Netflix opens digital store to cash in on hit properties such as Stranger Things

Netflix is cashing in on the appeal of its biggest shows with the launch of an online store dedicated to selling branded merchandise, lifestyle products and apparel.

Netflix opens its digital storefront with branded merchandise

What Netflix has in store for you

• Netflix.shop is positioned as a way for fans to connect with their favorite actors and series when not binge-watching the latest season by snapping up a range of linked products.

• Part of an effort by Netflix to maintain relevancy when screens are switched off, the shop will complement other initiatives to extend the shelf life of its intellectual property such as branded toys, immersive events and games.

A new shopping mecca...

• Curated stock will convey a uniquely Netflix experience with debut items including streetwear and action figures based on the anime series Yasuke and Eden, and apparel inspired by the show Lupin.

• Better known tie-ins lie just around the corner, with products related to programs such as The Witcher and Stranger Things all waiting in the wings.

• Those of you wishing to proudly display your streaming allegiances for all the world to see are also in luck, with Netflix partnering with Japanese fashion house Beams to produce a range of new logo-wear.

...but only in the US – for now

• Sadly for international Netflix addicts, the store is restricted to US audiences only, at least initially, but should expand its reach over the coming months.

• Drumming up business, Josh Simon, Netflix’s vice-president of consumer products, wrote: “These limited-edition items join the vast assortment of consumer products we’ve made available through our trusted partners (for example, you can also find a wide range of Yasuke products at Target). The Netflix.shop will first be available in the US before expanding into other countries around the world in the coming months.

• “We’re thrilled to give fans a new way to connect with their favorite stories, and to introduce them to the next wave of artists and designers who embrace the power of storytelling in all its forms.”

• Netflix’s newest venture follows a boom period for the streaming giant, which has been buoyed further by indications that the recent mass switch to streaming marks a permanent shift in viewing habits.