Disney Store Permanently Closed 2020

[AurumPunzel]

I haven't read anywhere that Disney has announced the closing of all the Disney stores, so I believe its def a rumor. Yea, some stores are closing but it seems to be isolated to how specific stores are performing. Sure, they might've been doing great last year but for past 5 months, especially stores in a mall, have been struggling bigtime and its not going to get any better for the rest of this year. The stores closing seem to be based off performance and the decision is specific to each individual store. Its not just Disney stores closing, there are literally thousands of stores closing everywhere rite now.

That rumour seems to persist every time an onslaught of store closures happens. And even before the pandemic, they've been shedding stores, with no new permanent openings since 2017 (the last brand new location being in Munich, Germany). However, it still has me questioning if Disney cares about their retail stores anymore or are being too sporadic with new permanent locations, given that the more-experiential formats such as Imagination Park and P30 are going to be the ones that outlive the legacy formats, yet at the same time, the closures are leaving some regions without a Disney Store for miles, which results in people taking their business online, and with the pandemic, I have a feeling it's going to get worse.

 

[YesterDark]

I'd buy two svens at $25 a pop. Would go great with our Christmas decorations.

 

[KeithAndrew]

Remember when Disney Stores were AMAZING? It was like a sample of all of the awesomeness that is Disney! What the heck happened? Whose big bright idea was it to turn it into the garbage that it is now? It used to have really cool lighting and looked the part of a Disney store. Now it's all kiddie junk and princess wear.

I remember when the DS opened in St. Louis at the Chesterfield Mall back in the 90s. It was awesome and I bought waaaay too much stuff there haha. But that mall has long since been empty.

Fast forward to present day, where what I thought was a DS opened. Your experience was mine as well. I was devastated. I even went back a few times hoping they’d get some adult merchandise. But not ONE single t-shirt.

 

[Alicefan]

I remember when the DS opened in St. Louis at the Chesterfield Mall back in the 90s. It was awesome and I bought waaaay too much stuff there haha. But that mall has long since been empty.

Fast forward to present day, where what I thought was a DS opened. Your experience was mine as well. I was devastated. I even went back a few times hoping they’d get some adult merchandise. But not ONE single t-shirt.

Yeah I don't get it? I went into one in Chicago that looked pretty big and promising but while I was in there I wondered why I keep going into them when I see one? It's literally a very pricey toy store. The malls are another thing. I absolutely HATE the trend of malls shutting down and being replaced by these outdoor shopping districts. That's the most backwards thinking of our time. How can a mall become outdated? I will ONLY shop outside if it's under 75 degrees. I'm not going if it's raining. You know these stores can't possibly make as much money as an indoor mall for that reason alone. The mall was the place to go in the rain and now they are falling into obscurity. I'm sorry but I prefer to shop in the A/C or the heat in Winter. I saw a show where they said that the reason we see so many malls going out of business and just sitting there with no stores in them is because there is some kind of money laundering loophole with them. People build them with no intention of keeping them running and they typically up the rent so high that the businesses move out. That exact thing happened to the mall by my house and now is happening to the mall they just built about 15 years ago.

 

[Lilsia]

Yeah I don't get it? I went into one in Chicago that looked pretty big and promising but while I was in there I wondered why I keep going into them when I see one? It's literally a very pricey toy store. The malls are another thing. I absolutely HATE the trend of malls shutting down and being replaced by these outdoor shopping districts. That's the most backwards thinking of our time. How can a mall become outdated? I will ONLY shop outside if it's under 75 degrees. I'm not going if it's raining. You know these stores can't possibly make as much money as an indoor mall for that reason alone. The mall was the place to go in the rain and now they are falling into obscurity. I'm sorry but I prefer to shop in the A/C or the heat in Winter. I saw a show where they said that the reason we see so many malls going out of business and just sitting there with no stores in them is because there is some kind of money laundering loophole with them. People build them with no intention of keeping them running and they typically up the rent so high that the businesses move out. That exact thing happened to the mall by my house and now is happening to the mall they just built about 15 years ago.

We live in the midwest and have brutal winters. The outside malls are so stupid in this area. No on shops at these in winter time other then to run into 1 or 2 stores maybe. The 2 remaining inside malls are packed in winter.

 

[Alicefan]

We live in the midwest and have brutal winters. The outside malls are so stupid in this area. No on shops at these in winter time other then to run into 1 or 2 stores maybe. The 2 remaining inside malls are packed in winter.

I hear ya! I'm at the beach and it's hot as all get out here in Summer. You don't catch me outside unless I'm walking to my car. When I do go to the shopping areas at night in the Summer, everyone is walking around sunburned. Yuk! I just can't make sense of it. Why would we want to have to drive from store to store like we just went back in time? They're not even close together anymore.

 

[AmberMV]

Instead of a permanent closure, this one near me has reopened

 

[skeeter31]

Instead of a permanent closure, this one near me has reopened
View attachment 517868

I just got that pop up for that exact store yesterday when I went on the website!

 

[DisneyPrincessWannaBe_808]

I’m thinking this more likely just closing an underperforming store than a sign of things to come. They are still actively hiring Disney Store cast members on the Disney Careers site (it’s actually one of the few positions they are currently hiring).

I know this rumor was also posted on here a month or so ago that all the Disney stores were going to be closing and that was proved to be false. They wouldn’t be hiring if they were shutting them down.

The weirdest thing happened to me - I was just hired at one of the 4 Disney Stores here in Las Vegas and then had my offer rescinded! She told us in the group interview of 5 girls that al of us were hired and she was going to hire 10 more - 15 all together. Then after filing out all the new hire paperwork, the day after she emailed me and said due to "global strategy" for their store she will not be hiring any seasonal cast members. I seriously was like WHA? Could this mean the store is closing I wonder? Why would they try to hire in the first place if that was so?

 

[FoxC63]

Instead of a permanent closure, this one near me has reopened
View attachment 517868

Yay! I've not heard of any closures for outlets just stores. We had a store close by which is now closed but the outlet is open and that is a very long drive for us.

 

[KeithAndrew]

The weirdest thing happened to me - I was just hired at one of the 4 Disney Stores here in Las Vegas and then had my offer rescinded! She told us in the group interview of 5 girls that al of us were hired and she was going to hire 10 more - 15 all together. Then after filing out all the new hire paperwork, the day after she emailed me and said due to "global strategy" for their store she will not be hiring any seasonal cast members. I seriously was like WHA? Could this mean the store is closing I wonder? Why would they try to hire in the first place if that was so?

Probably a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. My guess is that someone saw a retail sales opportunity and authorized it but someone else determined the risk was too high during Covid. It's a shame.

 

[Nuni07]

Today I went to the Disney store in Newpark mall in Newark California and they are having 50% off sale because they are permanently closing September 28th. I was told the location in Fairfield Ca and San Bernardino Ca will also be closing on September 28th

 

[jlwhitney]

Today I went to the Disney store in Newpark mall in Newark California and they are having 50% off sale because they are permanently closing September 28th. I was told the location in Fairfield Ca and San Bernardino Ca will also be closing on September 28th

I have a feeling most if not all will be closing

 

[ten6mom]

A couple months ago a Google search indicated my local Disney store had closed. Then I just checked their website earlier today and saw that they were open!

BUT then one of my coworkers sent me a photo from that store this afternoon... they're closing permanently in a couple weeks. I guess they were having a big clearance event or something (she said they waited in line to get in, today). So even though my kids are much older, this makes me sad.

This is the store in Gilbert, AZ.

 

[midnight star]

I heard that the Disney Store at the Meadows Mall in Las Vegas is closing and everything is currently 50% off.

 

[paradesintherain]

Hmmm, I just went to the Disney store in Kansas City. It isn’t an outlet, and it didn’t have any indication of closing.

 

[afan]

Hmmm, I just went to the Disney store in Kansas City. It isn’t an outlet, and it didn’t have any indication of closing.

Same with the one here at the mall south of Seattle. I was there yesterday. I'd have actually bought stuff then but it's better to wait for an online sale at this point.

 

[FoxC63]

Hmmm, I just went to the Disney store in Kansas City. It isn’t an outlet, and it didn’t have any indication of closing.

Well that's hopeful it will remain open. It's sad to see them go.

 

[midnight star]

A well-known DL info blogger posted this list about Disney store closures. Since the blogger is based in California, that is why the California locations are bolded.

@rteetz please delete if posting this source isn’t allowed. Not sure of the rules for this thread. But we post a lot about her on the DL threads

 

[ksromack]

I remember when the DS opened in St. Louis at the Chesterfield Mall back in the 90s. It was awesome and I bought waaaay too much stuff there haha. But that mall has long since been empty.

Fast forward to present day, where what I thought was a DS opened. Your experience was mine as well. I was devastated. I even went back a few times hoping they’d get some adult merchandise. But not ONE single t-shirt.

The Galleria Disney Store is the only regular store still open in St Louis and of course we still have the outlet store at The Premier Outlet In the Chesterfield Valley.