U.K. Collectibles Brand House of Spells to Open in 20K SF at 234 West 42nd Street

The British are invading Times Square with a roughly 20,000-square-foot lease for the first U.S. outpost of collectibles brand House of Spells, Commercial Observer has learned.

House of Spells, a U.K.-based vendor selling merchandise from franchises such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, will open its first U.S. location on the ground floor of 234 West 42nd Street, a 15-story commercial building primarily home to the Hilton New York Times Square hotel. 

The property between Seventh and Eighth avenues is owned by Brookfield and Madison International Realty in a joint venture. The building is also home to entertainment tenants Madame Tussauds New York and Dave & Busters.

House of Spells’ new space at the property was formerly home to Modell’s, and was most recently occupied by candy store IT’Sugar. The new collectibles store will be bursting with sweet adventures centered around the magical artifacts that have already captivated Liverpool and Stratford-upon-Avon. House of Spells is also relocating in London to a secret location.

The space in the building — known as the Deuce — has 4,500 square feet on the ground floor and goes deep into the spooky underworld for another 15,500 square feet.

The asking rent could not be learned, but asking rents for IT’Sugar were $300 per square foot on the ground floor and $150 per square foot on the lower level back in 2022, as Commercial Observer previously reported.

Rent is no problemo for House of Spells, whose president of USA operations, Jamie Vidal, said in a statement, “I can tell you that the foot traffic and vibrant feel of Times Square community makes every dollar of our occupancy costs worth it.

“The energy in Times Square is simply magical, and there’s no better place for House of Spells to cast its first USA footprint than right in the Crossroads of the World,” Vidal added. “Our newest destination on West 42nd Street will bring our international brand and fandom experience across the pond to an international audience where surprising and immersive adventures await when we open our doors to visitors and ‘WAND-erers’ later this summer.” 

The lease was quietly signed on Feb. 12, so construction is already underway with a soft opening planned for the last week of June.

The grand opening of House of Spells is expected later in July.

“After extensive, detailed psychographic research, House of Spells chose 234 West 42nd Street for customer accessibility, branding presence, and international and local pedestrian traffic,” Peter Weisman of Weisman NYC, who represented House of Spells in the lease, said in a statement. “Proximity to major transportation hubs, the historic nature of Times Square and other key considerations drove the decision.”

Alan Schmerzler, Diana Boutross and Ian Lerner of Cushman & Wakefield represented ownership in the 10-year deal.

“West 42nd Street has re-emerged as the city’s defining destination for entertainment-themed and attraction-style experiences,” Schmerzler said in a statement. “House of Spells is a compelling and seamless addition that aligns exceptionally well with the character of the street and will amplify the energy and vibrancy of the district.”

The building, reinvented in the late 1990s by the old Forest City Ratner, is also home to restaurant Applebee’s, musical entertainment attraction Broadway 4D (eventually coming to the former Liberty Theatre), and the AMC Empire 25 movie complex.

“The arrival of House of Spells reflects the continued demand for innovative retail uses within Times Square,” Sunny Choi, head of leasing at Madison International Realty, said in a statement. “The concept introduces a distinctive new draw to West 42nd Street that will further diversify the neighborhood’s experiential offerings for visitors, and the local community.”