Disney is the latest company to launch mini-shops inside other retailers

• Target announced Monday that it will add small Disney stores to more than 160 locations.
• Ulta Beauty and Apple have also entered Target in this mini-store surge.
• Following bankruptcy in 2017, Toys 'R' Us products will now be sold at Macy's online and in stores.

Target will add miniature Disney stores to more than 160 locations just in time for the holiday toy rush, it announced Monday.

The retailer started adding Disney products to stores back in 2019, but with this expansion, customers will be able to purchase merchandise from brands including the Star Wars collection and Raya and the last Dragon, in addition to Disney.

"It's more about taking a look at where consumers are, and making sure that we're providing what they need," a spokesperson for Disney told Insider. "If they're already going to Targets, and we started that Disney store at Target experience, it's like how do we expand upon that that's really where now you're seeing it's tripling the footprint."

Disney isn't the only company that Target has added to its stores recently. The company announced this year that it will also be adding mini Ulta Beauty stores to its stores, which will add a plethora of new and high-end makeup products to Target.

As mall traffic has fallen, Target has pivoted itself as a one-stop-shop for many needs. In addition to Starbucks, Ulta, and now Disney, Target has also announced that it will add mini Apple stores as well.

It's a concept that's taken hold industry-wide. Kohl's announced last year that it will be adding 850 mini Sephora stores to its locations. And Macy's announced that it's adding Toys 'R' Us products online and in stores at its locations, following Toys 'R' Us filing bankruptcy in 2017.

As more than 11,000 retail stores are set to close this year, Toys 'R' Us isn't the only so-called zombie-brand making a comeback thanks to its emotional connection for consumers. Some investors have bought these stores, rebranded or re-platformed them, and attempted to make them profitable once again

Just last month, Adidas announced that it sold Reebok to Authentic Brand Group (ABG) for roughly $2.5 billion. ABG is a huge conglomerate that buys bankrupt brands and turns them into profitable businesses again. ABG now owns several big brands - some of which previously faced bankruptcy - including Aeropostale, Forever 21, Brooks Brothers, Juicy Couture, Nine West, and Nautica to name a few.

"While consumer behavior has shifted toward online shopping, the global pandemic has changed what consumers expect from a retailer," Stephanie Young, president of consumer products games and publishing for Disney said in a press release.

"Over the past few years, we've been focused on meeting consumers where they are already spending their time, such as the expansion of Disney store shop-in-shops around the world. We now plan to create a more flexible, interconnected ecommerce experience that gives consumers easy access to unique, high-quality products across all our franchises."