Disney springs not doing so well.....

[Hakunamatata]

Next time get the shrimp & grits at the GF Cafe. It was sooo good!
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Those look much better than at Homecoming.

 

[Maerj]

When I saw the new store line-up, I kind of thought that there seemed to be an influx of high end stores. Just because a family is doing a Disney vacation doesn't necessarily mean that they have a ton of money to spend. Maybe a few more reasonably priced venues would be good? Also, I also believe that most people going for a Disney vacation are looking to have Disney experiences. A few other shops are nice but just a high end mall is not what most families are looking for. They should also put some sort of people mover type of transportation in to get folks from one end to the other.

 

[mm121]

I'm not saying that it has its days but one or two days isn't enough to justify the rest of the week. Middle of the week it's like a ghost town but if you drive over to the premium outlets it's still busy. Disney has to incorporate some kind of Disney magic to make the people want to come, I think maybe bringing in so lower end named brand stores like an old navy for example will bring in the average joe to spend money.

an old navy would be a terrible idea

DS should stay more unique than that

Marketplace is currently delivering below forecasts. Which is why you are seeing coupons and seasonal events being added there.

The new locations and change of bus stop appear to be responsible.

some people may not even ever make it over to the marketplace especially if they take the bus and spend all their money in the expensive town center before even making it over there

It's hard for retail shops to compete with the rise of Internet shopping. The last new shopping mall built in america was in 2007.

guess it depends on your definition of a shopping mall but i know theres been some new ones since then.

with a bunch in the planning stages right now

Could this be why they are doing Festival of Trees at the old Marketplace bus loop, meet Santa near World of Disney or a nightly tree lighting and dance party near Once Upon a Toy...

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/holidays-at-disney-springs/

thought they were using the bus loop for charter busses,

that seems like an odd place to put the christmas trees, thought they were going to scatter them around disney springs,

they could have done some kind of like scavenger hunt game or something to motivate people to look for them all then they could give a prize or something and hope people would spend money in the shops along the way

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

I am kind of hoping the entire thing fails on a catastrophic level only because hopefully that would lead to a change in philosophy.

 

[Wegerter]

Could this be why they are doing Festival of Trees at the old Marketplace bus loop, meet Santa near World of Disney or a nightly tree lighting and dance party near Once Upon a Toy...

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/holidays-at-disney-springs/

That's what I'm thinking. @wdwmagic said that the problems were only in the marketplace, so it would make sense that they would create some kind of incentive for guests to travel to that area of Disney Springs.

 

[Disone]

I'm not saying that it has its days but one or two days isn't enough to justify the rest of the week. Middle of the week it's like a ghost town...

I am unsure if you went on the day Hurricane Matthew came and it was closed but honesty Ghost Town Disney Springs is not. At least not after 3pm and certainly not after 5pm. If you go at 11am midweek then yes, maybe so. But foot traffic at Disney Springs is MUCH higher over all then Downtown Disney was. The two parking garages where suppose to be the ultimate parking fix. ON weekends they are not enough, and its old enough now that the trend is there and has warranted the construction of a third garage. Frankly I find Disney Springs to be more crowded on a Thursday night then City Walk is on Saturday evenings.

My roommate works for Vera Bradley. The store does have very poor "conversation rates", this is retail lingo meaning poeple who enter the store is very high, but the amount of those that buy low. That said, the overall sales of the store is good. On the plus side total sales revenue exceeds that of the long standing Vera Bradly outlet store a mile away. On the negative side, it didn't exceed it as much as they had hoped, but clearly foot traffic is not an issue. Ghost town it is not. Getting a higher percentage of the foot traffic to convert to sales traffic is now the focus. My roommate's overall assessment of the store's performance, "not what they want, but still Bank".

I was surprised at WDWmagic's report that traffic is down at the marketplace. It just does not feel like it, but I don't know anyone that works there. But with so many new shops to buy at, and the bus loop moved so the market place is not longer the first and last stop for resort guests, it really is reasonable to believe its new normal is less then before. Disney Springs will be fine.

 

[roj2323]

Found out the Disney springs project isn't going as well as first thought. From sources that work there that there is quite a few stores struggling, even to the point laying off workers. Also expect a big push for Black Friday sales this year to help rejuvenate business. If the Christmas season doesn't bring in the foot traffic as hoped expect at the beginning of the new year a lot of stores to close. I'm curious is there anything Disney can do to bring people in .

Doesn't surprise me. I got an email survey about disney springs yesterday and literally every question was about shopping, spending habits and what types of stores I'd like to see there.

 

[culturenthrills]

From what I have heard Uniqlo is doing gangbusters and actually is costing Disney some sales since you can get Disney t shirts there for $10 less than WOD and they are better quality. Of course it doesn't surprise me that a place selling low cost high quality clothes is doing well.

 

[Disone]

From what I have heard Uniqlo is doing gangbusters and actually is costing Disney some sales since you can get Disney t shirts there for $10 less than WOD and they are better quality. Of course it doesn't surprise me that a place selling low cost high quality clothes is doing well.

agreed, I have not specifically heard that, but I sure have assumed it. Though the quality of the shirts at Uniqlo did not seem superior (or inferior) to me, I did notice the price point was significantly less then WOD's.

 

[mm121]

There is also a trend going on with the younger crowd of not spending on high end cloths. It's an industry wide problem.

Malls have gone back to outdoor plazas. People are looking for more of a down town shopping district feel. The mall is dead for now. Trends come and they go.

Disney Springs really needs to to have unique places to shop not common stores or at least that is my opinion. I would never go to Disney Springs, I hate to shop unless it's for some thing like cars.

its not really that people don't want to spend on high end stuff

but if it comes down to choosing between the newest smartphone and a 200 dollar shirt the shirt the choice is pretty clear for most

 

[Hakunamatata]

It is because who knows what the new person will do as president? This election is a lose lose situation. Hillary won't be a wild card but taxes will go up. Trump? Who knows what he'll do? Business and the higher end people do change their spending habits according to who might be in the white house. I for one am spending big this year on the house, toys, autos etc. Reason? I think Hillary will win and have a direct effect on my gross income. I don't get a pay check so I'm in a difference land financially. That land Hillary does not like.

Kind of feel the same way. Have a yuge trip planned next summer. Doing my best to have it paid for by end of March because i figure by June I will probably be too scared to want to spend that kind of money at staying at a deluxe resort. Termites ate my cruise. I will be damned if Hillary eats my Poly vacation.

 

[mm121]

It is because who knows what the new person will do as president? This election is a lose lose situation. Hillary won't be a wild card but taxes will go up. Trump? Who knows what he'll do? Business and the higher end people do change their spending habits according to who might be in the white house. I for one am spending big this year on the house, toys, autos etc. Reason? I think Hillary will win and have a direct effect on my gross income. I don't get a pay check so I'm in a difference land financially. That land Hillary does not like.

I"d recommend deleting this post before it blows up. as political discussions are banned from this board.

which is a good thing as its one of the few places to get away from it right now

 

[roj2323]

an old navy would be a terrible idea

As a local I have to disagree. The unique stuff is great and I wish there was more of it (provided it's affordable). That said, some staples like an Old Navy, Apple store and even a book store would do well.

 

[mm121]

As a local I have to disagree. The unique stuff is great and I wish there was more of it (provided it's affordable). That said, some staples like an Old Navy, Apple store and even a book store would do well.

instead of an old navy

a "show your disney side" store could be cool, and i'd imagine would be a popular stop for vacation travelers if the price points were kept acceptable

 

[Matt_Black]

Regarding sales goals, remember that they are often based on what was done last year. In a store's first year at a location, these goals are often going to be guesses of what corporate would like, since there's no data.

 

[NearTheEars]

As a local I have to disagree. The unique stuff is great and I wish there was more of it (provided it's affordable). That said, some staples like an Old Navy, Apple store and even a book store would do well.

I'd love for the shops to be unique to the area, but affordability is really the big issue here. Many folks have already maxed out cards just to get to Disney. Sure they might have fun window shopping, but dropping $100s more might not even be possible.

Also, I thought an Apple Store planned at one time?
Edit: After a quick search, I see it was just a heavy rumor during the redevelopment.

 

[DisneyCane]

There are a few more clothing stores that I question as well as the Coke store. I dont see how it is successfull anywhere given the generic nature of what they are selling.

I'm pretty sure that Coke's main goal of the Coke store (both Disney Springs and Vegas) is for marketing, not direct profit. I imagine that if they break even on the store, they are more than happy. I highly doubt they profit at Club Cool either.

 

[xdan0920]

I've only been there twice, but both times the place was bursting at the seams.

Or maybe that's because everybody was outside, listening to the entertainment and having drinks rather than inside spending in the shops.

Not counting World of Disney.....In dozens of trips to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs. I don't recall every spending a non Food and Beverage dollar. I am thousands of miles from home, with limited luggage capacity, and no scarcity of malls. Why would I need to go mall shopping on vacation? I doubt I am the only one who thinks this way. DS seems more focused on locals and Flyover staters who don't have normal shopping stores.

Methinks that Coke dealer is as much about exposure as about sales.

I dunno, I bet sales are pretty solid. Times Square as an abundance of those types of Brand stores, and they are always packed. I'd think it's the same sort of deal.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Not counting World of Disney.....In dozens of trips to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs. I don't recall every spending a non Food and Beverage dollar. I am thousands of miles from home, with limited luggage capacity, and no scarcity of malls. Why would I need to go mall shopping on vacation? I doubt I am the only one who thinks this way. DS seems more focused on locals and Flyover staters who don't have normal shopping stores.



I dunno, I bet sales are pretty solid. Times Square as an abundance of those types of Brand stores, and they are always packed. I'd think it's the same sort of deal.

What if you arrive and your plans change and you need a new set of clothes? My wife pointed out that the option is nice. Sometimes we go in winter and if it is colder or warmer than expected, it's nice to be able to buy a pair of jeans or shorts. That's not enough to keep a store open, but once you are there, you are there, and likely to spend money elsewhere.

 

[21stamps]

What if you arrive and your plans change and you need a new set of clothes? My wife pointed out that the option is nice. Sometimes we go in winter and if it is colder or warmer than expected, it's nice to be able to buy a pair of jeans or shorts. That's not enough to keep a store open, but once you are there, you are there, and likely to spend money elsewhere.

I forgot my face powder last trip, definitely wish a Sephora would have been there at that time. I forgot a specific dress that I was supposed to wear to a NYE party at Atlantis one year. I couldn't afford a new one at the stores that were there, so I couldn't attend the party and had to buy another ticket to a less formal one...that was frustrating! The stupid dress was still in the garment bag hanging on the back of my restroom door when I arrived home. .

I do think a lot of people shop while on vacation, even if they don't forget something. Not everyone, but plenty. People seem to open their wallets a bit more when on a trip.