Japanese anime goods giant Animate announces first permanent store in Malaysia
Japanese retail giant Animate has announced that it will be opening a permanent, official store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The new store, “Animate Kuala Lumpur,” is an upgrade and relocation of a temporary pop-up store that had been operating in the same shopping complex.
Animate is the largest retailer of anime, comic, and game-related merchandise in Japan, with over 125 locations domestically.
The company has been expanding its international presence for years, with existing stores in major Asian cities like Taipei, Bangkok, Seoul, and Shanghai, as well as recently opening its first store in Europe, a pop up shop in Paris.
This new, permanent location in Malaysia will offer a much wider and more comprehensive range of products than the previous pop-up.
In addition to character goods, the store will now carry a selection of comics and art books from both Japanese and international properties.
The company also stated that the new store will regularly host “fairs,” which are in-store promotional campaigns that often feature exclusive bonus items.
The space that was previously occupied by the pop-up store will be repurposed as an “Only Shop,” a type of specialty space that is dedicated to a single, rotating anime or manga series for a limited time.
A brand-new, themed Animate Cafe is also scheduled to be opened in the mall, which will also feature regularly changing collaboration themes.
This multi-faceted expansion will significantly increase Animate’s retail footprint in the region, offering a more complete experience for Malaysian fans of Japanese pop culture.
The new “Animate Kuala Lumpur” will be located on the L2 floor of the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre in Kuala Lumpur, and it is scheduled to have its official opening this October.
Source: Official X Account
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