Disney Store has High Hopes for Christmas

26/07/2007

The Disney Store is to unveil a new concept outlet at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex within the next two weeks. The idea is for the new outlet to serve as a template for a “whole new shopping experience”, which forms part of the planned refurbishment and modernisation of the company's 100-plus European stores.
The Lakeside outlet will open before the Christmas lines, which were this week showcased in central London, are introduced into the group’s stores.

The Disney Store’s Marketing Director Joanne Webb is confident that, despite the negative impact of interest rate rises on consumer spending, this year’s Christmas party season will be a profitable one for the company: “Christmas and Disney are synonymous and although we will not rest on our laurels we are quietly confident that this Christmas will be a good experience.”

The company is likely to benefit from an array of new product lines relating to a number of Disney film releases due in time for the Christmas party season: US box office hit Ratatouille is due on UK screens in October, and Enchanted comes out in December.

With 56 stores, the UK represents half of Disney’s European business. Webb would not say whether the company intends to open further stores following the Christmas party season trading period: “Our strategy is to be in the right places - in the best shopping centres and high streets - and to have the best customer experience. So when we get the results back, who knows what will happen?” she said.

Meanwhile, the company is hoping consumers will still be opening their wallets to buy Disney products over the Christmas party season, particularly at their new concept outlet at Lakeside Shopping Centre.