Chapters has indicated that they will open 15 stores before the end of next year. The rumour is that Chapters Polo Park and Indigo Kenaston Common are being considered for late this year or early next. Only one is to be picked.
American Girl will occupy about 1,800 square feet in any Chapters bookstore they locate in. This will be smaller that the average U.S. store where the size can sore to over 50,000 square feet.
Many American retailers are taking a slower approach after Target's hammering in Canada the year it opened. It has been extremely costly for the big retailer and has given pause to others coming into the market. It is likely the reason American Girl decided to partner with the big Canadian bookstore.
So what is American Girl? Well, it is a 25 year old retailer owned by Mattel that sells pre-teen dolls in historical times. Most guys are not likely to get it but these dolls sell for over a hundred dollars in many cases. There is also lots of purchases a customer can make after their purchase such as hairstyling and ear piercing.
If this sounds like a retail operation that should give its head a shake, consider this: Chapters could see a rise of between $20 and $30 million in revenue just having the stores take space in low volume areas of the floor space.
Expect to hear an announcement soon about when Winnipeg gets a store.
2 comments:
Last Xmas I spent over $800 on this American doll merchandise, it was the first time in my life I have shopped online.
John, did you know that there is a Canadian Girl doll line? They are designed and sold by my company, called Maplelea. We even have a doll character from Manitoba! Check it out here: http://www.maplelea.com/en/dolls/maplelea-girls/brianne.aspx
The Maplelea line of dolls has been around for over 10 years and has a very strong following all across Canada. We have won a number of awards and have been recognized by PROFIT magazine as one of Canada's fastest growing companies, based on 5 year revenue growth.
If you want to know anything more about these Canadian themed dolls, please don't hesitate to contact me. Kathryn Gallagher Morton, President, Maplelea. kathryn@avonlea-traditions.com
www.maplelea.com
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