Geeky retailer Merchoid has done what this blogger wants all shops to do; published stats!
The site has tracked a boom in Stranger Things merch, up +13,126% from the year before, with Batman a distant second place in year-on-year growth, with +106%.
Third place is surprising and not. It’s very geeky. Merchoid has seen a 65% rise in Warhammer 40K sales! Is the world getting into wargaming? Is it the halo from the lockdown or Henry Cavill?
There’s also a story to be found in the Harry Potter stats. Here’s a deeper look at the hot fandoms with merch machines feeding our retail therapy needs.
#1 – Stranger Things
If you haven’t been taken up in the Stranger Things Season Four frenzy, you might have been hiding in the Upside Down. Season four of the show was the most popular English-language show of all time on Netflix as of October 2022, with over 1.3 billion hours viewed by viewers in its first 28 days on the platform!
Fans clamoured to get their hands on their Hellfire Club tee while Kate Bush and Metallica took over our summer soundtrack. The last season is set to premiere in 2024, giving us plenty of time to level up our D&D characters before it airs.
#2 – Batman
Matt Reeves’ The Batman not only helped bring the Caped Crusader back to the big screen but also posed a challenge to Marvel’s dominance of the superhero box office. (Plus, a massive 106% increase in revenue starting in 2021! That should help fund some new Batcave devices).
Fans have rushed at the chance to get their hands on Batman items, including replicas of the new, redesigned Batman logo, with a new suit and enemies rampaging in Gotham. A sequel to Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is now in the works and is set to hit theatres in 2025.
#3 – Warhammer 40K
[Invade!]
Warhammer 40,000’s popularity grows year after year. With a fervent fanbase that includes famous superfans such as Henry Cavill and WWE Superstar Shayna Baszler, gamers have been looking for ways to express their fandoms other than by constructing massive armies.
As the market expands, so does players’ need for something to enhance their gaming experience, with Warhammer 40,000 merchandise sales increasing by 65% this year compared to 2021. (Would anyone be interested in a Nurgle-scented candle?) With the imminent release of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, it’s no wonder that Warhammer 40,000 remains one of the top three fan-favourite brands, marking its 35th anniversary this year.
#4 – Resident Evil
Resident Evil has had many chapters in its franchise undergo the spruced-up treatment, taking advantage of the current trend of classic games being redone, rebooted and relaunched.
Resident Evil 2 and 3 were eagerly anticipated by horror game enthusiasts. With Resident Evil 4 set to release in 2023, there will be enough Resident Evil content for gamers to sink their teeth into. This has undoubtedly aided the franchise in not only holding its footing and keeping Harry Potter in fifth place but also in creating a sales rise across 2022 that now has it nipping at the heels of third place.
Each release has been accompanied by a terrific assortment of in-game replicas (some of our favourites this year include these Resident Evil 3 Puzzle Keys), demonstrating that fans are eager to return to Raccoon City time and time again.
#5 – Harry Potter
In the fifth position but down by more than 60%, Harry Potter is still strong but getting weaker.
2023 will be interesting as the game Hogwarts Legacy launches, and the Wizarding World Festival takes place in the States. However, JKR remains controversial and doesn’t seem to hold the same beliefs as many Potter fans.
2023 predictions from Merchoid
Speaking of 2023, Merchoid makes some gentle guesses about what might make the top 5 next year. Michelle Kelly, eCommerce Manager at Merchoid, said;
However, with the return of The Mandalorian (and in turn, Grogu) and the beginning of the MCU’s Phase Five delivering strong titles throughout the year, we’re anticipating our top five list to look quite different this time next year.
Just a note on geography; it’s the US Merchoid site that published these stats, and they don’t say whether these are global sales or just US.
Via Merchoid
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