Is this right? All UK Disney Stores (excluding flagship stores) due to close September 2021?

[Bootrip2]

Originally Posted by cartoonp

Norwich store closeting by 16 of August

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Will be missed by many i expect, they did say probably one in cambridge will stay for a while.

This is probably our last ime in Norwich visiting family, but this made the long journey a bit better for DD getting Disney fix!

[catlady]

Norwich is closing on the 11th August ☹. My dd works there. Some of the staff have worked in there many years, one for 25 years. There has been a lot of tears 😢.

I believe all stores (except Dublin and Oxford Street, London) will close by October.

[floridasarah]

Went into the Cambridge branch today, and a guy said that Norwich is closed this week or next. Cambridge is staying unitl October possibly.

spent over £70 in there today and we only went into the city to do the Cambridge moo trail.

[Bellasmummy]

Lakeside closed yesterday 😢

We were there Tuesday and it was sad to know we wouldn’t get to see it again.

[florida2010]

I think you will find that all stores other than Oxford Street for mainland UK will be closed by third week of September at the latest. These changes really have very little to do with any Pandemic issues. Almost all UK Disney Stores have still been profitable but it appears to have been a global Disney business decision to close face to face stores to focus online even though the majority of people find the online experience lacking and delivery expensive and of poor standard. I think longer term globally Disney will look back and realise that making this business shift wasn't a good move. The stores are more than a retail experience and are the direct marketing opportunity to engage with parents and children. Without this a lot of people may never think about visiting Disney parks which will create a longer term economic impact on the company. Disney Store UK staff have been treated extremely poorly over the last year plus and I think Disney fans need to be mindful that 100s of hardworking committed Disney retail Cast Members have been left in a very negative situation. For those who embrace the Disney Store experience I'd say go visit before its gone as its a key part of the Disney experience that will not be available moving forwards. Good look to all retail Disney Cast Members moving forward and thanks for providing such an exciting experience for many years. Please don't go in to your store asking when it will close - often Cast Members don't know until the week before. Being asked a 100 times a day when will the store close when the person you are talking to has to seek alternative employment isn't a mindful thing to do. Think how you would feel in this situation. There is no closing sale for those wishing to grab a bargain - they are not closing up shop - Disney Store UK is a very profitable company; they are just moving away 99.9% from face to face stores. Best wishes to all remaining retail CM's your services and local opportunity to embrace a small element of Disney magic will be very much missed.

[Lesley Cassidy]

It is true that they only get told a few weeks before they close

[catlady]

Farewell store 791 (Norwich) 😭. You'll be sadly missed!

Good luck to all the cast members still looking for jobs xx

Just as an aside, I personally feel this is a topic that should still be on the main threads like general chat? It's not really about shopping anymore, and many of us were regular visitors to get our little bit of Disney fix? ☹

[myaquarium]

We have only ourselves to blame. People have become too reliant with online shopping.
I seriously think people will regret allowing our shops to close by choosing online shopping.
Once the high street and city centres close the free delivery and low prices will slowly disappear. Ironically the new way to visit a shop is the trawl to the local post office or collection point for all the returns. The positive experience of visiting a clothes shop on payday has been replaced by numerous visits to the post office after grappling with the sellotape to stick the torn parcel together and worrying if your ever going to get your refund when you hope they receive the parcel.
The hassle of ordering different size garments due to the poor reviews drives me mad because I know it’s another track to the post office and I’m laying out three tines as much money to try things on. And that’s just my golf stuff.
Same will be with Disney stores closing. You can go into one at moment and check the quality size etc etc. If it’s good buy it. In future if will be guess work and loads of returns which in the future not far away you will have to pay for.

[duchy]

I think the stores got lost quite a few years ago.
Back in my day as a CM there was a brisk adult market in apparel but also in Disney art , watches and genuinely collectible figurines etc which brought in bigger spenders as well as families. When Disney moved the focus to “just kids” both here and in the US they lost that “something unique” .

[WhereIBelong]

Originally Posted by myaquarium

We have only ourselves to blame. People have become too reliant with online shopping.
I seriously think people will regret allowing our shops to close by choosing online shopping.
Once the high street and city centres close the free delivery and low prices will slowly disappear. Ironically the new way to visit a shop is the trawl to the local post office or collection point for all the returns. The positive experience of visiting a clothes shop on payday has been replaced by numerous visits to the post office after grappling with the sellotape to stick the torn parcel together and worrying if your ever going to get your refund when you hope they receive the parcel.
The hassle of ordering different size garments due to the poor reviews drives me mad because I know it’s another track to the post office and I’m laying out three tines as much money to try things on. And that’s just my golf stuff.
Same will be with Disney stores closing. You can go into one at moment and check the quality size etc etc. If it’s good buy it. In future if will be guess work and loads of returns which in the future not far away you will have to pay for.

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60p for the post office to pick up an amazon return... don't even need to leave the house nowadays...