May the 4th Drives Significant Demand in UK for Star Wars Products
A short time ago in a galaxy not that far away, UK consumers displayed their affinity for the Star Wars franchise by driving significant increased demand on May the 4th. In fact, new data from ecommerce accelerator, Pattern, shows that May 4, 2022 drove more demand for Star Wars products than almost any other day of the year (except for the release of The Skywalker Saga LEGO game and Black Friday).
Why it matters: While the Star Wars universe saw many major releases — including the premiers of Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, and Andor — during 2022, May the 4th continues to be a significant consumer moment for franchise fanatics. With Star Wars Day on the horizon, the (commercial) power of the force is expected to remain strong among UK consumers, and retailers should prepare accordingly.
What we’re seeing: Aside from Black Friday and the release of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, May the 4th was the single biggest force driving increased consumer demand during 2022:
- Demand during Star Wars Day 2022 was up 57.56% compared to the annual average
- Demand during Black Friday was up 75.11%
- Demand following the release of the Skywalker Saga was up 339.16%
What fans want most: We wanted to understand which products Star Wars fans were most interested in purchasing during 2022. According to our data, these were the most in-demand types of Star Wars merchandise among fans last year:
- LEGO Star Wars saw 92% of total demand during 2022
- Millennium Falcon Products 2%
- Death Star Products 2%
- Clone Wars Products 2%
- Star Wars T-Shirts 2%
- Lightsabers 1%
Who’s who: In the long history of Star Wars, fan-favourite characters have shifted over the years. Here are the top ten most searched for characters in online shopping on Amazon UK during 2022:
- Yoda saw 34% total demand during 2022
- Baby Yoda 33%
- Rey 11%
- Mandalorian 10%
- Darth Vader 4%
- Boba Fett 4%
- Luke Skywalker 1%
- General Grievous 1%
- Bad Batch 1%
The takeaway: Despite major franchise releases and shopping holidays, May the 4th continues to be a driving force behind increased demand for Star Wars fans all over the galaxy. Retailers can expect increased demand specifically for LEGO products featuring Yoda and Baby Yoda, so they should stock up accordingly to keep fans satisfied during their Star Wars themed celebrations.
Pattern’s data science team analysed demand data on Amazon during every day of 2021, 2022, and 2023 so far to understand how Star Wars Day affects consumer demand for franchise merchandise. Don’t think insights like these can help power your ecommerce strategy? We find your lack of faith disturbing. Discover the power of the data side and contact our team for more information today.
