HK at USO

Hello Kitty may be as cute as a button, and there’s no denying she’s one of the most popular and successful character franchises ever created. And while our beloved Ms. Kitty may have almost single-handedly repaid her parent company Sanrio’s debts, it seems she’s still keeping herself as busy as ever, as it was announced recently that she’ll be opening her very first shop in the Universal Orlando Resort later this year. Yes, while the international feline celebrity may have turned 40 last November, she’s showing no signs of slowing down —  but then again, somehow we didn’t think Ms.Kitty would be the type to enjoy early retirement!

The news was announced earlier this week on Universal Orlando Resort’s official blog, and what makes it particularly exciting is that this will be the first Sanrio shop of its kind at a theme park in North America, although Universal Studios Japan in Osaka already has a Hello Kitty area.

The shop will offer various merchandise such as stationary, sweets, accessories and even apparel items, as well as special Universal Park-exclusive Hello Kitty merchandise that fans are sure to covet. While most of the products will be Hello Kitty-themed, there will also be some that feature other Sanrio favorites like My Melody,  Badtz-Maru, Chococat, Purin, and Keroppi. The store will also be designed to make your shopping experience an interactive one, as customers will be able to create their own souvenir Hello Kitty bow and also see Hello Kitty in person. Now, we have to say that all sounds delightful, regardless of how big a Hello Kitty fan you are!

▼ Our beloved Hello Kitty, 40 and still going strong!

kitty-40th-trimmed

And this first store at Universal Orlando Resort is apparently only the beginning. According to the blog post, fans can look forward to a second shop opening at Universal Studios Hollywood sometime in the future.

So, the next time you visit one of the Universal parks, you just might be going home with some Hello Kitty merchandise after meeting the star cat herself. Hello Kitty’s face is always a welcome sight, at least in our books, so we hope the stores are a success and provide customers at the parks with much shopping joy for many years to come. Here’s wishing you a fruitful foray into the world of American theme parks, Ms. Kitty!

Source: Universal Orlando Resort Blog via IT Media (Japanese)
Top Image: Twitter (@UniversalORL)
Inset photo: © RocketNews24