This year starts off on the right note as Hollywood gets a new star on the block. Say hello to Hello Kitty. Sanrio has opened it's 2nd Los Angeles boutique in the heart of Hollywood.
In the same building of Hollywood & Highland Center, the previous Sanrio store was located on the first floor many years ago. Now, the new boutique is located on the second floor and much larger than the current Sanrio in Little Tokyo.
It's a smart choice to bring back a Sanrio store in the Hollywood area because of the many foot traffic that the Center gets year round. It's the central tourist spot to visit. Also, Los Angeles has a large Asian community residing in the area.
It makes sense why Sanrio would close down their many Sanrio locations across the States. It's not good business to keep stores open if there are no profits rolling in. The truth is that majority of those Americans see Hello Kitty as for kids and have been losing interest in the character for a long while now.
Most Americans are willing to spend their money on Disney than on Hello Kitty. It helps that Disney has great marketing strategies and that they can create really cool Mickey & Minnie designs to attract older consumers. It translates well onto quality merchandise.
Like I have said many times before, image is important. Sanrio needs to think cool if you want majority of the world's attention. You can't just stick to kitsch if you want to appeal to all types of cultures.
Our fandom is small. It's a fact. It's easy for Sanrio to get "fans" on their social media accounts, but these so-called fans do not buy the merchandise on a daily basis. They can easily love a character, but to spend money on it? Not so much.
With this new boutique just opened in Hollywood, we hope that Sanrio's makeover is a great start to a new upgraded image of their brand.
Please credit me if photos used. TY.
One good step in the right direction is the makeover of their boutiques. Sanrio has brought out even more clothing choices than ever before. In the middle of the store are racks of clothes. The store is still definitely cute, but it has become more than just that...
It has become ultra cool and fashionable. It's what attracts people. Cool and fashionable stuff to hoard, display, and wear in public.
Another change is that the boutique sells very high end bling (see video) and brought back vintage classics for hardcore Collectors. It's a guaranteed heaven for Collectors to splurge.
Books and beauty supplies adds to the uniqueness of Sanrio, instead of expecting just toys and plushes. The atmosphere has a more "cool" effect to the surroundings. The art on the wall are amazing, combined with photo-op statues.
It has an impressive digital tv display at the back, giving the boutique a more upgraded look to the whole design of the room. Another thing to mention is that there is a candy section available, which caught my eye because Sanrio has everything for their fans.
If it can be branded, Sanrio most likely has a Hello Kitty version available somewhere in the world.
Lastly, there is a fitting room! Unlike other Sanrio stores, this one has their own fitting room. I haven't tried it, but I hope to do so soon!
Like one of the signs says, Twinkle Forever Kiki and Lala...
Happy Sanrio Hunting!
New store social media account Hashtags #hellokittyhollywood
New store social media account Hashtags #hellokittyhollywood
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