uCostumes, Toys, And Soup Add Up: Star Wars Stuff May Be Worth More Than $9B To Disneyr

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  Hey, have you heard of this little movie coming out on Friday? It’s a Star Wars installment. Barely anyone is talking about it and there’s no advertising or merchandise, so it might be easy to…

  Ha, yeah, even I can’t keep a straight face any longer. Star Wars is everywhere. On everything. There are the obligatory action figures, t-shirts, and costumes, of course, but those show up for basically any blockbuster. This, however, is the first Star Wars movie to come along in a solid decade, and the first one since 1999 that audiences expect to be good — and the first one with the mammoth marketing machine of the Walt Disney Company behind it.

  And so it has come to pass that we not only have movie-themed merch in the toy and clothing aisles where we’d expect to find it, but on everything from soup cans to non-dairy coffee creamer to fresh produce. If you don’t think your lunch particularly needs to feel the Force that strongly, you’re probably not alone… but to Disney, it doesn’t matter.

  Why? Because all those licensed goods are worth serious bank to Disney. As Bloomberg Business explains, all that ancillary stuff is likely to be worth several times over what the movie actually makes at the box office, even if it is a domestic and international mega-hit. As in, worth up to $9.6 billion — yes, with a B.

  So how does that math actually work out?

  Bloomberg is guesstimating that The Force Awakens will probably hit roughly $730 million of ticket sales domestically and $1.65 billion internationally, which is a reasonable guess if you look at the U.S. and world biggest hits. (The Phantom Menace managed to bring in over $430 million domestically way back, in 1999 dollars.)

  All together, though, Bloomberg’s projections for ticket sales still clock in well under $2.5 billion. They’re estimating another couple billion from video game sales (including Disney Infinity and Star Wars Battlefront), and hundreds of millions in revenue from TV licensing, disc sales, and download/streaming fees.

  But more than half of Bloomberg’s total projection, a solid $5 billion, goes straight to “merchandise,” and as outlandish as that number seems, it’s probably a good guess.

  Why? As they point out, in a “slow year,” consumers buy nearly $2 billion worth of perennially popular Star Wars merchandise. In a year with an actual movie out, with new characters and all the toys that go with, that is likely to spike significantly.

  Star Wars: Return of the Revenue [Bloomberg]

  
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by Kate Cox via Consumerist

uPepsi’s New Hello Goodness Vending Machines Offer Only “Healthy” Optionsr

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  PepsiCo wants consumers to know that it is taking their health seriously, and to demonstrate that, the company says it plans to install vending machines offering only healthy products around the country. 

  Starting next year, the company will situate several thousand “Hello Goodness” vending machines at select healthcare, recreational, transportation, governmental, workplace and educational facilities.

  The beverage and snack behemoth unveiled the new vending machines – which are available as beverage-only, snack-only, or a combination of the two – at the Beverage Digest Future Smarts Conference in New York City on Monday.

  The “Hello Goodness” initiative aims to offer “good- and better-for-you product choices” from PepsiCo’s diverse portfolio, including Naked Juice, Smartfood Delight popcorn, Lay’s Oven Baked potato chips, Quaker Real Medleys bars, Pure Leaf iced tea, Propel Electrolyte Water, Tropicana Pure Premium and Sabra Ready-to-Eat Hummus cups. It should be noted that while the product offerings might be better for customers than a candy bar, they aren’t exactly fruits and vegetables.

  In addition to providing healthier snack options than one might typically find in a vending machine, the Hello Goodness system will include a rundown of a products nutrition information on a touch screen display.

  Purchases made at the machines will be recorded and quickly sent to PepsiCo, so the company can tailor the offered products to a certain location.

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uAngie Of Angie’s List Defends Policy Of Removing Negative Reviews If Customers Get Refundsr

uHow You Can Actually Save Money At An Outlet Mallr

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  Just because something is for sale in an outlet store, that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily a good deal, or even that it’s cheaper than the item’s retail price. It is possible to save money while outlet-shopping, though: you just have to know when to shop, where in the store to shop, and to be savvy about programs that your local mall may offer.

  Our power-shopping colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports put together these tips. The first step is to start with the sale rack. “I thought that an outlet store was just one big sale rack!” you might say. Nope. Outlet stores have sale racks just like all other stores, and smart shoppers head right for them instead of browsing the higher-margin displays in the front of the store.

  While outlet goods are made differently from the versions that the same brand ships to their regular mall stores or to department stores, the back of the store is still where you’ll find bigger markdowns.

  You should also time your trip well: choose a time when outlet mall offerings haven’t been picked over by crowds that are just as eager for bargains as you are. Try to visit in the middle of the week if you can, and arrive as early as possible.

  Last, check with the mall’s owner for loyalty programs. These can provide you with personalized coupons if you don’t mind giving the mall access to data about what you buy at their shopping center.

  3 Ways to Save While Shopping at Outlets [Consumer Reports]
  The inside dope on outlet malls [Consumer Reports]

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uDrone Owners Must Register Their Unmanned Aircraft Starting Dec. 21r

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  Nearly a month after a task force recommended the Federal Aviation Administration require drone hobbyists to register their unmanned aircraft, the agency has finally solidified a process to keep tabs on the flying devices. 

  The FAA announced Monday that it will begin accepting drone registrations on Dec. 21 for devices weighing between 250 grams (0.55 pounds) and 55 pounds that are operated outdoors.

  Registration will cost $5, but for the first 30 days (ending Jan. 20) the FAA will waive the fee in order to expedite the process.

  Under the system, which was recommended by a task force of drone manufacturers, state regulators, airline pilots, and police in November, individuals who currently own and fly a drone have until Feb. 19 to register with the FAA.

  Small unmanned aircraft (UAS) purchased after Dec. 21 must be register before the first flight outdoors, the agency says.

  The registration system, which can be completed online or via a paper process, requires owners to provide their name, home address, and e-mail address.

  Once registration, which is valid three years, is completed the web application will generate a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique identification number for the UAS owner, which must be marked on the aircraft.

  Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS, the FAA says. That means whether you have one or 30 drones, you will only have one registration number to cover all the devices.

  “We expect hundreds of thousands of model unmanned aircraft will be purchased this holiday season,” FAA Administrator Huerta said in a statement. “Registration gives us the opportunity to educate these new airspace users before they fly so they know the airspace rules and understand they are accountable to the public for flying responsibly.”

  The FAA says that the new system does have a few limitations: it currently doesn’t support registration for UAS used for any purpose other than hobby or recreation. The agency is developing additional specifications for commercial drone registration; those rules could be announced as soon as next spring.

   

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uSamsung Galaxy S7 Will Reportedly Charge Faster, Have Pressure-Sensitive Screenr

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• Back in September, Apple unveiled its more responsive “3D Touch” display for the iPhone 6S, so it should come as little surprise that Samsung may have something similar in its back pocket for the upcoming launch of its flagship Galaxy phone.

  This is according to the Wall Street Journal, which reports that the Galaxy S7 — slated to be released in March — will feature a pressure-sensitive display, along with faster charging capabilities, and possibly a retinal scanner.

  According to the Journal’s sources, the S7 display won’t be that different from the iPhone 6S, allowing the user to interact with their phone in different ways depending on how they press or tap the screen.

  If you’re a Samsung user who is always having to find a place to plug in your phone for a recharge, you might be more interested in the Journal’s claim that the S7’s new USB Type-C port could get you a full day’s worth of battery power in fewer than 30 minutes.

  For folks annoyed by the S6’s main camera, which sticks out of the back of the otherwise slender device, the Journal says the S7 will include an improved camera that is flush with the back panel.

  
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by Chris Morran via Consumerist

uMaker Of Sharpie To Buy Maker Of Crock-Pot For $13B, Creating A Consumer Product Smorgasbordr

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  All of those storage containers, Sharpies, coolers, and crockpots you have dotting the insides of cupboards now have a lot more in common than one might think: Newell Rubbermaid, the company behind Sharpie and Rubbermaid storage products Jarden, the company behind the Coleman and Crock-Pot brands, for $13.2 billion.

  The companies announced the great consumer product merger Monday, noting that it will create a combined company to be dubbed Newell Brands, with an anticipated annual revenue of $16 billion in sales.

  Current Newell Rubbermaid CEO Michael Polk will become CEO of the new company when the proposal closes in mid-2016.

  The deal is expected to allow the company greater innovation and increased exposure both online and in international markets, Newell said in a statement, noting that it will expand its presence specifically in food and beverage, baby products and kitchen appliances.

  “The scale of our combined businesses in key categories, channels and geographies creates a much broader canvas on which to leverage our advantaged set of brand development and commercial capabilities for accelerated growth and margin expansion,” Polk said of the merger.

  Both companies have diversified portfolios, with Jarden producing everything from Rawlings sports equipment, Coleman coolers and camping gear to Yankee Candles and Ball mason jars.

  Likewise, Rubbermaid is the parent company behind brands such as Graco carseats and strollers, Elmer’s glue, Calphalon kitchen products, Goody hair accessories, and Paper Mate pens.

  [via Reuters]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist