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| Models promote Marvel-themed products at Starfield Hanam in Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap |
By Nam Hyun-woo
Retailers are enjoying brisk sales of products related to Marvel superheroes, as Korean moviegoers join the worldwide frenzy over the studio's latest release "Avengers: Endgame," according to industry officials Wednesday.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the latest Marvel film has attracted 7.33 million viewers in Korea as of Tuesday, just six days after its opening here. Given Korea will enter a three-day weekend, including Children's Day on May 5, the number is expected to show a sharper rise.
Along with the movie's popularity, sales of Marvel-themed products are going up.
According to SSG.com, a Shinsegae Group online commerce unit, its sales of Marvel-themed products from April 1 to 28 grew 15 times from the same period a month earlier.
The firm said such product sales showed a 630 percent growth on April 16, a day after cast members of "Avengers: Endgame" visited Korea for a promotional event, and 743 percent growth was posted on April 25, a day after the film's release.
The firm said the sales frenzy was led by LEGO blocks featuring Avengers characters. Four LEGO products it prepared were sold out just two days after the opening and many Iron Man action figures were also sold out. Some of the products were back in stock as of Wednesday.
Along with toys, sales of apparel, watches and some other Avengers-themed supplies also showed an average 20 percent growth, the company said.
"We think we have prepared enough inventory based on last year's sales data collected while the previous film Avengers: Infinity War was hitting its stride, but we again saw sold out products," an SSG.com official said.
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| Adidas basketball shoes featuring Marvel characters' coloring. Courtesy of Adidas |
Info-tech, food, fashion and sports apparel firms are also launching Avengers-themed products to join the frenzy.
LG Uplus will launch an artificial intelligence speaker featuring Marvel characters in its user interface.
Adidas began sales of five limited edition basketball shoes featuring Marvel superheroes' iconic coloring, and Uniqlo has released T-shirts featuring U.S. hand drawing illustrator Jason Polan's drawings of Marvel characters.
Discount chain Homeplus is also selling Marvel graphic T-shirts at cheaper prices, while bakery Paris Baguette is offering chocolate cakes decorated with Iron Man and Thor characters.
Shopping mall Starfield has been holding Marvel promotion event at its branches in Seoul, Hanam and Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
"Such goods sales is led by not only kids but also adults picking up childhood hobbies," an industry official said.
"Avengers: Endgame" is a sequel to "Avengers: Infinity War" where more than half of people in the universe were killed by Thanos.
The movie marks the final chapter of the Avengers led by Captain America and Iron Man, and opens a new beginning for Marvel's female superheroes led by Captain Marvel.
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| Models promote T-shirts featuring Marvel superheroes at a Homeplus store in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, May 24, when the studio's latest film "Avengers: Endgame" opened in Korea. Courtesy of Homeplus |
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