I feel Disney should return primarily to top-tier destination retail districts.
A good example: Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH. While locals may go there to shop, there are folks who come from out of town (note the hotels nestled within the property) to escape to a day or two of shopping, dining, entertainment, and special events. Easton often gets big experiences other shopping districts don't get, like one of the first Cheesecake Factories within a wide radius (back in 1999), a huge
Lego play land, an American Girl store (which I hear is closing), and a RH furniture gallery with a rooftop garden restaurant.
Easton is the perfect place for a Disney Store. (Why not put it where the American Girl store is closing?) It would attract a lot of clientele from both Columbus and the surrounding region; you'll pull from Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, and possibly even as far as Louisville. It's one of the healthiest retail complexes nationwide and should be viable for a long time, especially as it keeps expanding.
Malls are a different story. Many larger cities have at least one thriving mall, like Ross Park in Pittsburgh (which used to have an original Disney store!) or South Park in Charlotte. Then there are the destination malls like Mall of America outside Minneapolis or King of Prussia outside Philly. A destination mall would be a better fit for a Disney store than a thriving top-tier mall in a smaller market if Disney wanted to make these somewhat special.
As for the store-within-a-store concept: I'm not a huge fan. I've seen Macy's attempt it with Toys R Us and frankly am disappointed in the execution of it. For starters, they lack the bikes and video games that made Toys R Us the go-to place for kids in the 80s and 90s. The area also just feels cramped, like it's an afterthought near the children's clothing department. They tried doing this with Finish Line too and frankly you're better going to the actual Finish Line store that's likely only a few hundred feet away. The Starbucks in my local Macy's (Ross Park) is a well-kept secret though; the lines are usually short and it has always been well-run.
I'm not a huge fan of making Disney more widely available at a discounter like Target. I feel like Disney should have its merchandise either at their own store or available at just about any store that sells a particular type and tier of merchandise, similar to how a brand like Nike is available at multiple stores (and also their own).
I do feel there is a definite place for in-person retail and that this is the time to strike. I've observed more and more younger people at the mall as of late, so much that it looks like it did 20+ years ago when every teen hung out there. (And no, I'm not being a grumpy old man about it like some are...honestly that makes me happy to see as a shareholder of several retail stocks!!!)
