Shopping on Netflix: 'Emily in Paris' gets its own retail collection

The second season of the successful Netflix series ‘Emily in Paris’ is getting ‘shoppable content’: outfits and accessories from the series will be available for purchase both online and at Saks department stores.

Merchandising goes luxury

The clothing from ‘Emily in Paris’ is now available for sale: several well-known luxury brands, including Chanel, are releasing outfits from the show’s second season to the general public. As soon as the new season drops on 22 December, the collection will also be available as ‘shoppable content’.

Merchandising has been a big money machine for a long time – just think of the many items that go on sale every time a new Disney film is released. However, this kind of ‘retailtainment’ is unusual for the luxury market: sunglasses worth 250 euros and handbags going for 790 euros are quite something else than a Frozen lunch box.

Still, it was immediately clear to merchandise partner Mint Group that the series had great potential. The costumes are a character in themselves in the series, and already there are dozens of websites analysing each outfit. “When ‘Emily in Paris’ gained popularity, we had several brands and labels express interest in partnering to let fans bring a little bit of that luxury home with them”, the company commented.

Chanel and beachwear

The innovative aspect is that the clothing collection will not be offered when the show is finished, but simultaneously with its launch. Viewers can buy the items directly from Netflix’s new merchandise webshop, from the webshop of American luxury retailer Saks and even from a limited number of physical department stores – even though the lead times for retail collections are usually far from the same as for films or series.

To make this possible, the production company behind Emily in Paris joined forces with the French Mint Group, which approached luxury brands with the request to create matching designs for the show. All proposals were then presented to the series’ stylist, who made the actors wear some of the outfits. Among other things, fans will be able to wear the same Chanel jacket and Roberto Coin earrings as in the series.

Retailtainment is growing rapidly

Some products will even be branded ‘Emily in Paris’ without appearing in the series. A licence agreement has been signed with ethical swimwear brand My Beachy Side: inspired by episodes in Saint-Tropez, the brand is allowed to market a collection of ‘Emily in Paris’ resortwear. 15,000 pieces have already been produced for direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels.

‘Shoppable content’ and ‘retailtainment’ are growing rapidly, especially since Netflix recently launched its own webshop, an online place where the streaming service can link products to the shows’ storylines. The online store plans to release exclusive ‘limited edition’ merchandise on a regular basis and offer a curated selection of clothing and lifestyle products.