FAO Schwarz reopens at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Domain: faoschwarz.com
FAO Schwarz And Its Piano Are Back In NYC
CNBC.com video above published Nov 19, 2018: Iconic toy retailer FAO Schwarz is making its return to New York City after shutting its famed flagship store on Fifth Avenue in 2015, when the brand was still owned by Toys R Us. Now under a new owner, FAO Schwarz will bring its plush stuffed animals and walk-on piano keyboard — featured in the 1988 movie "Big" with Tom Hanks — back to life, and just in time for the 2018 holiday season. The store is at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan. FAO Schwarz, meanwhile, has already embarked on expanding around the globe. The goal is to make the space "experiential" and one that can "deliver theater and can drive customers," David Conn, CEO of FAO Schwarz's parent company ThreeSixty Group, told CNBC last month. Brands featured in the 20,000-square-foot 30 Rock store include two of those also owned by ThreeSixty — electronics from The Sharper Image and toys from Melissa & Doug. There are walls of Barbie dolls, a Build-A-Bear Workshop station, a racetrack for kids to play with cars, a space where a magician will teach tricks, a candy shop and so much more for visitors to do there, beyond shopping. And, of course, FAO Schwarz brought back its iconic keyboard on the floor. (This time it's also on the ceiling, in bright lights, to spark the curiosity of those walking by.) The massive clock tower is there too, along with a new centerpiece, a rocket ship. Without Toys R Us now that it's bankrupt, there is a huge share of the toy market left up for grabs, giving FAO Schwarz the chance to make a name for itself again. FAO Schwarz will also be selling its own branded items inside other retailers including Kohl's and Hudson's Bay this holiday season. Back at 30 Rock, FAO Schwarz will offer everything from hot items like Hatchimals to the brands older generations of consumers grew up with, like Steiff teddy bears. Its goal is to be a store that customers remember and keep coming back to. The experience is the key. It's a strategy many retailers are employing to lure consumers out of their homes and into the stores — but it's also part of FAO Schwarz's heritage. The fun of going to the old store is a memory for many generations, but today's shoppers may find many "Instagrammable" moments inside the walls of the new store.
Amazon Drums Up Its Own New Holiday Called 'Prime Day' - Wednesday, July 15th - Rick Watson, CEO of Merchantry, talks with Bloomberg's Betty Liu about “Prime Day,” where Amazon urges customers to buy on the site for a created shopping holiday and how the company is taking on e-commerce competitors Walmart, Target, Jet, eBay and Costco. He speaks on “Bloomberg Markets,” July 14, 2015. (source: Bloomberg.com via YouTube) Money Quote: In retail you only have 2 things: brand and time -- Merchantry CEO Rick Watson
Amazon Prime Day - "On July 15th, it’s Amazon Prime Day, a one-day only event with more deals than Black Friday, exclusive for Amazon Prime members. Not a Prime member? Sign up today at Amazon.com/primeday" (source: Amazon via YouTube)
CNN.com: Amazon, Walmart reveal crazy deals ahead of big sales day: "The 24-hour sale-a-thon is set to begin at 12:01am PT on Wednesday. Amazon's special savings day on Wednesday is to commemorate the company's 20th anniversary and is being promoted as having "more deals than Black Friday." After Amazon announced its plans last week, Walmart jumped in with a sales day of its own on the same day that will be filled with what it calls "atomic specials" and thousands of deals. Some of the Amazon discounts revealed Tuesday include a 40-inch TV for $115, savings of up to 70 percent on top kitchen brands, an Amazon Fire HD 7 tablet for $60 off (regularly retails for $139), over 50% off two Nikon COOLPIX cameras ... Walmart's specials included an Apple iPad Mini 2 for $265 (for a savings of $174), a Black and Decker Drill and 133 piece Home Project Kit for $50 (usually retails for $80), and a Toshiba 15.6" Satellite laptop for $377 (customers save $253) ..."
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About Merchantry: Product Information Management for Retailers: "Merchantry provides a SaaS product information management (PIM) solution for multi-vendor e-commerce retailers whose growth is dependent on onboarding more vendors quickly and efficiently. Unlike other PIM solutions, Merchantry is built for retail and has a simple 4-step product information import wizard that even low-tech vendors love to work with. Many of the world’s most successful businesses have relied on our cloud-based technology platform for eCommerce success. Merchantry is venture-backed and headquartered in New York City." (source: merchantry.com) Follow @DomainMondo
