Sanrio's Refreshed Retail Concept Comes to New York

Sanrio, the global lifestyle brand best known for beloved pop icon Hello Kitty, has announced the unveiling of two stores in New York. These stores are the first openings under a partnership between Sanrio and SRA Retail LLC, holder of the licensing rights to open and operate Sanrio retail locations. The first is a pop-up shop that will run through the holiday season, located in the heart of Times Square at 1565 Broadway. The second is a permanent store located in The Shops at SkyView Center in Flushing, Queens. The goal of SRA Retail, which was founded by FABNY CEO Steve Russo, is to bring an elevated retail concept to Sanrio stores across the country.

Both stores will introduce a refreshed and reformatted retail design developed by Sanrio and SRA Retail. Welcoming shoppers of all ages, the unique store designs perfectly capture the brand's identity with modernized fixtures teeming with supercute merchandise and eye-popping visuals. The walls of the vibrant 1,100-square-foot Times Square store and 1,500-square-foot SkyView Center store are adorned with bold character graphics, and colorful exteriors that provide a peek into the exciting world of Sanrio.

Fans can celebrate the pop-up opening during the Sanrio Times Square Pop-Up Opening Party! on August 17 from 9am-1am. Visitors will be able to visit with Hello Kitty herself and receive a free gift with purchase, while supplies last. The first 100 customers at the party will score complimentary goodie bags.

The Times Square store will be home to an extensive assortment of merchandise, many exclusive to this location including:
· Sportswear from the JapanLA My Melody® collection - a special collaboration between Sanrio and L.A. pop-culture retailer JapanLA to fete My Melody's 40th anniversary this year
· Hello Kitty NY Mets and Hello Kitty NY Yankees merchandise from the Sanrio and Major League Baseball collaboration
· New York themed t-shirts & sportswear exclusive to the Times Square location

Sanrio will also host a grand opening party at The Shops at SkyView Center on August 16 from 10am-8pm. Guests will be treated to Hello Kitty appearances and giveaways including Hello Kitty crowns, temporary tattoos and balloons. There will also be free gifts with purchase, while supplies last.

The Flushing, Queens store will carry an array of original and exclusive items showcasing various Sanrio characters. Hello Kitty NY Mets merchandise from the Sanrio and MLB collaboration will also be included in the mix, as well as new products featuring Kirimichan™, a salmon fillet that is one of the newest characters from Tokyo. Stationery, sportswear, accessories, back-to-school supplies, home décor, luggage, jewelry and more will round out the offering featuring Hello Kitty and her friends.

About SRA Retail
SRA Retail is owned by Steve Russo - owner of dELiA*s and Alloy and CEO/Founder of FAB Starpoint. SRA Retail holds the exclusive rights to open and operate Sanrio Retail locations in the US and currently owns eight stores located in Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, Honolulu, and now New York.

About Sanrio
Sanrio is the global lifestyle brand best known for pop icon Hello Kitty, who is celebrating her 40th Anniversary this year. Home to many endearing characters including Chococat, My Melody, Badtz-Maru and Keroppi, Sanrio was founded on the 'small gift, big smile' philosophy - that a small gift can bring happiness and friendship to people of all ages. Since 1960, this philosophy has served as the inspiration for the broad spectrum of unique products and experiences. Today, more than 50,000 Sanrio-branded items are available in over 70 countries and upwards of 15,000 U.S. retail locations including department, specialty, national chain stores and over 80 Sanrio boutiques. For more information please visit www.sanrio.com and www.facebook.com/hellokitty.

Media requests: Orsi Public Relations
Dyann Hawkins/Janet Orsi (323)874-4073
dyann@orsipr.com/janet@orsipr.com