Little girls clutching their dolls in matching outfits and holding their mom’s hand becomes the popular scene at the new American Girl Place that just opened in Mall of America on November 15. The store, with its delicate lighting, red and pink accents, and dolls displayed in the window, is located in the east entrance of the new Nickelodeon theme park in the mall.
While the American Girl company has stores that are located in Chicago, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles that are much bigger, the company really wanted to push for a store opening in Mall of America. “We have had great success as a company with the retail locations that we had, so putting in a new store seemed like a good idea. The Mall of America was a good spot because it is a premier retail destination for people all over, and we wanted to focus on the customers in the area,” said Susan Jevens who is in public relations for the American Girl corporation.
Just like the other American Girl places, girls can walk around the store and pick out their favorite dolls and accessories that they want to purchase. Along with the obvious shopping, the store contains the popular American Girl Café. Girls and their families can enjoy a new bistro menu selection, all while their dolls sit in special chairs hooked on to the table. Another special feature of the store is the doll salon that includes getting your doll’s hair done, and ear piercing for your doll at a reasonable price.
The store is divided into the various categories that the American Girl company possess. On the upper level of the store is all the merchandise that goes with the dolls of today, as well as the American Girl of the year doll. “We rotate our merchandise quite often around the store so that way we get our products out there,” said Jevens. Located on the second level of the store is the historic classic American Dolls such as Molly, Samantha, and Kristin. Also on this level, the younger girls will find Bitty Babies.
While the purpose of putting in the store was to help with retail sales, there were a few more reasons. “We wanted this to be a broad exposure to those people who normally can’t visit our stores, or look at the catalogue. Also with the location moms and daughters can come back multiple times to shop. Lastly, it’s just a great experience for girls and their moms to have together,” said Jevens.
