Wal-Mart Gets Bitten by Vampire Craze

Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart Stores is jumping on the “Twilight” bandwagon. In conjunction with Summit Entertainment's DVD release next month of the popular movie, all Walmart stores and www.Walmart.com will open dedicated “Twilight” in-store areas. The movie is based on the best-selling book about teenage vampires written by Stephanie Meyer. It is the first book of a series.

Due to open in mid-March, the shops will  feature a wide array of merchandise, including apparel, posters, licensed jewelry and accessories. The special “Twilight” shops will be open through April, although Wal-Mart will continue to carry “Twilight” merchandise through the year, some items for a limited period only.

In a countdown to the DVD release, Wal-Mart’s Web site will host discussions and post news about fan events and upcoming events.

“Twilight,” released in November 2008, was a box-office smash with teens.  The next film based on the second book in the series is now in development.

"'Twilight’ is a cultural phenomenon that has gripped both teens and adults across the country," said Greg Hall, VP, merchandising, Wal-Mart Stores.

Wal-Mart’s announcement is likely to take at least some of the wind out of teen-retailer Hot Topic’s sales, which was early to tap into the “Twilight” phenomena. In fact, many analysts credit “Twilight” for the chain’s exceptional performance in the past six months.