trained mechanics at FAO Raceway, where they can build R/C cars piece-bypiece by picking out their individualized body style, color, wheels, and designs,” says David Conn, CEO of ThreeSixty Brands, the group that now owns FAO Schwarz. “Also new to the store is the FAO Schwarz Baby Doll Adoption Experience where nurses and doctors walk children through the adoption process and teach them how to properly love and care for their baby dolls. Once a prospective parent adoption form is completed, kids can select the doll of their choosing. The baby dolls are then taken for a ‘checkup’ before they are sent home with their very own FAO certificate of adoption.” There’s also an entire section of the store dedicated to one of kids’ favorite things— candy. FAO Schweetz, operated by specialty candy retailer IT’SUGAR, returns with more than 2,150 square feet featuring life-sized versions of classic toys serving as bulk candy containers. A gigantic toy train holds bins full of gummy worms and jelly rings next to a spaceship containing capsules of Jolly Ranchers and Tootsie Pops. In addition to selling products from wellknown brands, such as Spin Master, Hasbro, and Mattel, there are more than 200 FAO Schwarz-branded toys in the store, including an FAO Schwarz Giant Floor Piano Dance Mat, a 75-Piece Motorized Train Set with Sound, and an R/C Retro Bumper Car Set. There’s FAO Schweetz-branded candy as well, including giant gummy bears and unicorns and make-your-own gummy worm kits. The FAO Schwarz flagship now has its first holiday season under its belt after seeing a rush of holiday shoppers on their way to and from the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and ice skating rink, conveniently located right outside the shop. Conn says the best-selling products over the holidays “were those that tied into the in-store experiences we offered. FAO Baby Doll Adoption, FAO Make Your Own R/C, the Alex Spa hair
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Photo: Richard Cadan
and nail salon, and Build-A-Bear all were very popular this holiday. In addition, FAO Schwarz toys and holiday decor was our top-selling brand, with plush especially strong along with highly demonstrable items that all make up the magic of FAO.”
“What we found in relaunching the brand was that it is such an emotional brand for people.” FAO Schwarz recognizes that sales are important online, too, especially for people who can’t make it to the NYC location or for busy shoppers who don’t have the time to visit the shop. The store offers a selection of products online at faoschwarz.com. “Our online sales beat our expectations with FAO-branded items and specialty brands, such as Steiff and Bunnies By The Bay, all being very popular,” Conn says, regarding holiday sales. ThreeSixty Group plans to expand the brand with more locations worldwide, including shops-within-shops and a flagship in China. “We will continue to roll out FAO Schwarz shop-in-shops in Canada with Hud-
son Bay, in Europe with Selfridges and El Corte Inglés, and in Australia with Meyer, with more announcements coming soon,” says Jan-Eric Kloth, chief operating officer at ThreeSixty Group. “We opened our first airport store at LaGuardia Airport and are opening additional locations in conjunction with Hudson News.” ThreeSixty also announced a partnership with Kidsland, a Chinese toy distributor and retailer with almost 300 stores. They will open a 27,000-square-foot FAO Schwarz flagship at China World Mall in Beijing this April. The companies also plan to open a second location in Shanghai in 2020, followed by additional stores set to open across China over the next five years, according to Kloth. As the brand expands its wonderland, a new generation of kids from New York to China can grow up with the giant plush and glittering cars of FAO Schwarz. » Jacqueline Cucco is an associate editor at Adventure Publishing Group. She writes for The Toy Book, The Toy Insider, and The Pop Insider, and is in charge of all things Instagram. When she’s not watching slime videos, you can find her playing paparazzi for her pet bunny Peepers (@thebigpeep on Instagram).
