Miniso to Bring First U.S. ‘Theme Park’ Flagship to Ohio

Miniso (Guangzhou, China), known for its IP-centered merchandise and blind boxes, is reportedly set to open the first “Miniso Land” flagship in the U.S. at Columbus, Ohio’s Easton Town Center, according to local Columbus magazine 614Now. Expected to open in late September or early October, the 15,000-square-foot flagship will be styled as a “retail amusement park” with both shopping and entertainment. The flagship will also be the largest Miniso location in the U.S. when it opens, usurping the 12,500-square-foot store at the Pacific Commons Shopping Center in Fremont, Calif.

The brand has opened 25 Miniso Land flagships, including locations in Spain, China and Thailand. The store will reportedly be located on Level 1 of Easton Town Center’s Station Building near the Bath & Body Works.

Miniso, founded in 2013, is known globally for its toy and plushie merchandise of popular characters from IPs such as Disney, Marvel, Sanrio, Peanuts, Star Wars, Barbie and various anime. Miniso also carries blind boxes – sealed boxes that customers can only open after purchase to discover what item they received. Blind boxes have become increasingly popular on social media, with users recording themselves opening blind boxes and revealing the items received.

Having expanded rapidly during the past five years, Miniso currently operates more than 8,400 stores worldwide across 112 countries, including 200 in the United States, 350 in Europe and more than 4,000 in China. The brand also operates temporary pop-ups at malls and shopping centers around the world.rld.