Barbie Shanghai Flagship Closes

El Segundo, Calif.-based Mattel Inc. shuttered its Barbie flagship store in Shanghai—after just two years—on March 7. The six-story, 36,000-sq.-ft. store, complete with spa, cafe, design studio, fashion stage and shelves of Barbies and Barbie products, was the company's only standalone store dedicated to the iconic American doll. According to Linda Du, a spokeswoman for Barbie in China, the move was made to reallocate resources elsewhere in the country. The Shanghai Barbie store "has successfully accomplished its mission to promote the overall Barbie brand over the last two years," Du said. "In 2011, Mattel will roll out a new