WILL ‘NEW MOON’ MERCHANDISE BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS ‘TWILIGHT’ MERCHANDISE?
In a new article from Forbes.com, they discuss the likelihood that New Moon movie merchandise will indeed boost Hot Topic’s sales this fall, but also touch on the large possibility that New Moon merchandise won’t be quite as powerful as a sales driver as Twilight movie merchandise.
The apparel based on the “Twilight” hit book and movie series about teenage vampires had helped Hot Topic post big gains in sales late last year and earlier this year while other retailers struggled.“New Moon” merchandise will be in stores in early October, said William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia in a note to investors. However, August sales trends are “lackluster,” she wrote, and Hot Topic is facing increasingly difficult sales comparisons from last year, especially during October, when it will release “New Moon” apparel and accessories.
B. Riley analyst Jeffrey Van Sinderen said late Wednesday that Hot Topic is improving its women’s clothing offerings and has kept inventory under control. These efforts should help it maximize the gains from the fresh traffic the “New Moon” merchandise will bring to stores, he said.
But other stores are also releasing “New Moon” product, and Van Sinderen said the company felt it would be hard to be better than flat with last year’s “Twilight” sales.
The teen retailer on Wednesday said it expects to earn between 11 and 13 cents in the third quarter, slightly below analysts’ estimates, while it projects sales in stores open at least a year to fall by a mid-single digit. Same-store sales fell 7.7 percent in the second quarter.
What are your thoughts on this article? Do you agree or disagree that sales will be lesser this time around? Are you as excited about New Moon merchandise as you were about Twilight merchandise? Do you foresee yourself buying any New Moon merchandise this time around?
