Disney Stores in Canada are set to close as the company prepares for a shift in strategy. According to Retail Insider, Disney has plans to shutter almost all of its standalone stores, including all 18 locations in Canada. While it is a strategy shift, it does come in the midst of a problem with retail stores that have been brewing for years. With the availability of online shopping, many Disney fans are electing to make purchases via the internet or heading to the parks for their merchandise.
So where does that leave the Disney stores that people have come to love throughout the world? Well, many are probably closing up, possibly forever.
One of the stores to remain is the flagship store in New York's Times Square, the two-story location in the heart of busy Manhattan. As Retail Insider noted, however, “Over the weekend word began getting out on several US stores that will shutter, and we’re told that there will be many more. Our sources based in Canada were otherwise unable to confirm other details pertaining to global Disney store location closures."
Back in March, Disney released a statement about shifting its focus when it came to commerce, saying:
“Over the next year Disney will focus on providing a more seamless, personalized and franchise-focused ecommerce experience through its shopDisney platform which will be complemented by greater integration with Disney Parks apps and social media platforms. This will be coupled with an assortment of new and elevated merchandise from the Company’s full range of brands, including adult apparel collections and artist collaborations, trend-forward streetwear, premium home products and collectibles.”
The problem, especially for the stores closed in Canada, is a loss of jobs for Disney employees without alternative positions via this new platform. According to Retail Insider: “Disney never launched an e-commerce presence in Canada despite promises to do so, nor did it secure warehouse space for product fulfillment in terms of ship-to-store or otherwise.”
So what does this mean for the future of the Mouse? There will probably be more shifts ahead, and maybe if the few flagship stores in the United States thrive, the company will consider reopening other locations. But for now, trips to the Disney Store and the magic within may be mostly a thing of the past.