China's flagship Disney store opens to large crowds despite higher prices
Hong Kong and Japanese stores may be cheaper, but hundreds still queue up for opening of outlet in Shanghai
Walt Disney's flagship store in Shanghai was off to a frenetic start yesterday as hundreds of mainland consumers poured into the outlet to snap up their long-coveted toys and clothes.
The first Disney store on the mainland, the world's largest of its kind, opened its doors at 1.15pm, but latecomers had to spend a few hours queueing outside the entrance.
"We come today for limited-edition Disney products because they are worth buying," said Chen Long, a 21-year-old Shanghai resident.
"I don't mind a long wait; I'm just afraid the items will be sold out by the time I get in."
The store in Lujiazui financial district can accommodate 300 shoppers with its 860 square metres of indoor retail space where more than 2,000 products are available for sale.
In the afternoon, at least 500 people were lined up outside the main gate despite prices of the products in Shanghai being more expensive than those in Disney shops in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
A security guard said several customers arrived at the store at 4am, largely beating company officials' expectations even though they had foreseen a keen interest from mainlanders in Mickey Mouse products.
From today, the store will open daily from 10am to 10pm.
Disney plans to open its US$5.4 billion resort in Pudong next spring. It had delayed opening the Shanghai Disney Resort this year partly because of redesigns to some attractions, the company said.
Local residents have been excited about the prospect of visiting the new theme park.
"The people's craze for Disney is unbelievable," the security guard said. "You can imagine how crowded it will be when the theme park finally opens its doors."
The façade of the Disney store features a 5,000 square metre outdoor square featuring flowerbeds in the shapes of iconic Disney images.
The store opened a day after the topping out of the theme park's iconic central attraction, the Enchanted Storybook Castle. The castle was the tallest, largest and most complex Disney castle ever built, Disney said.
The Shanghai Disney Resort is the company's sixth theme park around the world and is likely to compete with its Hong Kong counterpart for visitors.
But Disney played down rivalry between the two resorts, insisting the mammoth Chinese market was big enough for two such attractions.
"We do have complaints about the higher prices, but we can't turn down the children's requests to buy the toys," said Amie Yan, a Shanghai resident in her late 30s. "We want to be here to have first-hand experience and be part of the Disney culture."
