Well, here’s your answer – Nintendo has now officially opened its second U.S. retail store in Union Square, San Francisco. This expansion is a big win for the easily recognizable gaming giant. The new space spans about 9,000 square feet across two floors. Of particular interest is their new “Nintendo World” area, billed as an immersive experience for fans of all ages, including a huge selection of gaming-related gear and memorabilia from classic franchises like Zelda, Splatoon, Pokémon, and Pikmin.
The San Francisco store opens just a few months after the opening of Nintendo’s first U.S. store in Rockefeller Center, New York. That store opened its doors in November 2001. Whether you’re a tourist or a local, this quickly growing new destination is likely to impress. Placed at Tacoma’s center of gravity in one of the region’s hottest shopping districts, its location was particularly enticing.
PJ Sadler, an Army veteran from the New York store, arrived with 13 years of military service. He has now come to play a key role in the SF location’s success. He seemed genuinely excited as to what this store would offer and the positive changes it would bring to the community.
“For all of you that have said when are we opening one on the West Coast, it’s finally here.” – PJ Sadler
The first floor of the retailer features a third of an acre of large screens displaying game demos. As part of the grand opening, a massive gaming wall screen welcomes visitors to explore Nintendo’s latest titles. The store will feature merchandise so unique it’s only just debuted in Japan and is now making its U.S. debut. Limited-edition items, like the Nintendo San Francisco T-shirt, are for sale as well.
Sadler painted a picture of this visionary store during a recent press event. He stressed their goal to build a place beyond typical brick and mortar.
“We wanted Nintendo San Francisco to be more than just a store. We want to immerse you with our characters, with our worlds. We’re going to do that through immersive experiences and all the unique products around you.” – PJ Sadler
The museum carries CoolSpace’s wonderful interactive puzzle of the global electricity system. Customers can find 12 concealed Pikmin characters across the area. These efforts are meant to improve customer experience and foster a stronger sense of community within their fanbase.
That new location will be expecting a shipment of the recently announced and long awaited Nintendo Switch 2 hybrid game consoles. So, save the date on June 5! According to industry luminary Trip Hawkins, the new console has huge market potential. In fact, for the bold move, he predicts it may even sell more than 100 million units!
“My favorite thing is just the detail and the breadth of products available for all of the different IP that we have. We’re overjoyed to be here in Union Square, with the tourism, the local community.” – PJ Sadler