Sorry, Doll: World's Biggest Barbie Store Closes

In China, we know one blonde who isn't having more fun. Barbie, the quintessential American doll, packed her perfectly accessorized bags after her Shanghai flagship store closed. It was the world's second Barbie store, but it dwarfed the scale of the first, established in Buenos Aires.

The 35,000 square-foot, six-story Mattel merchandising mecca in Shanghai lasted two years, with profits apparently as wobbly as Raggedy Ann's legs. The store was intended to be the centerpiece of Barbie's excursion into Chinese retail, opening on her 50th birthday. It even had a spa and cafe so Mom could drop a few yuan on herself.