Disney Closing at Least 60 Brick-and-Mortar Stores in North America
04 March 2021 - 11:14AM
Dow Jones News
By R.T. Watson
Walt Disney Co. announced Wednesday it will close at least 60
Disney Stores throughout North America this year. The company said
it would focus more on e-commerce while reducing the number of
bricks-and-mortar locations it operates.
During the pandemic, consumers have increasingly shifted to
purchasing more goods and services online as governments both in
the U.S. and abroad implemented lockdowns in an attempt to curb the
spread of Covid-19. Some major retailers, especially those located
in shopping malls, have suffered losses. Meanwhile online
retailers, such as Amazon.com Inc. or Target Corp, which has scaled
up its e-commerce business, have seen their fortunes soar as
consumers became more dependent on online shopping.
The U.S. Dept. of Commerce estimated that total e-commerce sales
rose 32.4% to $791.7 billion in 2020 compared with the previous
year.
"While consumer behavior has shifted toward online shopping, the
global pandemic has changed what consumers expect from a retailer,"
said Stephanie Young, president of Disney's consumer products games
and publishing.
Each of the Disney Stores slated to close experienced
interruptions due to lockdowns, according to a Disney spokesperson.
The company said it has about 300 stores world-wide but wouldn't
disclose how many it owns in North America. With Disney's theme
parks encountering disruptions and closures during the pandemic,
sales of its merchandise at those locations have also suffered.
Disney said that over the next year it would aim to improve its
e-commerce platform and more fully integrate its online shopping
experience with its Disney Parks mobile apps and social media. The
company also said it plans to broaden its merchandise line with
more emphasis on products that might appeal to adults, including
apparel, streetwear, home products and collectibles.
Disney has also expanded the company's digital footprint abroad.
In Nov. 2020 the company launched online stores in India, New
Zealand and Australia.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 03, 2021 18:59 ET (23:59 GMT)
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