American Girl Place
In 1998, Pleasant T. Roland, a former school teacher, sold her direct mail doll company to Mattel for $700 million. In 1990, the American Girl doll collection was heralded as the "Barbie backlash" product, as this six-year-old company began stealing the hearts and minds of girls ages 3 to 11. Instead of boyfriends named Ken, sports cars, and skimpy clothes, Kirsten (the first of a series of American Girls) wore a prairie dress and was an 1854 Minnesota pioneer. Her adventures-all of which had a moral to the story-were detailed in a series of books written by Janet Shaw. Girls and mothers (and even some dads) loved them. In December of 1989, a hundred and fifty girls packed into Wonderland Books & Toys, in Rockford, Illinois to meet Janet Shaw. The books brought the dolls to life and transformed these $100 collectors' items into real imaginary friends for millions of girls.
Rowland got the idea for her dolls after shopping at a store in 1984 packed with Cabbage Patch Kids (a Mattel product). "I have no children," said Rowland, "But I got to thinking, what if I did have children. What are my choices? Either Barbie or Cabbage Patch kids." She remembered a trip to historic Williamsburg, Virginia, and decided that the history of America would make a much better platform for a product.
As part of the deal with Mattel, Rowland negotiated a position for herself as vice chairman-and she got to build the American Girl Place. Located near Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, the American Girl Place is truly a unique shopping experience. In 1998, it was radical thing for direct marketer to do ("Go Web," everyone said). But Pleasant wanted a place where girls could come with their mothers and experience shopping. Great big burgundy awnings welcome you to the store. You enter and discover wood shelves and displays and hundreds of people gawking in wonder. They're thrilled to be there. On average, shoppers spend four hours at American Girl Place-it's not that big of a place. But while you're there, you can see museum-like exhibits of Samantha, Molly, and all the other characters in period costumes. There are outfits for the dolls (of course). There are also combs, socks, bonnets, snowshoes, quilts, school supplies, night candles, cups, and storybooks that dolls read. And that's just a few of the "accessories" for Kirsten.
Around the corner, girls can watch as store hairdressers, comb and style their dolls' hair. They can peruse books or find outfits that match their dolls for them wear. Hungry? One of the most famous things to do at American Girl Place is to have lunch or dinner at the American Girl Café. Jell-O never tasted so good. While girls and their mothers enjoy lemonade, hot dogs, and desserts cut to look like flowers, their dolls are sitting right there next to them. Special doll chairs attach to the table so that the dolls don't miss a beat. The chairs are also for sale.
Perhaps the most amazing feature of the American Girl Place is the American Girl Theater. From 1998-2001, the American Girl Revue showed every night and on weekends in the 150 seat theater. Young women and girls from around Chicago played the parts of the characters in the books. As the stories of the dolls were played out on stage, parents and children were validating every single purchase they'd made. You could see written in their eyes, "This is a brand that I feel good about." At the end of the revue, the audience stands and with the entire cast sings the American Girl Anthem. It tugged at your heartstrings. Today, there are concerts, plays, and other events held at the store. Remember, the Pleasant Company is a direct marketing firm. To build a store, let alone a theater, was a radical departure, especially in the midst of the dot.com boom. Mattel has had loyal followings for many of its brands for many years. Barbie and Hot Wheels are venerable old brands, yet they never create the emotional bonds that the Pleasant Company creates. "The mission of Pleasant Company's core brand, American Girl, is to educate and entertain girls ages 3 and up with high-quality products and experiences that reinforce positive social and moral values," says the Mattel Web site. Pleasant wasn't the only company that Mattel bought in 1998. It also bought the Learning Company, with its chain of Zany Brainy stores. These products are having their effect on Mattel's image as well, transforming it from purveyor of material girl toys to a brand that makes a difference. Oh, and by the way, American Girl Place has the highest revenue per square foot of any store in the country-approximately $500 per square foot.
In November 2003, Mattel opened a second American Girl Place in New York. As of July 2005, American Girl Place in New York is still the hottest place in town. A restaurant reservation can take up to six months to acquire. So what does Mattel do? They just announced that they are opening another store in Los Angeles! Go American Girl. According to a June 2005 Chicago Tribune article (posted on the Brand Experience Lab site) American Girl Place, has attracted over 8 million visitors since 1998. Last year, 1 million people signed up.
http://www.americangirlplace.com