Can shopping make Disney+ even more of a
must-have streaming service?
The Walt Disney Co. announced on Tuesday that it
would begin a “limited test” to determine the viability of selling themed
merchandise alongside certain Disney+ shows and films. Until November 8,
Disney+ subscribers will have exclusive access to a smattering of new products
tied to franchises such as “Star Wars”, “Black Panther”, and “Frozen.” The
items include light saber collectibles ($250 to $400) and themed clothing ($27
to $100) that will go on sale in regular retail stores next week.
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The shopping option is available only on Disney+
profiles in the United States that have been verified as belonging to users who
are 18 and older. The number of Disney+ subscribers in the United States is not
known; Disney has said the service has about 45 million customers in North
America.
The effort reflects a business reality: Disney+ has
more than 150 million subscribers worldwide, up from about 115 million a year
ago, but the days of easy growth are over. Disney must work harder to sign up
new subscribers and find ways to keep current ones from canceling, especially
with a possible recession on the horizon. Exclusive access to merchandise could
be one sweetener. Another could involve perks at Disney theme parks, including
early access to new rides. Disney+ subscribers have already received discounts
at Walt Disney World hotels in Florida.
Access to a “curated collection of merchandise for
the upcoming holiday season” is an experiment “to improve the user experience
on Disney+, which includes enhancing the benefits of being a subscriber”, Alisa
Bowen, president of Disney+, said in a statement.
Disney is also working on a separate Disney+
enhancement that it calls “next-generation storytelling”. That project aims to
use data collected on fans during visits to Disney parks — what rides they ride
first or repeatedly, for instance — to curate offerings on their Disney+
accounts back home.
The shopping feature, at least for the trial run, is
comparatively low-tech. For the next week, pages on the Disney+ app for certain
shows and films — “The Mandalorian”, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of
Madness”, and “Lightyear” — will alert eligible users about special access to
merchandise. Those interested need to open a “shop” tab and then, using a
camera on a separate device, scan a QR code that will take them to a gated area
of shopDisney, which is Disney’s primary e-commerce portal.
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