Supermarkets and big-box stores aside, it's been a nightmarish year for retail. Even Disney is feeling the pain: The company recently announced that it's closing at least 60 Disney Stores in the United States and Canada, about a third of its locations.
Many Disney Stores are located in malls that were dealing with falling foot traffic even before the pandemic hit. In the past year, retailers including New York & Co., Stein Mart, and Lord & Taylor have closed all their stores.
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Photo credit: Alina Zamogilnykh/shutterstockUSA Today has compiled a list of Disney Stores that have shut their doors as of this week. Disney says the closures won't affect stores inside Disney theme parks, shops inside other retailers, outlet stores, or third-party sales of Disney merchandise.
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"While consumer behavior has shifted toward online shopping, the global pandemic has changed what consumers expect from a retailer," Stephanie Young, president of consumer products games and publishing, said in a statement. "We now plan to create a more flexible, interconnected e-commerce experience that gives consumers easy access to unique, high-quality products across all our franchises."
Photo credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images CCOne bright spot for the company during the pandemic has been its Disney+ streaming service, which has proven a worthy competitor to stalwarts including Netflix and Hulu. In fact, Disney is raising prices for the service, betting that its 100 million subscribers will keep on streaming for an additional $1 a month.
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