Disney closes multiple stores in ongoing retail move

Disney is following up on its announcement earlier this year that it would close several of its stand-alone retail stores in North America, according to reports from local areas affected by the closures.

On Tuesday, WGN-TV announced that the company will close all of its stores in the Chicago area by mid-September. On the same day, NJ.com announced that four of the five Disney stores in New Jersey state would be closing in the coming weeks.

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The company’s website says 11 of 14 Los Angeles subway stores are getting the ax (with a few already closed), and only the three Disney outlets in the area will remain at this point. In Minneapolis, Disney’s only location at the Mall of America is already permanently closed, and the only store in St. Louis will also be closed before September 15.

In Orlando, where Walt Disney World is located, the only Disney store outside of the resort will also close.

Disney announced in March that it would close at least 60 of its outlets in North America by the end of the year. Stephanie Young, president of consumer products, games and publishing at Disney, told Reuters at the time: “As consumer behavior shifted towards online shopping, the global pandemic has changed what consumers expect from a retailer. “

Target’s Disney store concept (Photo credit: Target)

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But those looking to browse Disney merchandise aren’t completely out of luck. The company has been opening stores at Target big box stores for years, and those stores are poised to expand.

Target said Monday it will triple the number of Disney stores in its stores by the end of the year, with 160 being added ahead of the holiday shopping season.