The MTA is apparently huge in Japan, according to an article in today’s Post. Jeremy Olshan took a look at the MTA’s merchandising and licensing sales and discovered that 20 percent of the sales are made in Japan. Of the $5 million of MTA-licensed merchandise sold last year, $1.1 million of it came from Japan, and with a royalty rate of 10 percent, the authority earned $111,332 from Cosmo Japan. “We seem to do especially well in countries that have an affinity for subway systems,” Mark Heavey, the authority’s head marketer, said.
Olshan, who offers up a full list of MTA licensees, drills down on the sales totals as well. Clothing sales from NYC Subway Line generated over $70,000 in royalties for the MTA while token and subway bullet cufflinks and umbrellas remain top sellers. My personal favorite items though are the subway bullet magnets because I can spell out my first name on my fridge.
4 comments
i rock the subway token cufflinks. also have a model F train car upon which i can take out my frustrations. its a bit chipped
Its quite fitting that the Japanese would be the largest consumers of MTA merchandise. I just wish they’d offer (re)introduce the tolken tie clip, since I’m not wealthy enough to own any French cut shirts with which to use a nice pair of cufflinks.
So much subway-logo merchandise, yet I’ve been trying to find subway themed bedding for my four-year-old son and can’t find it anywhere…
[…] are many contrasts between Japanese and American culture, particularly that Japan has more than a passing ‘affinity’ for rail systems, but is does this contrast exist because the Japanese have collectively seen the […]