Disney have been “dreaming big” after receiving support from Apple big-wig Steve Jobs during their latest rebranding exercise. Jobs’ “dream big” mantra is responsible for Apple’s hit retail design concept of iconically styled stores with vast glass and granite surfaces.
Disney will be remodelling its 340 American and European stores following their consultation with the Apple boss and providing a visionary “Imagination Park” in place of each store, and bucking the trend of simply refurbishing and churning out old hat concepts.
This radical undertaking will see the entertainment stores ditch their never-ending display walls of products in favour of innovative interactive technological installations. With an anticipated cost of £0.6m to remodel each store, customers will find the money well spent thanks to clever features designed to increase “dwell time” and hopefully boost sales as a result.
From in-store theatres screening film clips, putting on karaoke contests (singing Disney favourites no doubt) and offering live chats via satellite with Disney Channel stars, to interactive magic mirror displays that trigger a computer generated Cinderella who’ll chat with you and birthday treats like eight 13-foot-tall Lucite trees which crackle with video-projected fireworks and songs at the push of a button, it sounds like Disney is moving far from the tired multicoloured décor and toy mountains they have become famed for over the years.
This innovative retail design approach has been produced as a result of Disney investing heavily in developing a prototype store, and from the sound of it the costly perfection exercise has not only proved to be profitable but it will continue to be for a long time to come.
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