slashing of funds and budgets and the stores go into decay.....

The Disney Stores are not looking good...nor have since Paulie Boy Pressler dimed them into oblivion....so it would be nice if something is done....

But alot of "ifs" on this one

Having Steve Jobs involved and Apple STore advisors is about as good an idea as you can come up with. Granted I am an Apple fan, but the Apple Store is really the ultimate in shopping experience. From service to selection to the overall look and appeal, I feel that the Apple Store is my "best 30-minutes" per day.

And if that means more quality and higher prices, so be it. The Disney Store should be an experience, if I want cheap (junk) I will go to Wal-Mart. I am all for increasing margins at the expense of volume, especially with a premium brand name that Disney should be.

[Ian]

Quite true. Pressler did not seem to want them and that's probably a big reason they were gotten rid of back then. Just my thoughts, but things seem to decline much more quickly and deeply when they were sold. Before that we went into them, after never went in.

It's funny ... they seemed to have this very brief spike upwards when I got my hopes up and then yeah ... I agree ... CRASH!

And if that means more quality and higher prices, so be it. The Disney Store should be an experience, if I want cheap (junk) I will go to Wal-Mart. I am all for increasing margins at the expense of volume, especially with a premium brand name that Disney should be.

See and I agree totally with this.

To me Disney Stores should be selling a premium experience and not just 10 cent Chinese junk toys.

[big blue and hairy]

And if that means more quality and higher prices, so be it. The Disney Store should be an experience, if I want cheap (junk) I will go to Wal-Mart. I am all for increasing margins at the expense of volume, especially with a premium brand name that Disney should be.

Yup...I'm looking for quality over quantity...

[clou1028]

Oh my this would be wonderful! I worked for TDS from 2001-2003. I left a few months before TCP took over because I got a full time job elsewhere. While working there, I was very disappointed in the quality of merchandise, and the high pressure sales over customer service. I so wished it would go back to what it used to be.

I really enjoyed the cast member perks while I had them, though. And I worked with a great group of people!

The store that I worked at closed a couple years ago, unfortunately. The closes one now is about 30 min drive, not too far, but I am never out that way.

[tinksmom02]

Sounds good, and needed! The stores have been declining for a while, and in desperate need of something to spruce them up. I get irritated every time I go in our local store because the projection screen hasn't worked in over 2 years, maybe more. They still play the audio, but no video, and it just gripes me.

The "screen" in our store was more like 9 separate screens, and the one on the bottom left has been broken for several years now...so you would see 8/9ths of whatever they were showing.

We were there on Monday, and DD7 points out that "they finally fixed the TV!" I look over and notice that they replaced the pretty large screen with a smaller, but nicer, flat-screen TV.

I'll be interested to see how these improvements work out. I make a point to visit the Disney store each time I'm at the mall, but rarely does anything really catch my eye...I think I've only bought a couple T-shirts and some gifts cards (for WDW) there over the past year.

[MinnieMommie]

And if that means more quality and higher prices, so be it. The Disney Store should be an experience, if I want cheap (junk) I will go to Wal-Mart. I am all for increasing margins at the expense of volume, especially with a premium brand name that Disney should be.

Totally agree! Years ago we used to be able to spend time shopping in the Disney Store and be able to find some good quality things. Now when we do stop in it is just a walk through. Nothing much to offer anymore. As far as the big screen...ours has been gone for a long time.

[Joannelet]

I hope Steve Jobs brings back Disney Dollars!
I think this was wonderful to be able to purchase them there and I don't understand why they are putting an end to it.
I too hope they bring the collectibles back. That is where I would get most of my high end Disney memorbilia from. I miss that everytime I go in there.
Its a disappointment now.
I do think Steve can turn it around.
Well with that much money being put into each store how could it NOT get better?

[brownie]

I still miss the original stores, which felt more like being at a Disney park than the current format. This sounds encouraging, and I hope they follow through with it. It was more of an experience to go into a Disney Store; now it's just a visit to a store.

[grumpyguy]

my hope would be to add more locations.
my dw and i would shop at a specific mall near us purposely to go to the disney store when it was still there.we haven't been to that mall since the disney store closed..
it was always great for a fix and we never failed to buy something everytime we went

[Dznygrl79]

Wow a used to work at the apple store here in Delaware and if they take TDS as seriously as that (as far as running it) I think it would bring back a lot of the missing element. However I agree with other posters I would love to see a return of adult merchandise and collectibles. As far as Jobs health I am not worried I am sure the plan will be done his way but with a team in place to take over if neccessary. However he has looked great the past few key confrences.

[GBBT]

I'm excited to see what they can do. Maybe they'll also start carrying more collectibles, home decor and adult clothes again. Our store only has a tiny corner for that stuff ... People older than 5 like to buy Disney stuff too :-)
.

AND put out MORE Villains merchandise(my wife would go crazy).For some reason they don't have a clue.Me and my DW were riding around today and the DS was on my mind but I looked at her and said"Do I really want to waste my time?" She said no.We went to Target instead.

[Magic Fanatic]

The Disney Stores went down hill after they were initially sold to 'The Children's Place" in February 2004. Disney bought them back May 1, 2008 when the parent Hoop Retail hit bancruptcy because the stores really weren't living up to the brand name. There has been a period of closing some and getting the chain to a more manageable size.

I have to disagree. The Disney Stores had been going down hill long before they were sold to the Children's Place. Collectables had been out of the store for years and the quality of what was in the store was poor. Had the stores not gone down hill and if they were profitable, Disney would have never sold them in the first place.

[Ppufi]

I agree with the overall waning quality of the stores. Even in the past 3-4 years the more collectible items, adult/teen clothes, decorations, and such have been weeded out and replaced with spinny light-up toys and sippy cups.

[pdrlkr]

This sounds great! Thanks for the info!

[Drachengeist]

I am hopeful but I am going to curb my enthusiasm till I see what they put on the racks and shelves. I was at WDW back in April and it seemed like every store had the exact same thing. There were a handfull of items of better quality than you would have found outside the gates at the Also-me's T-shirt shops but ....

Oh well, heavy sigh and hope for the best in the future... I did manage to score an awsome Chernebog T (Bought 2 so I will have one when the first wears out) Go Villians!

I agree though that putting a little of the magic back into the stores would be totally awsome.

[Kerry]

I have been a cast memebr at my local Disney Store for almost 17 years. We will be closing on April 24th. There are 27 stores in the new round of closings. Most of these stores are in GGP malls.

Imagination Park, the new stores, will all be in high end malls making them a destination store. This is a huge investment for the company and lower volume locations will be closed. The new stores will be beautiful and I hope I will be a part of opening one.

[Rekenna]

That would be nice, except they are closing our Disney Store on 2/20, and I have read on here where they are closing down many other Disney Stores. What a crock!

[CaptSmee]

I'm excited to see what they can do. Maybe they'll also start carrying more collectibles, home decor and adult clothes again. Our store only has a tiny corner for that stuff ... People older than 5 like to buy Disney stuff too :-)

It would be really cool if the store could have a broader appeal and have something entertaining for everyone.

Sounds to me like they still don't get it...they need to look at their retail outlets in the theme parks, and not clone them, but learn from them.

High end unique collectibles, mixed in with exclusive children's goods imho are the future for the stores.

[Mickey91]

Things started going down hill when the original merchandising exec. left. Until then, the clothes were good quality and reasonably priced. You could go into a store and enjoy the magic of Disney and feel like a guest. There was actually a large quantity of quality and different merchandise to look at. Not just cheap costumes, t-shirts and stuffed animals. After, there were people on you as soon as you entered telling you this week's sales and pushing some new shoddy toy in your face. The merchandise quality plummeted and the staff treated you more like an intruder without a basket filled to the brim in your hands than a guest wanting the Disney experience.

And as an after note, since the Disney Company has decided to close instead of update our store, I'm not the least bit interested in what new and exciting stores those in large metropolitan areas are getting. The closest store to us will now be at least four hours away. Definitely not worth me getting excited over as I will probably never see one.

Glad some of you can enjoy it though. But I wouldn't get my hopes up about better quality. Disney is spending so much on their new distraction, they will have to build in profit from somewhere. Probably hiking the prices on the already too expensive junk they've been selling. They're just hoping with all the new "magic" you won't notice.