A stepped-up sales blitz of Harry Potter-themed merchandise is under way in book stores thanks to the perfect storm of the July 21 release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"--the seventh and
final book in the series--and the fifth movie, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which comes out 10 days earlier.
Sticker books and action figures populate two tables at a
Borders devoted solely to Potter merchandise in the Detroit suburb of Novi. Sweet-toothed Potter-philes can leave the store with their own version of the candy cart from the Hogwarts Express train.
Two stands offer Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and Chocolate Frogs and Blood Pops can be found elsewhere in the store.
Not to be outdone, rival superstore chain Barnes & Noble Inc. is
offering T-shirts, baseball caps, chess sets, calendars, bookmarks, journals, wands and games. The strategy is an about-face from 2005, when book No. 6, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," hit
shelves. Booksellers then scaled back on Potter paraphernalia, which didn't sell as well during the lead-up to the fifth novel.
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at MSNBC/AP »