SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- Oct. 31, 2002 -- Lucas Licensing Ltd. today announced that after a summer of fierce competition at the box office and on retail shelves, Star Wars toys have emerged as the top-selling licensed toys of the year according to NPD Funworld, the research organization recognized as the leading source of toy industry data. Through August, Star Wars holds the #1 license position, ahead of all other toy licenses, including formidable competitors such as Spiderman, Harry Potter and Power Rangers. Within their key product categories, Star Wars toys have sold more than double the volume of their next closest competitors.
Star Wars action figures and accessories from Hasbro account for the largest share, followed by building sets from LEGO. According to NPD Funworld, Star Wars also dominates all assortments/items introduced in 2002, holding four of the top five slots. Hasbro's Episode II basic action figure assortment captures the #1 spot and has outsold the nearest competitive items by a margin of over 2 to 1. Deluxe electronic lightsabers from Hasbro rank #2 on the list and are selling so well that total lightsaber sales this year will be more than double the volume of lightsabers sold in 1999, the year that Episode I was released. LEGO Star Wars sets also dominate the building-set category, capturing seven of the top-ten licensed bestseller spots for the year to date through August.
All of this has led to Star Wars being one of the most successful boys' toy brands of all time, reaching an estimated $8 billion in retail sales since its introduction in 1977.
The momentum will continue this fall with the much-anticipated release of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in IMAX theatres on November 1st and on home video on November 12th.
In addition, several new and exciting Star Wars toys will be introduced for the holiday season. Hasbro brings R2-D2 to life for Star Wars fans of all ages with a 15-inch interactive toy. The new Artoo recognizes 40 phrases, plays five games, sings tunes and is packed with all the spunk and charm that makes this loveable droid so magical. A new, interactive Jedi Training Lightsaber lets Star Wars fans hone their lightsaber skills by following the guidance of Jedi Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. This 36-inch lightsaber can be personalized with your own secret code, has an awesome light-up blade and cool battle sound effects. Fans can also now recreate the epic end-battle scene from Episode II with the Geonosian Battle Arena playset and the Republic Gunship. These new items are perfect gifts for any Star Wars fan!
Lucas Licensing Ltd. manages all the domestic and international merchandising activities of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones properties. Star Wars is the most successful film-based merchandising program in history. The Star Wars licensing program is renowned for its attention to product detail and quality in the fields of publishing, toys, games, collectibles, apparel and home furnishings.
For additional information about Star Wars please visit www.starwars.com.
