In a nutshell
World's largest store for devotees of the Harry Potter brand universe - films, books, plays and merchandise.
A richly themed, multi‑level brand land where props, VR, Butterbeer and exclusive merch are staged with theme‑park precision, this Flatiron flagship shows how to turn intellectual property into a destination store that behaves more like an attraction than a shop.
In their words
"We really wanted to target somewhere that reflected us as a brand. Somewhere that was exciting and vibrant, with beautiful architecture and incredible places to shop and relax"
Brand Background
Warner Bros announced plans for a dedicated Harry Potter flagship in early 2020, positioning it as “the largest dedicated Harry Potter store in the world” and “a must‑visit fan destination,” before finally opening the New York store on 3 June 2021 after pandemic delays.
The intent, as described by Simon Durrant, then general manager of retail at Warner Bros, was explicitly to treat the site as more than a shop: “We are looking at it not as just a distribution point. It is retail and entertainment coming together… bringing the best of our retail offer, the best of our theming, and entertainment together in one space.”
The store is divided into around fifteen themed zones, each drawing from a specific location or motif in the films. A towering model of Fawkes the phoenix greets visitors in the central stairwell, while other areas include a Honeydukes‑inspired confectionery zone, a Dark Arts alcove, a Forbidden Forest‑themed toys and games section, a Platform 9¾ area for travel and trunks, house‑robes wardrobing, a dedicated wand room and a circular Butterbeer Bar for draught Butterbeer, bottled variants and themed sweets.
Household, the London‑based experience design agency, worked with Warner Bros studio archives to reproduce set elements such as Dumbledore’s griffin staircase and the Ministry’s phone box, and to integrate more than 1,000 props, including authentic items loaned from the film productions.
Visit Field notes
Your response will be totally determined by whether you're a fan or not. If not, you'll admire the merchandising layout, the interactive experience geared to increased purchase, the use of "genuine props", the QR-code queuing system and mobile-based discovery trails, the Butter Beer refectory... but it's just a department store full of merch with a dull vocabulary over a ruthless commercial formula. If however you're a fan it's the best store in the world suffused with magic and delight.
Interactivity and technology are threaded through the store. The wand area features an interactive table and digital wand wall that let visitors “cast” spells and see Patronus effects, while a green‑screen broomstick experience allows guests to “fly” over Hogwarts and other locations, mirroring techniques used in filming. Two separately ticketed VR attractions - Chaos at Hogwarts and Wizards Take Flight - bring full VR‑ride experiences into the building, letting visitors explore Hogwarts or ride a broomstick over London’s River Thames. The wider fit‑out incorporates digital wayfinding, in‑store content and accessibility tweaks (such as adjustable phone box photo sets) designed to ensure both deep fans and casual tourists can navigate and participate.
Merchandising leans heavily on exclusivity. Durrant has stated that roughly 80 per cent of the offer is either completely exclusive to New York or available only in a handful of locations worldwide. That includes a New York‑only wand collection, personalised Hogwarts robes and a wide range of house‑themed fashion, homeware and collectibles that sit beyond the typical theme‑park or online assortment. Blooloop and The Immersive Lab both characterise the store as a prototype for “destination retail” built around a single IP, arguing that it sets a benchmark for how film franchises can use downtown flagships as both revenue generators and physical storytelling canvases. For retail professionals, Harry Potter New York offers an obvious example of retail as attraction: throughput, dwell time and repeatability are treated with the same seriousness as in a small theme park, with the shop floor essentially operating as the finale to a carefully orchestrated narrative journey.
Other Reading
- About the store and experience on the store website
- Forbes review of store opening
- Time Out's review
- Wizarding World review
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