Obama’s Message a Boon for Merchandisers
Jan 14, 2009
In the days leading up to President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, his message of hope and change has become tangible — and commercial — here.
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After Mickey’s Makeover, Less Mr. Nice Guy
Nov 5, 2009
For decades, the Walt Disney Company has largely kept Mickey Mouse frozen under glass, fearful that even the tiniest tinkering might tarnish the brand and upend his $5 billion or so in annual merchandise sales. One false move and Disney could have New Coke on its hands. Now, however, concerned that Mickey has become more of a corporate symbol than a beloved character for recent generations of young people, Disney is taking the risky step of re-imagining him for the future. The first glimmer of this will be the introduction next year of a new video game, Epic Mickey, in which the formerly squeaky clean character can be cantankerous and cunning, as well as heroic, as he traverses a forbidding wasteland.
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Disney’s Retail Plan Is a Theme Park in Its Stores
Oct 13, 2009
The Walt Disney Company, with the help of Steven P. Jobs and his retailing team at Apple, intends to drastically overhaul its approach to the shopping mall. At a time when many retailers are still cutting back or approaching strategic shifts with extreme caution, Disney is going the other way, getting more aggressive and putting into motion an expensive and ambitious floor-to-ceiling reboot of its 340 stores in the United States and Europe — as well as opening new ones, including a potential flagship in Times Square. Disney Stores, which the media giant is considering rebranding Imagination Park, will become more akin to cozy entertainment hubs.
