Orange County Register

FAO Schwarz, the legendary toy company, said it recently opened seven shops inside O.C. Macy’s stores.

They’re at The Shops at Mission Viejo, Westfield MainPlace in Santa Ana, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills Mall, Irvine Spectrum Center, Westminster Mall and Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

On Friday, Nov. 17, FAO Schwarz will also open inside the Macy’s at Brea Mall.

The toy company once had a store at South Coast Plaza, but shuttered it in 2002, according to the shopping center. The toy company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2003.

FAO Schwarz had planned to open up to 275 shops inside Macy’s this fall. About 75 of those will span 1,000 to 3,500 square feet. The other 200 will be about 200 to 300 square feet, according to the company press release in May.

The FAO Schwarz shops inside The Shops, MainPlace and Brea Mall span about 1,000 square feet each. The rest of the O.C. shops are about 300 square feet each. 

Besides its shops inside Macy’s, the toy retailer has locations in New York and Las Vegas (Caesars Palace).

At the nearly 50,000-square-foot store on Fifth Avenue in New York, human toy soldiers, pictured above, stand in front of the shop to greet guests.

The store’s first floor has enormous, life-sized stuffed animals. The second floor houses the “Dance-on Piano,” which was featured in the movie “Big” with Tom Hanks. FAO Schwarz was founded in 1862. 

(Photo courtesy of FAO Schwarz.)

More from OC Retail:

• Linens ‘n Things gives liquidation sales date for last 2 O.C. stores
• Brea Mall store closes
• Hundreds of shoppers anticipate O.C. opening of big discounter
• Mervyn’s gives liquidation sales date for 4 O.C. stores  
• Bella Terra store closes
• 1,000-plus store closures expected after Christmas
• Bankrupt discount retailer closing big O.C. store
• Circuit City faces bankruptcy?
• Retailer with big store at The Block files for bankruptcy
• Forever 21 may replace O.C. Mervyn’s store  

For more from OC Retail, see list of links on right-hand side of this blog.

Other business news:

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• O.C. ‘08 bankruptcies jump 93%
• Judge to Feds: Give back billionaire’s jet or open a Pandora’s box
• Kim Kardashian has good plastic-surgery advice for fan
• O.C. homebuying takes biggest jump since ‘96
• Pimco wants to manage gov’t-seized assets
• Never mind the heat - fur goes on sale
• Surf City places 2 ZIPs on U.S. priciest homes list
• O.C. listings of distressed homes 6% off peak

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