shopDisney to Rebrand Back to the Disney Store
What's happening:
Later this month,
shopDisney will once again be known as the
Disney Store.
In turn, the main URL for the online retail destination will be
DisneyStore.com.
The switchover will officially happen on Valentine’s Day (February 14th) following a brief scheduled downtime.
This is a reversal of a rebranding decision made in 2017.
At the time, then-EVP of Disney Retail, Paul Gainer, said, “We know our fans are looking for a one-stop-shop to find the most compelling product out there and with shopDisney we are uniquely positioned to curate the very best of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel merchandise.”
Disney also stated that, with the arrival of shopDisney, it would offer more adult merchandise.
Since then, the retail market has changed dramatically, with Disney Store closing most of its physical locations in North America.
This news also comes as shopDisney reportedly laid off workers in recent weeks.
BREAKING: shopDisney Will Go Back to Original Disney Store Name
shopDisney will reportedly be ditching its current branding and going back to the original Disney Store name later this month.
According to Laughing Place, shopDisney will make the change official this month, once again donning the “Disney Store” moniker. As a result of the change, the retailer’s main URL will change to “DisneyStore.com” rather than shopDisney.com.
The switch will allegedly occur on February 14, 2024, Valentine’s Day, after a brief, scheduled downtime for the website.
This reported change also comes one week after the online Disney retailer announced that 150 Cast Members would be laid off from The Walt Disney Company effective March 24, 2024. These Cast Members not only supported the online retailer but also Disney Parks Merchandise Guest Services and D23 Guest Services.
This effectively reverses the branding change made in September 2017, in which Disney Store became known as shopDisney, and retail Disney stores were renovated to display a more modern look. Eventually, most Disney Store locations in North America shuttered in 2021, including the original store in Glendale, California. That same year, Target announced they would add their Disney Store “shop-in-shop” areas to 160 more U.S. locations following its original 2019 reveal. Currently, there are only 21 Disney Stores left in North America.
Disney has yet to confirm this change publicly.
Attention Shoppers: shopDisney will be rebranded back to the Disney Store
Beginning Feb. 14, 2024, the shopDisney website will be rebranded back to the Disney Store, but don’t worry; all your favorite Disney products will still be available.
The shopDisney website will be down between 7 p.m. PST on Feb. 13, 2024, and 1 a.m. PST on Feb. 14, 2024, for the changeover, but after that, shoppers will automatically be redirected to the new website (disneystore.com) to ensure a seamless customer experience.
Disney Store Timeline
1987 – The first Disney Store opened in the Glendale Galleria mall in Southern California
2017 – shopDisney replaced the Disney Store’s online website, offering Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel
merchandise, plus authentic products from Disney Parks.
2021 – Prompted by the surge in online shopping during the pandemic, Disney announced the majority of North American Disney Stores would close
2024 – Currently, there are 20 Disney Outlet stores across the U.S. and a flagship Disney Store in New York’s Times Square.