Miniso Opens 15,000-Square-Foot Flagship in Columbus

The new retail location utilizes themed IP zones to drive foot traffic and increase engagement for the global chain.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Retail

Isometric editorial illustration of a modular retail floor plan with clean geometric display zones and partition walls, representing a themed shopping environment. — Miniso has opened a 15,000-square-foot flagship at Easton Town Center in Columbus, featuring themed retail zones to drive consumer engagement. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you prefer shopping at stores that offer immersive entertainment experiences rather than just retail products?

Miniso has opened its first U.S. "Miniso Land" flagship at Easton Town Center in Columbus, spanning 15,000 square feet with over 5,500 individual SKUs. The concept leverages immersive, themed retail zones to drive foot traffic, reflecting a wider corporate strategy to prioritize intellectual property-heavy inventory.

Why it matters

By dedicating over 60% of inventory to global IP collaborations, the company is testing whether immersive, experience-based retail environments can sustain higher square-footage commitments in suburban shopping centers. This expansion signals a broader push to capture market share through themed environments that prioritize collectible and entertainment-linked consumer goods.

The new Columbus flagship store stocks products from more than 30 global IP collections, including 100 items in a Hello Kitty and Friends zone and 130 items in a Disney zone. These figures support a strategy that sees IP products account for more than 60% of total store offerings.

The players

Miniso

A global variety retailer operating over 8,600 stores worldwide that focuses on IP-driven lifestyle products.

The details

The retail layout features dedicated IP environments that encourage customers to navigate between themed worlds, effectively converting traditional shelf space into experiential zones. This approach creates a high-density, high-turnover model that pairs the breadth of 5,500 SKUs with localized, brand-specific merchandising. The store is part of the firm's broader 'Super IP and Super Store' initiative, which aims to differentiate the in-store experience from digital or standard retail alternatives.

2024: Miniso Land debuted in Shanghai.
June 30, 2026: The company reached a total of 8,600 stores worldwide.
October 17, 2026: The Columbus Miniso Land location opened at Easton Town Center.
October 2026 - November 2026: Four additional IP-driven stores are scheduled to open across Canada.

Market Landscape

The firm's Super IP and Super Store strategy, which debuted in Shanghai in 2024, marks a pivot toward larger-format flagships. This Columbus opening follows the pattern set by that strategy, which aims to convert typical variety retail units into destination-style immersive zones.

Operators in high-traffic shopping centers should monitor whether this IP-dense, immersive format increases dwell time and conversion rates compared to traditional SKU-heavy layouts. The shift suggests that competitive advantage in physical retail may increasingly hinge on securing long-term IP partnerships to anchor store design.

The takeaway

Retailers should watch whether the high concentration of licensed, collectible-driven inventory offsets the overhead costs of managing 15,000-square-foot experiential spaces. As Miniso expands this concept into Canada, competitors should evaluate their own capacity to leverage brand partnerships to create similarly segmented, experience-focused store zones.