Why Open An Indoor Playground? Learn From MINISO LAND: Go Big, Go IP, Go Experience

MINISO LAND's first store in Guangzhou, China opened at Zhengjia Plaza, following the success of its Beijing Road store, created new IP scenes within the traditional arcade architecture. The Guangzhou store, features a two-story immersive space showcasing over 100 popular IPs and exclusive scenes, creating an urban landmark integrating consumption, social interaction, and cultural experiences.This is exactly why more investors choose to open an indoor playground that prioritizes experience over mere equipment. The case brings three upgrade directions to the indoor playground industry...

MINISO, originally a "ten-yuan store" lifestyle retailer, in 2026, founder Ye Guofu formally proposed a new vision: to become a leading global IP operation platform. The company plans to exceed 10,000 stores worldwide within three years and lead 100 Chinese IPs to the world. Collaborations with international IPs such as Disney, Sanrio, and Zootopia 2 have been undertaken, along with significant investment in the development and operation of original IPs.

This represents a fundamental upgrade to MINISO's core business, signifying a shift in corporate competition from a single product to an ecosystem platform that operates across the entire IP value chain.While IP may initially only influence a specific group, the emotional connection and user loyalty it fosters far surpass traditional business, which is the core path for the company to leap from a retail enterprise to a cultural platform.

Commercial real estate expert Wang Yongping , based on his in-depth observation of industry trends, points out that the operational logic is transitioning from early "space operation" and later "traffic operation" to a new stage of "content operation." He believes that "theme park" stores like MINISO LAND, which focus on rich IP content and immersive experiences, precisely meet the current urgent need of core commercial complexes for high-quality content and possess strong competitiveness to become the next generation of anchor tenants. This is not only an upgrade in store format but also an evolution of business logic.

Implications for the "Indoor Playground" Industry

Upgrading to a "Content Space" The core function of traditional indoor playgrounds is to let children expend physical energy while parents wait on the sidelines-essentially "time-based childcare." MINISO LAND proves that successful offline spaces should be content-driven, emotionally resonant, and involve the whole family. This brings three upgrade directions to the indoor playground industry: From "Mechanical Equipment Stacking" to "IP Theming"

MINISO's Inspiration: Even with the same climbing structure, packaging it as a "Disney Princess Castle" or "Super Mario Mushroom Kingdom" completely changes a child's sense of immersion and willingness to replay. When you open an indoor playground, introducing or developing their own children's IPs, allowing each area to tell a story.

Not all industries need to open a large indoor playground, but almost all industries can learn from the "playground-like" mindset. The key is to determine if your business possesses one of the following three characteristics:

Experience can be empowered by IP: Transform product displays into immersive themed exhibitions, increasing photo opportunities and interactive elements.

Need to extend dwell time: Set up a "mini playground" area within the store that is fun, photogenic, and shareable, even if it's only 20 square meters.

The presence of "accompanying guests": Create a low-pressure, fun small space for waiting partners or children, reducing the feeling of rushing.

MINISO LAND chose to "open large stores and good stores" because it carries the concentrated display and in-depth experience of IP. For most small and medium-sized enterprises, a more realistic choice is to open an indoor playground concept in a compact form-making a corner, a wall, or a queuing process interesting is the smallest "amusement park" unit.