Target to Add More Than 100 Disney Shops to Stores

Target announced that it plans to nearly triple the number of Disney shops inside its stores by the end of year in an effort to help drive foot traffic as the holiday season approaches. The national retailer, which has about 1,900 stores in the U.S., began opening Disney shops in select locations in 2019. With the expansion, more than 160 Target stores will sell Disney-themed merchandise at Target’s mini Disney shops. Target also said it will continue to grow its dedicated online Disney experience for fans seeking toys and games from the hottest properties.

Along with Disney, Target said it will team up with well-known toy retailer FAO Schwarz for the second year in a row. It will have an exclusive, 70-piece toy collection with FAO Schwarz, including items from Barbie and Paw Patrol. It will also have a pop-up shop inside of FAO Schwarz’s flagship store in New York City.

Total Retail's Take: Target's expansion of Disney shops comes ahead of the holiday season, a key time for toy sales. It's not surprising to see Target invest further into the product vertical. Toys have been a growth category for Target and continued to show momentum in its second quarter, which ended July 31. It's not the only retailer preparing for an influx of toy shoppers this coming holiday season: Macy’s announced last week that it struck a deal with Toys R Us to open shops inside of more than 400 of the department store chain’s locations and online. A larger assortment of Toys R Us merchandise is now available on Macy’s website.