# Character-Themed Retail Stores Miniso Opens Its First U.S. ‘Miniso Land’ in Columbus By Adam Harrie | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-10-21 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/character-themed-retail-stores References: [toybook](https://toybook.com/miniso-land-opening)  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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/characterdriven-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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buildabear-x-hello-kitty)’ 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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eb-trends-store-concept). 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 ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 7.0/10 - Popularity: 57% | Activity: 54% | Freshness: 100% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **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. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Adorable Pop-Up Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/popup-store-in-krakw.md) - [Global Pop-Star Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lisa-miniso.md) - [Experiential Convenience Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/familymart-announced.md) - [Mini Beauty Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/little-luxuries-store.md) - [Immersive IP-Themed Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/west-edmonton-mall.md) - [Youthful Flagship Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flagship-retail-location.md) - [Brand-Owned Character Ecosystems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/brandowned-character-ecosystems.md) - [Experiential IP-Themed Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/miniso-land.md) - [Inaugural Toy Swiss Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/swiss-store.md)