Target has just launched an extensive new line of Disney Princess merchandise…including five 96-page collections featuring Ariel, Jasmine, Rapunzel, Pocahontas and Belle. These are hardcover collections, all produced by Joe Books. And not entirely exclusive, as you can buy them at the Joe Books website.
The comics are part of a marketing push at Target for all kinds of merchandise, but according to PR it’s focused on the Joe Books version of the Princesses. The books retail for $9.99 so a pretty reasonable purchase to get Princess fans to dig into comics and reading.
Disney Princesses is one of the most successful licensing lines of all times, and for several years it was the #1 licensed line. In 2012 it made $1.6 billion in North American retail sales and $3 billion globally. When the toy line went from Mattel to Hasbro it signalled a massive drop in Mattel’s fortunes and a similar lift in Hasbro’s. Luckily Mattel bounced back with the DC Super Hero Girls line, which has also been a massive success.
The rest of the Target line includes many products including toothbrushes, toys, disposable diapers, underwear and even soup with enchanted pasta shapes, yum!
