Gundam Base is revving up its retail presence in America, with the planned opening this fall of new stores in the Mall of America in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Ill., and Seattle’s Westfield Southcenter. The stores will sell merch from a long-running Japanese anime series featuring giant robots called “mobile suits.”
That will bring to three the number of American stores operated by the Japanese brand’s U.S. units, Bandai Namco Amusement America Inc. (Itasca, Ill.) and Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America Inc. (Irvine, Calif.) The first permanent store, which opened last December at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont, Ill., drew long lines during its debut…