Melissa & Doug is opening its first retail store.
The popular preschool brand that specializes in wooden and sustainable toys will open its first-ever retail store this fall ahead of the holiday season. The 1,600-square-foot store is scheduled to open its doors on Oct. 6 in The Westchester, a premium shopping mall in White Plains, New York, just outside of New York City and near Melissa & Doug headquarters in Wilton, Connecticut.
As the company’s first brick-and-mortar location in its 35-year history, the store will feature a wide selection of the brand’s top-selling toys across categories such as pretend playsets, learning toys, baby and toddler products, puzzles, and arts and crafts. Consumers will get a close-up experience of the detail, quality, and play value of the toys that isn’t possible through an online shopping experience.
Melissa & Doug has been a mainstay in the toy industry for nearly four decades, helping families ignite imagination and create lifelong memories together. We’re always looking for new ways to share our important purpose and quality toys with consumers, especially during the gifting season.
The store will have trained brand ambassadors at the ready to assist customers with their shopping experience and recommend the perfect toy for every child. Families can also expect engaging moments throughout, including a spot where kids can measure how many “scoops of ice cream” tall they are, as well as exclusive take-home activities. Furthermore, Melissa & Doug will honor its 35th anniversary with an in-store debut of the all-new Rainbow Giraffe, a special edition of the iconic 4-foot giraffe plush toy. The colorful plush is available at the store and on melissaanddoug.com.
“Families really look to Melissa & Doug when seeking toys that inspire imaginative, screen-free play especially in those first few years,” says Bridgette Miller, Chief Marketing and Sustainability Officer for Melissa & Doug. “When designing a shopping experience for parents and caregivers, it was important for us to create an environment that really represented this.”
On opening day, there will be prize giveaways, product demonstrations, and more fun surprises. Melissa & Doug will be supporting the store and driving traffic through in-mall signage, media and press events, local marketing efforts, and sponsorship of the mall’s Santa Experience. The store can be found on Level 3 of The Westchester.
