Move over Buzz, Woody and Vader – Lightning McQueen is in town…
One of the biggest retail markets is film franchising and over recent years few films have dominated the market.
Star Wars and Toy Story have long been the biggest film franchises, with both releasing everything from toys, clothing and video games to bed sheets and alarm clocks.
However Disney’s Pixar studios latest release, Cars 2, is predicted to be the cause for more than €200m (£175m) worth of merchandise sales in Europe this year, according to the market research firm NPD.
Should Cars 2 make the €200m mark in merchandise sales, it will be the first film or TV programme to do so in Europe in any year, and follows on from five years of strong sales of toys tied into the first film.
Last year Toy Story racked up €172m worth of sales, and has continuously sold well since the release of the first Toy Story film back in 1995.
Argos, the country’s biggest retailer, released it’s autumn/winter catalogue this weekend and in it featured 414 Cars-branded items – a staggering amount when compared to the 78 Toy Story items and 23 Transformers ones. A spokesman for Argos explained “We expect Cars 2 to be exceptionally strong.”
Hamleys, the well renowned toy department store in London, has predicted that the best-selling toy this year will be the Finn McMissle car, with sound effects voiced by Michael Caine and priced at £40.
Despite not actually knocking Harry Potter off the number one box office spot, Cars will dominate the toy market because of its appeal to a very young audience. Toy analyst Frederique Tutt, at NPD, explained that “Harry Potter is not right for the toy or merchandise market. The perfect age for toys is four to five. After that children discover computer games and sports.”
The release of Cars 2 is good news for the high street as well; kids will be dragging their parents down to the shops with hopes of coming home with a brand new toy in coming weeks.
Film franchising will continue to sustain itself in the retail market and certain releases will emerge as dominant forces, if Cars 2 lives up to expectations then it will take its place in the hall of fame as one of histories greatest, most profitable film franchises.
In other news…
David Beckham will be bringing out his own affordable ‘bodywear’ line for high street retailer H&M.
‘Brand Beckham’ will be going truly global as the bodywear line – namely underwear and T-shirts – will be distributed and sold exclusively by the high street chain, H&M.
Due for release on February 2, 2012, Beckham’s fashion line is almost certainly going to be a sell-out, as general consumers as well as fans will flock to by the clothes endorsed by one of the worlds most popular sportsmen.