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Disney opens first toy store in Russia

The company plans to open 3 more stores before the end of 2017

© REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. Walt Disney Company CIS, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, has opened its first toy store in Russia. The store is located in the building of the Detsky Mir (Children’s World) store in the center of Moscow, a TASS correspondent reported.

Before the end of 2017, two more such toy stores will be opened in Moscow and one in St. Petersburg.

"This is an important strategic step for us. This will be a unique place where one can communicate with our (Disney) heroes," Marina Zhigalova-Ozkan, Director General of Disney in Russia, said at the opening ceremony.

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Some of them are unique products that are not available in other stores in Russia, Zhigalova-Ozkan added.

Disney launched the first store in Moscow jointly with the retail operator IDEAS4RETAIL.

"This is an absolutely unique model, it will be implemented only in our country," Zhigalova-Ozkan said adding that in other countries Disney operates licensed stores through its own company, Disney Store.

Two more stores will be launched in 2018, she said adding that in total the company plans to open six stores. After that Disney will decide on the development of a retail project in Russia.

Walt Disney Company CIS and IDEAS4RETAIL decline to name the amount of investments in the first toy store in Moscow.

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