The Walt Disney Company announced that world’s largest Disney Store will be built in Lujiazui in Shanghai. The move comes as the company looks to expand its presence in China with a new park in Shanghai and an expansion for the Hong Kong park.
The new store will be located in Shanghai’s financial district and hopes to cater to the country’s emerging middle class, notes Reuters. It will be 53,000 square feet and Disney hopes to see it open in early 2015.
“China's flagship Disney Store will feature the largest and most diverse collection of Disney products by local and international designers," Stanley Cheung, executive vice president and managing director, the Walt Disney Company, Greater China. said in today’s announcement.
According to Shanghai Daily, the hopping area will also have Disney, Pixar and Marvel characters on-site for families and will have a special area that gives updates on the Shanghai theme park. There will also be space for live events.
The Shanghai park, which is expected to open in late 2015, will be Disney’s first park in mainland China. In addition, Disney said earlier this month that it is expanding the Hong Kong park, building a new section dedicated to Marvel’s Iron Man. That is expected to open in 2016.
“Disney has combined the retail concept with storytelling, fun and innovation and will provide families with a uniquely immersive entertainment destination featuring our best-loved stories and characters,” Cheung added.
The Disney Store first opened in 1987 and has 340 locations internationally.
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