With sales plunging deeper than the neckline of her designer dresses, Barbie is fighting back in Shanghai with a six-storey concept store that her makers hope will begin a new era in her 50-year history. The store opens Friday, throwing pink at a grey retail climate by inviting girls of all ages to design dolls, indulge in mother-daughter facials and dine at a celebrity chef-run restaurant – complete with a Barbie bar that stays open until 2 AM. “It's Barbie, we shouldn't limit ourselves to just one thing when we have a world of opportunity. Going to a Barbie bar - it sounds fun right away,” said Richard Dickson, who is in charge of the Barbie brand for US toy maker Mattel. Mattel is aiming to position the 50-year-old doll as a lifestyle brand for girls, bringing together more than 45 product categories ranging from toys to clothes to publishing, Dickson said. Worldwide, Barbie sales fell 21 percent in the fourth quarter, despite Mattel's earlier optimism that parents would keep buying their children toys through the economic crisis as they cut back elsewhere. Currently, China accounts for about 2.5 percent of global sales, according to Dickson. “(But) in five to 10 years, China should be the number one market for the brand,” he said. “We have a unique opportunity for growth here and we're looking at it as a long-term strategy.” With the store, Dickson said Mattel is trying follow the example of other brands, such as Apple Computers and Ralph Lauren, to establish a direct connection with consumers. “In the retail experience you have an aisle, your whole experience is whatever that retailer makes it. We have to rely on our product to speak for itself,” he said.
