WarnerMedia unit Warner Bros. has announced that the world’s first official Harry Potter flagship store will be coming to New York City this summer. According to the company’s statement, it will be the biggest store dedicated to the brand and will house “the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products in the world under one roof.”
Sarah Roots, senior vice president of Worldwide Tours and Retail for Warner Bros., said, “We are very excited to be opening in New York. It’s the ideal city in which to launch with so many dedicated Wizarding World fans, a cutting-edge retail environment, and a community that embraces innovative experiences.”
The franchise began with British author J. K. Rowling’s seven-fantasy novel series featuring Harry and his best pals Ron and Hermione as they attend the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While it has been 12 years since the release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” J.K. Rowling’s final novel in the series, the franchise has been kept alive by eight films and several spin-off flicks, as well as a spinoff play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which is currently running on Broadway at the Lyric Theater.
The three-story, 20,000 square-foot store will be housed at 935 Broadway, next to Manhattan’s historic Flatiron building. The Hagrid-sized superstore shop will have a wide variety of Potter-themed merchandise, including personalized witch and wizard robes and a fresh range of house wand designs that will be exclusive to the New York location. Roots commented, “This will be the largest dedicated Harry Potter store in the world and will become a must-visit fan destination where Harry Potter enthusiasts can engage with interactive experiences and numerous photo opportunities as they step into the magic.”
