The Disney Store Theme Park

The Disney store is not what it used to be: fascinating, if you are the type that can't tear your mind off Mickey Mouse, but as an experience, really on the sleepy side of exciting. In fact, up until now, the Disney store was not so much an "experience" as a quick in and out trip. But that is all set to change. For instance, Disney has a free iPhone app out; when you use it to head over to the Disney website, they offer you discounts. And if you happen to be using your Disney app when you're right in a Disney store, that gives you a bonus too. But this is the least of Disney's plans for its worldwide chain of merchandise outlets. The company that is famed for its strength in bringing its movie characters to life in its concept theme parks, is getting together with Steven Jobs of Apple to breathe some theme park fire into its Disney store chain.

This is an unusual time for any retailer to be investing heavily; most other retailers are either pulling back on investing in their stores, or closing down entirely. The theme park major on the other hand is running into the wind; Disney's plan is to give all of its stores a complete new direction; they want to turn each store into a mini theme park in its own right. To begin with, the Disney store is going to be rebranded Imagination Park (probably inspired by the ride at Epcot). When the renovaton is done, a customer walking into a store will not find shelves simply stacked with merchandise, but categorized by movie themes. The general idea is to make them feel more personal, playful, and amusement oriented. There will be high-tech interactive entertainment at the stores, meant to get young visitors to want to stay as long as possible, and hopefully, buy something too. The budget planned for is about $1 million each store, and they should roll it out by the next couple of years.

the company is upbeat about its plans; but critics wonder if a world saturated with Disney merchandise really would benefit in any way by the new re-energized sales platform. Granted, it does sound like fun that each store will have its own theater where the sitting children can watch Disney clips that they like, get a chance to get in touch with their favorite Disney characters from Disney TV shows, and experience countless little pleasant surprises lurking around. If for instance, the child walks into a Disney store on his birthday, a choreographed display can be set into motion with surround video of a fireworks display, and countless other little tricks.

So how did the company decide on this course? What if in today's economy, people just come for the fun of the store, but go out to buy elsewhere? But Disney just believes that the company can't forever hedge its bets; the bold imprint of Apple's Steve Jobs is completely in evidence. Disney's executives were given inside information on Apple's retail operations, to learn the trade. The company is supposed to take its image into its own hands, and not let financial conservatism hold it back. Disney is a worldwide phenomenon. Conservatism might tarnish the image just when it needs to make a bold step forward in taking the concept of retail to the next level. Disney always has to be a destination.