Both Toys"R"Us® and Walmart are prepping for a global celebration with the upcoming debut of toys based on the next chapter of the Star Wars™ saga!
Toys"R"Us stores worldwide (and Toysrus.com) will be a great resource for fans everywhere. To celebrate Force Friday Toys"R"Us stores will open their doors for a midnight event, with exclusive giveaways, signings and all things Star Wars.
"Since the introduction of the first Star Wars toy in 1977, Toys"R"Us has served as the ultimate destination for Star Wars playthings, providing millions of kids and collectors worldwide with their most beloved memorabilia," said Richard Barry, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "Since then, Star Wars has become a time-honored franchise with loyal fan interest, making it a perennial, top-selling licensed property. With the upcoming introduction of the new Star Wars toy line, we're excited to welcome the next generation of fans into our stores around the world with exclusive products, special events, feature shops and giveaways."
Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 3, when they host Star Wars stuff all day (check your local listings), to include:
A book signing and meet and greet with Steve Sansweet, Chief Executive Officer and President of Rancho Obi-Wan, Inc., storied Star Wars author and former Head of Fan Relations and Director of Content Management at Lucasfilm Ltd.
An art class and meet and greet with fan-favorite Star Wars and science fiction artist, Jeff Carlisle.
Star Wars product demonstrations and activations throughout the store, including Star Wars-themed 3-D action figure creation with 3D Plus Me, video gaming on Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars kiosks and experiencing intergalactic sound on Star Wars-themed headphones powered by SMS Audio.
A LEGO Star Wars make and take for rebels looking to build their toy empire brick by brick.
A Light Saber Academy with members of New York Jedi, a community of cosplayers, martial artists and teachers who share practical stage combat techniques oriented toward Light Sabers.
Photo opportunities with costumed characters, including Furbacca, a character versioned after the Hasbro® toy that makes wookiee sounds like CHEWBACCA, Geoffrey the Giraffe and more.
Ice cream flavors inspired by the Star Wars Saga from Scoops"R"Us™, the flagship store's in-house ice cream shop located on the Lower Level.
Star Wars-themed cookie decorating at a "Wookiee" Cookie Party on Level 1.
Special giveaways for the first fans in line, including a Collector's Edition LEGO Star Wars Commemorative Brick, an exclusive, limited edition Star Wars poster and a Star Wars Character Flashlight giveaways from JAKKS Pacific.***
Star Wars trivia, a costume contest and a galaxy of excitement and prizes, while supplies last, for those fanatics waiting in line.
A panel discussion with Steve Sansweet and Jeff Carlisle for select lucky fans, which will also be livestreamed via Periscope @Toysrus on Twitter.
The ultimate unveiling of the official Toys"R"Us Times Square Star Wars feature shop at 12:01am on Force Friday, September 4.
For more info visit: https://toysrus.sharefile.com/d-sb40983116744391a
And Walmart will be doing its own thing for Force Friday in case you want to go store-hopping! Check out what they have on offer:
We’re planning four major Star Wars events. May the Force be with you while you’re making this fun for our customers and driving sales!
The Retailtainment Event is Friday, September 4th at 12:01 am and Saturday September 5th at 10 am.
Star Wars: Battlefront weekend trading event is November 13th and 14th.
The Star Wars: Battlefront video game launches on November 17th with in-store “Game Play Event.”
Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie releases into theaters December 18th and on DVD and Blu-ray this Spring!
WalMart employees designate a “Star Wars Champion” organizing and running each event. On September 3rd, the preparations for Force Friday (the “Retailtainment Event” on the list above) will begin with the removal of all Star Wars products on store shelves, and proceed with getting the store into “Star Wars mode.” These preparations involve setting up a “young men’s t-shirt display, a boy’s display and a new Star Wars awning” for the action figure display.
Sources: Fansided, PR Newswire