Star Wars toy sales disappointing for Hasbro

Toy manufacturer Hasbro has reported disappointing Star Wars toy sales in the final quarter of 2017, when The Last Jedi merchandise launched. The longest-running toy partner for the Star Wars franchise, Hasbro, has reported a disappointing fourth quarter in 2017, partly attributed to disappointing Star Wars sale. While this may not be a story directly related to the LEGO Group, the broader performance of Star Wars is relevant to any toy company that holds the licence – particularly as it is understood that the LEGO Group has been underwhelmed by the recent performance of the theme. CNBC reported the news from Hasbro:

The company said it doesn't see the fall in sales as "Star Wars fatigue," but rather a result of the timing of the merchandise release and advertisements. Goldner said that between Force Friday, a September merchandising event, and the release of "The Last Jedi" in December, customers were bombarded with products from other entertainment properties, like "Thor: Ragnorak" and "Justice League."

"So narrowing those windows so you're really able to take advantage of the specific marketing and these big marketing campaigns around the brands enables you to do quite a strong job in merchandising those films," he said.

With new movies being released regularly, logic would follow that Star Wars toys sales would be up, or at least holding steady. The opposite has been the case, with sales falling and significant amounts of stock ending up at clearance stores in the UK.