Netflix recently announced the upcoming launch of a network of immersive stores offering retail, dining and live entertainment, so will the video on-demand behemoth open a Netflix House in San Diego?
Netflix is planning to launch permanent retail locations, starting with two in the United States by 2025. Headquartered in the Los Gatos area of California's Silicon Valley, Netflix is eyeing potential locations in California, Tokyo, New York, and Mexico City, with the first two U.S. spots anticipated to open by 2025. Netflix has previously operated 40 pop-up fan experiences in 20 cities worldwide, including a pop-up restaurant earlier this year in Los Angeles, featuring menu items created by chefs associated with Netflix cooking shows. The company has also launched pop-up stores offering merchandise from its hit shows Stranger Things and Bridgerton in cities such as Paris, Las Vegas and Chicago.
Dubbed "Netflix House", the stores are envisioned as mini-theme parks, offering not only a shopping experience for merchandise but also food, drinks, obstacles courses, and rotating installations inspired by Netflix's hit series and movies. The company hopes to expand the concept to major cities around the world. It is believed Southern California will house at least one of the initial locations.
"We’ve seen how much fans love to immerse themselves in the world of our movies and TV shows, and we’ve been thinking a lot about how we take that to the next level," said Netflix Vice President of Consumer Products Josh Simon in an interview with Bloomberg.
With Comic-Con San Diego being the the biggest annual pop-culture fan convention in North America, it seems likely that a Network House will one day open in America's Finest City. At this point, only time will tell.
