Based in the Dubai Mall, which forms part of a US$20-billion downtown complex, the new Nickelodeon Store will be part of a retail landscape comprised of more than 1,200 shops.
The Dubai location, part of Nickelodeon's ongoing relationship with Entertainment Retail Enterprises (ERE), is the second store to launch in the Middle East, following the opening of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in August 2013. Its regional retail ambitions coincide with Viacom International Media Networks's (VIMN) debut of three 24-hour channels in the Middle East — Nickelodeon HD, Nick Jr. and MTV Live - through pay-TV network OSN, which launched earlier this year.
In line with its 11 other locations, which include Panama, Honduras, Chile, Columbia and Costa Rica in Latin America and their UK flagship store in London's prestigious Leicester Square, the first in Europe, the Nickelodeon Dubai store will offer kids and families the opportunity to experience and interact with Nickelodeon's hit properties including "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Dora the Explorer", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Paw Patrol".
"Opening a store in one of the world’s biggest international centers is an incredibly exciting next step for Nickelodeon to continue to work together with world-class partner ERE, to further our collective mission to create engaging and enjoyable experiences around the world," said Ron Johnson, Executive Vice President (EVP), NVCP.
Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products and ERE have also confirmed plans to open more Nickelodeon-branded stores in 2016.
Sources: Kidscreen, The Hollywood Reporter.
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