Key Points
- MINISO UK will launch its first MINISO FRIENDS store in the United Kingdom during the second half of 2027 at St David’s Cardiff.
- MINISO will expand its retail area at the center through the new store which will increase their existing 2,637 square foot space to more than 6,600 square feet.
- The store will display a length of more than 35 meters which the company compares to the distance covered by three back-to-back double-decker buses.
- MINISO FRIENDS operates as the brand’s expanded retail space which shows off intellectual property through its established IP-based retail concept.
- The brand delivers an all-encompassing experience through its retail space which features product displays and dedicated areas for character-based attractions and fan interaction zones.
- MINISO FRIENDS will open its first store location in Wales and throughout the entire United Kingdom.
- The store will be located near M&S, Primark and Boots within St David’s Cardiff.
- MINISO first opened at St David’s in November 2020, when Cardiff became its second UK store and first outside London.
- MINISO UK chief operating officer Saad Usman said the Cardiff store would be built around fandom and designed as a destination for fans and collectors.
- The expansion of St David’s reflects its strong performance according to Pablo Sueiras from Landsec. The collectables sector shows expansion which supports this growth.
- Helen Morgan who leads St David’s Cardiff center stated that MINISO would create its largest store in Wales to offer customers a deeper shopping experience.
St David (Wales Times) November 06, 2026 – MINISO UK is to open the UK’s first MINISO FRIENDS store at St David’s Cardiff in 2027, bringing the global lifestyle brand’s larger, immersive and intellectual-property-led retail format to Britain for the first time. As reported by Scott Thompson of Retail Technology Innovation Hub, the development will more than double MINISO’s existing footprint at the Cardiff shopping centre.
The announcement was also covered by WalesOnline, Retail Times, Nation.Cymru and Retail Property News, all of which reported that the new concept store will open in the second half of 2027 and occupy more than 6,600 sq ft.
What Is the New MINISO FRIENDS Store?
MINISO FRIENDS is described by the company as its most immersive store format. According to Retail Times, the concept combines retail, experience and community, with dedicated IP toy zones and an extensive collectables offer including blind boxes, plush toys and licensed merchandise.
The format will also carry MINISO’s wider lifestyle range, including home products, stationery, gifting items and accessories. As reported by WalesOnline, the store is intended to give fans a place to discover, collect and share their interest in globally recognised characters.
MINISO said the concept is designed to turn a shopping visit into a destination visit, increasing dwell time and giving fans and collectors a reason to travel to the centre.
How Large Will the Cardiff Store Be?
The new store will expand MINISO’s presence at St David’s from 2,637 sq ft to more than 6,600 sq ft. That represents an increase of more than 3,900 sq ft and more than doubles the retailer’s current space at the centre.
The store will also have a frontage of more than 35 metres. WalesOnline reported that MINISO described this as equivalent to the length of three double-decker buses.
The new MINISO FRIENDS store will occupy a prominent position within St David’s Cardiff, close to M&S, Primark and Boots.
Why Has Cardiff Been Chosen?
MINISO has operated at St David’s since November 2020. At that time, Cardiff became the brand’s second UK location and its first store outside London.
MINISO UK chief operating officer Saad Usman said Cardiff had been part of the company’s UK story from the beginning. As reported by WalesOnline, he said:
“Cardiff has been part of our UK story from the very start, and our fans here have shown us just how much they love to discover, collect and share.”
In comments reported by Retail Times, Usman said:
“MINISO FRIENDS is our most immersive format, and St David’s is the right place to bring it to the UK first.”
He added that Cardiff had been a strong store for MINISO since 2020 and that the move would more than double its space in a centre that continues to attract major retail and leisure names.
What Did St David’s Say?
Landsec, which owns St David’s Cardiff, said the decision reflected the strength of the destination and the opportunity it sees in Cardiff. As reported by Retail Times, Pablo Sueiras, Head of Retail and Hospitality Leasing at Landsec, said MINISO’s decision to more than double its footprint and choose St David’s for the UK debut of MINISO FRIENDS reflected the centre’s appeal.
Sueiras said Landsec was seeing significant growth in collectables, with collaborations based on globally recognised intellectual property helping MINISO build a highly engaged community.
He added:
“MINISO Friends takes that a step further, creating a bigger, more immersive format where those fans can come together around the characters they love.”
Helen Morgan, Centre Director at St David’s Cardiff, said MINISO had been a “fantastic success story” at the centre since it first arrived. As reported by Nation.Cymru, she said the centre was proud to be part of the brand’s next chapter and to host the UK debut of MINISO FRIENDS.
Morgan said the new flagship would give MINISO’s growing community of fans and collectors “an even bigger and more immersive experience right here in Wales”.
What Will Shoppers Find Inside?
The store will feature dedicated IP toy zones showcasing MINISO’s collaborations with globally recognised characters and brands. WalesOnline reported that these partnerships have been central to MINISO’s growth.
Shoppers will be able to explore collectables including blind boxes, plush toys and licensed merchandise. The store will also offer MINISO’s lifestyle, home, stationery, gifting and accessories collections.
MINISO’s existing Cardiff store already sells products connected to brands and characters including Disney, Minecraft and K-Pop Demon Hunters, according to WalesOnline. The St David’s Cardiff website also lists MINISO as offering homewares, technology, toys and themed collections featuring Disney and Pokémon.
Is This MINISO’s First Immersive UK Store?
MINISO FRIENDS will be the first store of that specific format in the UK and Wales. However, Retail Property News reported that the announcement follows MINISO’s earlier plan to open its first MINISO LAND concept store on London’s Oxford Street, a 19,000 sq ft flagship.
The Cardiff development is therefore the first confirmed UK location for the MINISO FRIENDS format, rather than necessarily the brand’s first larger-format or immersive retail concept in the country.
Background of the Development
MINISO is a global lifestyle brand known for collectables, licensed merchandise, plush toys, blind boxes and everyday lifestyle products. WalesOnline reported that its stores carry products connected to brands including Disney, Minecraft and K-Pop Demon Hunters.
The company entered St David’s Cardiff in November 2020. That opening made Cardiff MINISO’s second UK store and its first outside London.
MINISO FRIENDS represents a shift towards larger stores built around intellectual property, collectables and fan engagement. Retail Times reported that the format is intended to increase dwell time and create a destination for fans and collectors.
The announcement comes amid wider growth in collectables retail. Landsec’s Pablo Sueiras said the centre was seeing significant growth in collectables and collaborations involving globally recognised IP.
Prediction: What It Means for Cardiff Shoppers
For Cardiff shoppers, collectors and fans of character merchandise, the opening is likely to create a larger destination for licensed toys, blind boxes, plush items and MINISO’s lifestyle ranges. The store’s dedicated IP zones and expanded floor space suggest a broader product selection than the current 2,637 sq ft store.
For St David’s Cardiff, the development may increase footfall from fans travelling specifically for collectables and character-led products. MINISO and Landsec have both positioned the format as a destination store intended to extend visitor dwell time.
For other retailers in the centre, the arrival of a 6,600 sq ft immersive collectables store may add another high-profile anchor for younger shoppers and fan communities. The store’s location near M&S, Primark and Boots places it within a busy part of the centre.
