Heading into the future, many stores seem to be focused on offering play options for the younger set, adding features that cater to children’s need for movement and exploration. For example, in the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, N.J., Toys ‘R’ Us opened its only brick-and-mortar location that is not a store-in-store with Macy’s, with a 20,000-s.f. two-level flagship unit that features a two-story slide for children. In addition, LEGO just announced its plans to open a 32,000-s.f. LEGO Discovery Center at the Springfield Town Center in Springfield, Va., in 2023, in conjunction with Merlin Entertainments, which will have attractions such as a huge playground, a racetrack for children to race LEGO cars that they build in the store, and a 4D cinema viewing experience.
Foot Locker wants to also offer play elements for its younger customers, and opened a brand new concept, the Kids Foot Locker House of Play store, in January in two ethnically-diverse, urban communities in Miami and Dallas. Foot Locker expects to open up to five more such stores by the end of 2022 or early to mid-2023.
The Miami unit, an 8,000-s.f outparcel building in a strip mall, features different play elements in each section of the store that caters to different age groups, such as soft climbing structures in an area for toddlers, and activity tables for older children. The center of the store has a large playscape for all age groups that can be modulated for special exercise activities.
The Dallas unit is part of a 15,000-s.f. outparcel building of a new mall redevelopment, called RedBird (formerly Southwest center mall), featuring two other Foot Locker brands: Champs Sports and an adult Foot Locker. The Kids Foot Locker House of Play has even more in-store play elements, including areas with climbing pyramids, a gaming table nook with tic-tac-toe and air hockey, another table with coloring projects and even a selfie-taking section for older children. Anticipate other retail brands to jump on this bandwagon of opening stores that will specifically cater to the younger audience’s need to move and play.
