Anyone who showed up at Mall of America on Sept. 30 hoping to buy a Gundam model kit will get a second chance. Bandai Namco's 2 new stores there, the Bandai Namco Cross Store and The Gundam Base, are now set to open Oct. 30. That's exactly a month after the date the company first announced.
Bandai posted the delay on Sept. 26, only 4 days before the original opening. The update said the opening had been postponed from its originally scheduled Sept. 30 date and that a new date would be announced later. The company never gave a reason, and it still hasn't.
The Cross Store puts 15 official Bandai shops and brands under one roof. They include Bandai Namco Anime Station, Banpresto, the Tamagotchi Shop, Tamashii Nations, the Mega Kawaii Shop, a Bandai Hobby Shop, the Bandai Card Games Official Store and a Gashapon shop with capsule toys. You'll find anime and game characters on figures, plush, hobby kits and lifestyle merchandise.
The Gundam Base sells only Gundam merchandise. Its main draw is Gunpla, the plastic model kits from the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. Bandai says the Bloomington store will be the second Gundam Base in the U.S., after Chicago. Both brands are getting their second U.S. location here.
The original announcement listed grand-opening offers. The Cross Store would give a free branded tote bag with any purchase, and The Gundam Base would give a clear fanny pack with purchases of $100 or more. Bandai also promised exclusive limited-edition Gunpla kits. The company hasn't said whether those offers still apply on the new date, so collectors should hold off on planning around the free tote until Bandai confirms it.
Bandai originally listed store hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The opening comes the day before Halloween, so the toy aisles may be busy with costumed shoppers.
