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Target location near you may get Disney store in it

Kelly Tyko

USA TODAY

Published 4:56 PM EDT Aug 25, 2019

The magic of Disney is coming to Target.

Two of America’s favorite companies – the Walt Disney Company and Target – announced Sunday that they are teaming up and unveiled plans to open 25 Disney stores inside of Target stores.

The first “shop-in-shop” locations will open Oct. 4 and are spread out at Target locations across the country. A new Disney-focused digital experience launched Sunday at Target.com/Disneystore.

“Our fans are always telling us that they want more Disney,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, during a call with reporters. “We believe that by extending our Disney footprint to Target stores we’re going to be able to give our guests that opportunity.”

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Another 40 locations are expected to open by October 2020, and a new Target store is planned for 2021 at the western entrance of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida at Flamingo Crossings Town Center.

The Disney shops will be an average of 750 square feet and located near Target’s kids clothing and toy departments. The in-store shops will have more than 450 items, including more than 100 products previously only available at Disney retail locations.

“We know there’s a very strong overlap between both Disney fans and Target shoppers so we’re looking forward to reaching Disney fans when and where they want to shop,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said. “It’s an opportunity for us to bring our brands together and delight our guests for years to come.”

The concept will launch when new merchandise from Disney’s “Frozen 2” (in theaters Nov. 22) and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (Dec. 20) hits shelves.

In addition to Star Wars and Disney Princess items, shops will carry a variety of merchandise featuring Marvel, Disney Junior characters, classic Disney plush, apparel, home and holiday-specific products. The mini-stores will offer “a welcoming and engaging shopping experience for the entire family, with music, interactive displays, photo opportunities and a seating area where families can relax and watch Disney movie clips,” the companies said in a joint statement.

The news of the partnership comes during Disney’s D23 Expo and days after Target shares traded at a record high following a better than expected quarter.

Also last week, Target unveiled its new Good & Gather food and beverage brand, the company’s largest private label that starts rolling out Sept. 15.

“We’ve talked for quite some time now about the importance of having a combination of great owned brands and the right curated national brands,” Cornell said. “I can’t think about a better national brand partner than Disney.”

This is not the first time Disney has worked with a national retailer. Six years ago in October 2013, J.C. Penney opened its first 565 Disney Shop locations inside the department store chain, which also is a store within a store model.

“Frankly, I think it’s a bit smaller scale than what this is going to be,” Chapek said of the J.C. Penney partnership, which is not ending. “We’re very, very confident that this will be successful given not only that experience but the nature of the overlap between Target and Disney consumers.”

There also are about 300 Disney Store locations globally.

“The execution of the program that we’ve worked out with our partners at Target will be as ambitious as a Disney Store,” Chapek said.