Hello Kitty is to be the star of a new indoor theme park in Shanghai.
The announcement was made by the Shimao Group who have licensed the popular children’s character from Japanese company, Sanrio.
The Hello Kitty park will be located over three floors in the Shimao-owned Shanghai Mart shopping mall.
According to Shanghai Daily, Shimao will be responsible for the design and operation. The park intends to blend the Hello Kitty IP with the glamour of Shanghai’s past. Each floor will be decorated to reflect three different eras in the city’s history. The focus will be on providing interactive and immersive guest experiences.
Merchandising is set to include both Hello Kitty souvenirs and Shanghai-style items, many unique to the park.
The new attraction is part of a major renovation plan for the mall. Eddie Yang, Shimao’s Vice President, is quoted as saying than an Italian architect has been invited to give the façade a modern makeover.
The group intends to invest approaching 200 million yuan (US$29 million) in the attraction. Advance purchase of tickets will be encouraged, with visitor numbers limited to 3000 per day.
The announcement reflects the continuing trend for providing entertainment experiences in retail spaces.
https://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/Hello-Kitty-theme-park-to-open-in-Shanghai/shdaily.shtml
