California Dreaming

FAO Schwarz, the New York-based specialty toy retailer, will open its newest flagship store at the Grove at Farmers Market (Los Angeles) on Friday, March 15.

The two-story, 25,000-square-foot store will be the centerpiece of a new 20-acre center, located adjacent to the historic Farmers Market on West 3rd Street. The store will have an assortment of FAO boutiques representing various kid-favorite characters. The shops include an FAO Schweetz interactive candy store, FAO Baby, offering a selection of baby and toddler lifestyle merchandise, and Lego, Barbie and Hot Wheels areas.

The layout of the store is also a variation on the New York store's tradition. Instead of individual environments for each area of the store, FAO Schwarz at the Grove features a free flowing floor plan with color-coded ceilings that lead visitors to boy, girl and infant departments. According to Jerry Welch, ceo of The Right Start (Calabasas, Calif.), which bought FAO Schwarz earlier this year, the store is in “a fresh, dynamic retail environment that is distinctively L.A.”

The 140-year-old toy retailer operates 23 locations nationwide, including flagship stores in Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Boston. FAO also produces The Ultimate Toy Catalogue, which is distributed to more than six million consumers annually. Its parent company, The Right Start Inc., operates 270 stores under The Right Start and Zany Brainy trade names as well as FAO Schwarz.