Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN/Getty Images
Disney retail is pivoting to online.
The company will be shuttering at least 60 North American retail stores as part of a shift toward e-commerce, it wasannouncedWednesday.
By getting rid of the brick-and-mortar stores, the goal over the next year is to focus on “a more seamless, personalized and franchise-focused e-commerce experience through its shopDisney platform.”
She continued, “Over the past few years, we’ve been focused on meeting consumers where they are already spending their time, such as the expansion of Disney store shop-in-shops around the world. We now plan to create a more flexible, interconnected e-commerce experience that gives consumers easy access to unique, high-quality products across all our franchises.”
Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resorts; David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort
While Walt Disney World in Orlandohas been openat a limited capacity withmask mandatesand distancing restrictions since July, the original park in Anaheim, California, has been subject to stricter state guidelines, making for a rocky and uncertain road to reopening. Initial plans to welcome guests back were set over the summer, but those were quickly dashed when restrictions continued due to a rise in coronavirus cases in the region.
In November, Disneyland was able to open a portion of its California Adventure park for in-person shopping and dining only, buthad to close in-person dinning just weeks lateras cases again were rising in the L.A. area.
Now, Disneyland has taken a new approach with “A Touch of Disney,” a ticketed, limited-capacity food festival at Disney’s California Adventure that will begin on March 18.
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In February, Disney announced itscruise ships will remain docked until at least June.
Anupdated travel alertstated that all sailings have been canceled through the end of May as the company continues to “refine our protocols and await further technical guidance from the CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention].”
source: people.com
