New York City’s iconic toy store, FAO Schwarz, is opening up a second location in the Big Apple for the first time in a century, before rolling out more sites nationwide.
The brand will be available on Nordstrom’s website this summer, before launching at some of the department store chain’s brick-and-mortar locations later this year, Nordstrom announced.
FAO Schwarz will open its “second New York City location — for the first time in over 100 years — at the Nordstrom NYC Flagship,” the department store said.
The beloved toy store, which has been around for over 160 years, has its flagship store next to Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. The shop is known for its larger-than-life shopping experience, with huge stuffed animals and every toy a child could imagine. FAO Schwarz gained a global fanbase due to the 1988 movie Big, which saw Tom Hanks playing “Chopsticks” with his feet on the store’s oversized dance-on piano.
Some of FAO Schwarz’s most iconic items and experiences will be brought to life at Nordstrom through the partnership, including the dance-on piano known from Big, the department store said.
The collection available at Nordstrom also expands into categories tailored to those shoppers, including items for infant and preschool-aged children. The partnership will also include exclusive toy launches specifically designed for Nordstrom shoppers.
Select locations will feature hands-on experiences inspired by the beloved toy store, including FAO-Abulous, where customers can design their own handbag; FAO Doll, where they can select a swaddle and sign the birth certificate of a baby doll; and FAO Beauty, a build-your-own makeup kit experience.
Some locations will also have a station to customize their own Brio wooden train collection.
Beyond New York City’s new location, FAO Schwarz will open The Jewel Box, a “curated store-within-a-store” at eight other Nordstrom locations across the country, later this year.
The FAO Schwarz Jewel Box will be available at:
- Aventura Mall in Miami, Florida
- Bellevue Square in Bellevue, Washington
- Brea Mall in Brea, California
- Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey
- NorthPark in Dallas, Texas
- Oak Brook Mall in Oak Brook, Illinois
- South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California
- Fashion Valley in San Diego, California
An assortment of FAO Schwarz items will also be available on Nordstrom’s website starting this month.
