Netflix has Squid Game merchandise in its new online store, because of course

This week, Netflix inflated its fledgling ecommerce store with $ 35 t-shirts and $ 50 hoodies tied to Squid Game, an intersection of the company’s fledgling ecommerce strategy with its latest hit. unexpected. The show, which Netflix itself claims could become its most popular original series Yet is a Korean drama series about a survival competition.

This is also the kind of phenomenon that Netflix designed to market its store.

Netflix launched its own online store in June, echoing a classic profit strategy that old entertainment companies like Disney used – and perfected. Netflix was no stranger to merchandising before that, having made deals with giant retailers like Walmart and Target as well as more targeted companies like Sephora and Fisher-Price, all to make or sell items related to its films and emissions. But this summer, Netflix unveiled its own direct-selling e-commerce business. Using Shopify, Netflix created an online store of limited edition items with the posture of drop culture.

The store was also designed to be able to react quickly whenever Netflix struck a vein with a surprise hit.

Squid game is the classic example of unexpected success, perhaps more than any other series Netflix has identified as hugely popular on its service. The show is not based on any existing franchise, unlike Netflix’s more recent “greatest series,” Bridgerton (originally a book series), or the previous one, The Witcher (a video game). It is also the first time that a Korean-language original from Netflix has stepped out of its local market to allegedly unprecedented popularity around the world. Other non-English-speaking Netflix originals have already been popular outside of their local markets, such as Money Heist and Lupine. Corn Squid game seems to be on another scale.

Last week, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Squid game was “N ° 1 in the world, like everywhere in the world”. Netflix’s data on the popularity of its programs is sometimes criticized for being unverified and unsupported, and disclosed without much responsibility. But Google’s recent search interest trends for Squid Game in English-speaking markets like the US, UK, and Canada are sometimes larger in volume than searches for Netflix itself – and well. higher than the volume of searches for Bridgerton at its peak.

For now, the worldwide popularity of Squid Game will not be matched by Netflix, which markets it directly on a global scale: Netflix’s online store only ships to American addresses.