The Walt Disney Company is pulling back from another part of its business, marking a significant change for customers in several markets.
The move follows years of changes to Disney’s retail footprint, including the closure of hundreds of physical stores and a greater emphasis on other ways of selling its merchandise.
Now, another piece of that strategy is coming to an end, although Disney has not explained why it is making the latest change.
In 1996, Disney launched the Disney Store website, marking the official entry of The Walt Disney Company into e-commerce.
Disney is closing its online Disney Store
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) is shutting down its Disney Store websites serving Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Customers in those markets will have until Sept. 30, 2026, to place orders. The affected websites will then cease operations at the end of the day, with the Australia and New Zealand storefront officially closing on Oct. 1 local time.
Disney Store Australia and New Zealand are served through DisneyStore.com.au, while customers in Singapore and Malaysia use DisneyStore.asia.
Disney has notified customers that orders placed by the Sept. 30 deadline will continue to be fulfilled. Sold-out products are not expected to be restocked before the closure, while existing return windows and product support policies will continue to be honored after the websites shut down.
The company alerted customers through an “Important Update” message on the affected Disney Store websites.
Although the online storefronts are closing, Disney merchandise will remain available through authorized retailers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia. The company has also confirmed that the closure does not affect its Disney Store websites in other markets, including the U.S., U.K., Japan, China, South Korea, the Philippines, and the Middle East.
Disney has not publicly provided a specific reason for ending online Disney Store operations in these four markets.
Disney has reduced its Disney Store physical retail footprint
The online shutdown comes after years of reductions to Disney’s brick-and-mortar retail presence.
In 2021, Disney shared plans to close at least 60 Disney Store locations in the U.S. and Canada as it shifted its focus more toward e-commerce. The company ultimately shuttered dozens of North American locations as part of the broader restructuring of its retail business.
Here’s some of my previous coverage of store closures:
