Famous gaming franchise Nintendo continues to expand its retail presence with the opening of a new store in San Francisco, offering fans and newcomers exclusive merchandise, interactive gaming screens, colorful character displays, and more.
On May 15, Nintendo officially opened its doors to its second store in the United States. The shop is located at 331 Powell St. in Union Square and contains two floors. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Since the grand opening, the location has received a lot of popularity, with lines spanning hundreds of feet out of the building.
“The lines were definitely expected, but I did not think they would continue a week and a half after the opening,” said Mehran Attari, a shopper at the Nintendo store.
To enter the store from the start of Nintendo’s opening to the end of the Memorial Day weekend, customers were to reserve their own Warp Pipe Pass. Each pass allowed shoppers to register for a specific time slot, making the store-entering process more organized.
“We reserved our time around three days before the actual day,” Attari said. “It filled up pretty fast.”
After entering the store, customers are greeted by different sections, each representing popular characters and games such as Link from “The Legend of Zelda” and Pikachu from “Pokémon.” Each area caters to a different range of audiences.
“Organizing the store by games would be better because it makes finding what you are interested in a lot more efficient and convenient. If the store just puts items in a random order, it will be hard to locate the games you want,” said sophomore Katelyn Yee, the vice president of the Carlmont Pokémon Club.
In addition, the store is enclosed by white and red walls with colorful lights, staying consistent with Nintendo’s color theme.
“Appearance is definitely important because it sets the tone and feelings you experience before anything else. Nintendo is known for its games and entertainment, and if its stores are just boring old buildings, it will not represent what it stands for and make it a letdown,” Yee said.
After entering each section, customers can look for items with a red Nintendo square on the box or tag. These products represent items such as clothing and accessories that are limited to the San Francisco store.
Some exclusive items include The Legend of Zelda keychains and San Francisco-branded hats, hoodies, and water bottles. Along with apparel, the store offers home goods and collectibles like Mario-themed cutlery, cups, and plates.
“You could really find anything you wanted in the store. They even had blankets and other items with different designs,” Attari said.
After finishing browsing through the first floor, shoppers can make their way to the second level, which features a gaming wall and smaller gaming screens. Here, shoppers can test out various Nintendo Switch games and consoles.
“The gaming wall is useful for people who want to see which games are worth buying and which are not,” said Teagan Moon, a student at Ralston Middle School and a Nintendo player.
At the end of the browsing and shopping experience, customers can proceed to the checkout station, ending their visit to the new Nintendo store.
“The store seems really interesting to me because I have a Nintendo and it would be fun to check out the new games,” Moon said.
