tively –  following Bridgerton’s success on the small screen. A Netflix shop is about to open in Los Angeles, and a Handmaid’s Tale pop-up opened in Sydney earlier this year, in anticipation of the season five launch on SBS.   NBCUniversal is on this trend too, opening a retail bricks-and-mortar store, called Univrs, in Hollywood.   Working with international and local artists, the media company is selling a range of limited-edition merchandise and collectibles from popular TV shows and films including Minions, Felix the Cat, Jaws, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park.   A goal of the Univrs retail shop is to add to the customer experience of going to Universal Studios, which is why it is located on the premises, rather than in a shopping centre or other location.  Senior vice president of global lifestyle design for Universal products and experiences, Stephanie Kraus, said that Univrs was created with a ‘get it before it’s gone’ and ‘drop culture’ mentality. “Merchandise at Univrs marries our popular brands with current trending fashion styles, driven by favourite characters and iconic on-screen moments,” Kraus said. “What’s unique about the Univrs merchandise is that we’ve created something for every type of fan.” Content driving sales Media companies are providing more than just entertainment. Rather, they are becoming key players in the online and retail marketplace. Similar to following a sporting team and wanting to wear their merchandise, customers may feel connected to a character, show or film and brand identity, and feel a strong need to wear their products. As such, there’s an intrinsic link between the content and licensing arms of these companies, with the development of compelling shows and films being critical to brand affinity, return on investment and merchandising opportunities.  According to Kraus, there is definitely a correlation between the content that is being watched, and the merchandise that’s purchased by fans. She said that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, people were watching or rewatching nostalgic films, which triggered new fans to these brands. Meanwhile, Sophie Onikul, head of communications at eBay, told Inside Retail last year that the business had noticed a direct correlation between the shows that people are watching, and their purchases at checkout. “We’re seeing [trending TV shows] translate directly into shopping habits with purchases over the last 12 months [which are] heavily influenced by what people are watching,” she said. Jana Bowden, an expert in consumer psychology and consumer engagement at Macquarie University Business School, added to this, saying that we are being shaped and influenced by the media that we are consuming. “We are increasingly taking our cues from what we see in shows,” she said.“These shows act as signifiers – they signal to consumers what is cool. They create awareness and put the brands and products on consumers’ radars by showing them what is out there.” More locations According to Kraus, a reason behind NBCUniversal’s move to a retail space was to create a destination that houses specialty collections, while also enabling fans to come together over new designs and drops. The brand is targeting a Gen Z and millennial demographic by tapping into fashion-led trends, and refreshing the product range with new styles each quarter. The company is exploring the possibility of a second shop within other Universal Parks & Resort locations. “While we can’t share any financials, we can tell you that top performing products include anything from the Felix apparel – especially the black bomber jacket, Minions product collaborations [and] classic properties like Back to the Future, Jurassic Park [and] Hot Stuff,” Kraus said. “Our focus is creating trend-right styles [and] using fan-favourite characters and on-screen moments in creative ways.”