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February 29, 2024

Entrepreneur to open new ‘immersive retail’ anime store in Fairfield this spring

Contributed Ellie Greenberg cutting a ribbon at the opening of Arisu at Olde Mistick Village in 2023.
By Andrew Larson

The owner of an anime superstore in Mystic is opening another location in Fairfield.

The store, called Arisu, offers an immersive experience that will allow patrons to engage with Japanese pop culture, through anime merchandise and the food of an authentic Japanese convenience store.

Arisu is expected to open at 226 Kings Highway East in the late spring. 

The store is owned by entrepreneur Ellie Greenberg, who launched her first store in Mystic in 2016, called Alice in the Village, a tea room inspired by the adventures of "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. She opened her first Arisu anime store in Olde Mistick Village in 2023.

Greenberg embraces the concept of “immersive retail,” which means an environment where customers don’t just shop “but engage in a story, a fantasy, a moment of wonder.”

She envisions Arisu as transporting visitors to the bustling streets of Tokyo.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring this unique oasis for fans of Japanese pop culture to a second region in Connecticut, focusing on Fairfield County and New York state residents,” Greenberg said.

The aisles of Arisu will be filled with a selection of more than 200 anime categories, including more than 1,500 titles and 5,000 books.

Interactive elements include Gachapon machines and a free retro gaming arcade.

Arisu also features giant anime statues and a Japanese market, including the largest collection of ramen in New England and snacks.

Greenberg has created two other stores in Connecticut under the Wonderlosity brand – Alice’s Haunted Bookshop and Cloak and Wand – both located in Mystic. She is founder and CEO of Wonderlosity, the stores' parent company.

Greenberg has a second Cloak and Wand location in Pennsylvania.

Each store is meant to be its own “world.” Cloak and Wand pays homage to the wizards and witches of folklore, myth and legend, creating an enchanting space of the arcane.

Greenberg believes each location is not just a store, but a destination: “places where imagination is kindled, and every visit is memorable.”

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