Character-Themed Retail Stores

Miniso Opens Its First U.S. ‘Miniso Land’ in Columbus

Miniso is bringing ‘Miniso Land’ to U.S. shoppers with its first American location at Columbus’ Easton Town Center. Open since Oct. 17, the store spans about 15,000 square feet and uses themed zones so visitors can move between toys, collectibles, home goods, and other everyday items in one stop.

The assortment includes more than 5,500 items, with character-based merchandise making up over 60% of the mix. More than 30 licensed and in-house collections appear across the floor, including a ‘Hello Kitty and Friends’ section and a ‘Yoyo’ entrance display that give character fans dedicated areas to explore.

With more than 60% of the mix tied to characters and franchises, the Columbus location broadens Miniso’s appeal from everyday goods to fandom-led shopping. Its 15,000-square-foot footprint also gives the brand room to test larger U.S. stores built around experience as much as product.

Image Credit: Miniso

Fandom-led Retail
Character-driven assortments create room for retailers to convert casual shopping trips into collectible-focused experiences with stronger emotional attachment.
Immersive Store Zoning
Themed sections within large-format stores signal opportunities to blend navigation, discovery, and entertainment into a more engaging retail environment.
Licensed Everyday Goods
Popular franchises applied to practical products expand merchandising potential by turning routine purchases into affinity-based buying moments.

Industries Being Reshaped

Specialty Retail
Large experiential formats give specialty chains new ways to differentiate from commodity stores through fandom, discovery, and branded environments.
Toys and Collectibles
Character-themed retail destinations strengthen demand for exclusive merchandise and limited collections that support repeat visits and community-driven shopping.
Shopping Centers
Experiential anchor concepts can help malls attract younger consumers and increase dwell time through destination-style retail built around recognizable IP.
SCORE
4.7 out of 10
GENDER
50% Men50% Women
MARKETTop markets: North America
GENERATION
  • Gen X
  • Gen Z (primary audience)
  • Gen Alpha (primary audience)
  • Millennial (primary audience)
POPULARITY
Popularity 30%
Activity 11%
Freshness 100%