Web Gangsta – Web Watch

Improving Disney Shopping, part 3: Better Merchandise Options

Up Hawaiian Shirt from Disney/PixarIn previous posts that talk about improving the Disney shopping experience, Web Watch has touched upon Disney now making exclusive park merchandise available online and a request for Disney to make better merchandise options available than the standard “t-shirt, snowglobe, design-it-yourself” options… especially when it comes to available adult clothing or other products available for sale.

Today, I’m pleased to report that we may see a small turning of the giant, slow moving, merchandise cruise ship into more favorable winds. 

The UP Boutique may have a few of the expected t-shirt, snowglobe, design-it-yourself items that Disney is obligated to sell to promote their latest feature, UP, but it also has more unique items that have not been seen in Disney shopping arenas for many moons.  The Reyn Spooner Hawaiian Shirt (shown above), or the UP-themed luggage tags, are perfect examples of the direction Disney merchandising needs to continue to move towards for all their character franchise lines.  

The fact that Disney has decided to make an UP Boutique is interesting considering business analysts were down on Disney recently for not making enough toy-related products for the film.  Sorry to disappoint you, but not every film needs to be turned into a toy.  Sometimes Hawaiian shirts and luggage tags ARE appropriate for a film’s fans.

This doesn’t mean that Disney should necessarily do luggage tags and Hawaiian shirts for every franchise — even though polo, Hawaiian, or bowling shirts are always a good alternative to the ubiquitous t-shirt.  More that Disney should continue to create unique items that celebrate all their characters in a similar manner that these choices do for Pixar’s UP.  Seeing these UP-related items for sale was a pleasant surprise, and a trend that I hope continues.  

Also newly available on Disney Shopping is a black-on-white Mickey Mouse design used on various home furnishings, ranging from bed covers, pillow cases, and curtains to tasteful placesettings for the kitchen.  The design doesn’t scream “look at me”, but it is a classic subdued touch for anyone who didn’t want their Mickey Mouse home to have a red and yellow cartoony look but still wanted a little whimsy. 

One can only hope that Disney will make all these UP and classy Mickey Mouse items available for sale at the parks, The Disney Stores, as well as online, but Web Watch will take our wins where we can.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this is the start of a much-needed return to the Disney Catalog/Disney Store merchandise selection of old, once again making a wide variety of desirable products for sale – all the while continuing to cater to the Disney audience with money to spend and no interest in the kiddie or same-old, same-old stuff that they’ve been selling in recent years. 

Well played.  Let’s keep up the good work.

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