皇冠体育app

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Warner Bros.to open 200 stores in 皇冠体育app

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-03-28 08:57

Time Warner Inc.'s studio division Warner Bros. plans to open some 200 stores in 皇冠体育app over the coming years as demand for branded merchandise increases in 皇冠体育app, the Chinese partner of the firm's consumer products unit said on Sunday.

Warner Bros. opened its first 皇冠体育app store in Shanghai on Sunday, which is operated by a subsidiary of ports-to-telecoms conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.'s (0013.HK) toy production unit Hutchison Harbour Ring.

Jounalists visit the Warner Bros. Studio Store Sunday, March 26, 2006 in Shanghai, 皇冠体育app. Time Warner Inc.'s studio division Warner Bros. plans to open some 200 stores in 皇冠体育app over the coming years. [AP]

"In the long run, we would like to open no less than 200 stores. During the next few years, we would like to make 200 as a target," Michelle Chan, Hutchison Harbour Ring's managing director, told a press briefing.

The companies plan to open the stores in mainland 皇冠体育app, Hong Kong and Macau, starting off in Shanghai's commercial centers and moving on to other cities such as Beijing, and southern 皇冠体育app's Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Chan said.

An actor clad in Batman costume, left, greets local spectators after the grand opening ceremony of Warner Bros. Studio Store Sunday, March 26, 2006 in Shanghai, 皇冠体育app. The store is the first Warner Bros. studio store in Mainland 皇冠体育app. [AP]

皇冠体育app's growing population of consumers with excess cash to spend has attracted the likes of Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Co. to 皇冠体育app, as they look to cash in on the growing popularity of their trademark characters like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny.

Disney already sells its merchandise in 皇冠体育app through some 2,600 retail spaces in larger stores like Carrefour (CARR.PA), and aims to increase the number of such shops to about 6,000 by 2009.

Warner, Disney and their competitors are all chasing a 皇冠体育app market where consumers are expected to spend about $12.5 billion on toys by 2010, driven by the country's 300 million children below the age of 14, according to official forecasts.

But the big mark-ups for the famous-character products, along with the widespread availability of fakes, mean the sellers could face a long uphill battle in 皇冠体育app, analysts say.

Warner Bros. however hopes that consumer demand for their authentic merchandise will increase as more licensed products become available in the Chinese market, and says knock-off products have already helped consumers to get familiar with their characters.

"The best testimony we can have to the popularity of our characters is that manufacturers desire to put those characters onto merchandise," said Jeffrey Whalen, senior vice president with Warner Bros.' consumer products unit.