Shortly after midnight on September 4th, Star Wars fans around the world started purchasing the first pieces of merchandise from the new film in the series. The Force Awakens will not open until December 18th, but plenty of households now have action figures, vehicles and apparel in anticipation of a continuation of the Star Wars saga more than 30 years on the making. At both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, fans lined up for special merchandise well before midnight. Many big box stores like Wal-Mart, Target and Toys-R-Us also rolled out merchandise just after midnight, with online retailer Amazon joining in.
If feedback on the Internet was any indication, the most sought-after item was a small remote control droid. BB-8, the newest addition to the family of Star Wars droids, will cost buyers $150, but has been getting rave reviews online. However, not all shoppers left happy. Blogs and Twitter were full of accounts from people who waited in line at their local store only to find the selection of merchandise severely lacking and, in many cases, only stocking a few copies of some highly desired items (particularly action figures).
News source: Orange County Register
