LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co will close at least 60 Disney retail shops in North America this yr, about 20% of its worldwide whole, because it revamps its digital buying platforms to focus on e-commerce, the corporate stated on Wednesday.
The media and leisure firm is also evaluating a major discount of shops in Europe, a spokesperson stated, including that places in Japan and China is not going to be affected. Disney at present operates roughly 300 Disney shops across the globe.
The corporate didn’t say how many individuals would lose their jobs because of the closures.
Shoppers have been shifting to digital buying over bodily places, and chains together with Walmart Inc and Macy’s Inc have shuttered brick-and-mortar shops. The worldwide coronavirus pandemic accelerated that change when individuals have been pressured to keep residence.
“Whereas client conduct has shifted towards on-line buying, the worldwide pandemic has modified what shoppers anticipate from a retailer,” stated Stephanie Younger, president of Disney’s client merchandise, video games and publishing.
Over the previous few years, Disney has expanded its outlets inside different retailers corresponding to Goal in the USA and Alshaya Group shops within the Center East. These places will proceed to function, in addition to shops inside Disney parks. Disney-licensed merchandise additionally will stay broadly out there by means of third-party retailers.
Disney will overhaul its shopDisney apps and web sites over the following yr.
“We now plan to create a extra versatile, interconnected ecommerce expertise that offers shoppers easy accessibility to distinctive, high-quality merchandise throughout all our franchises,” Younger stated.
Digital buying provides Disney an opportunity to provide a much wider choice and embody higher-end merchandise from all of its Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars manufacturers.
New merchandise will embody grownup attire, artist collaborations, premium residence merchandise and collectibles, the corporate stated. It just lately unveiled streetwear that includes Grogu, the “Star Wars” character popularly often called Child Yoda.
In November, Disney launched digital marketplaces in Australia, New Zealand and India.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Enhancing by Cynthia Osterman and Rosalba O’Brien)