Retailers Ready for ‘Potter’ Finale

With the highly anticipated Friday, Nov. 11, release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2, the finale of the hugely successful franchise, studios kept other major new releases during the week to a minimum. 

Best Buy devoted a page and a half of its weekly ad circular to the franchise, offering exclusive 3D Blu-ray versions of both “Deathly Hallows” movies at $22.99 each.

Target offers a deluxe version of Deathly Hallows — Part 2 Blu-ray combo pack with an exclusive 44-minute bonus documentary When Harry Leaves Hogwarts, at $5 more  ($27.99) than the regular Blu-ray combo pack ($22.99).

Retailers Revved Up for ‘Cars’

The latest hit film from Pixar and Disney, Cars 2, has attracted a lot of attention from retailers, with most of the major chains offering exclusives tied to the Nov. 1 release.

Best Buy devoted the most space to the title in its weekly ad circular, with more than half a page listing “Cars” tie-ins. The major exclusive at Best Buy is a $16.99 blue Lightning McQueen remote control car. Fans could save $7 with the purchase of the Cars 2 Blu-ray in conjunction with the car, the Cars 2 video game ($39.99) or one of the new “Toy Story” 3D combo packs ($29.99 each).

Target offered the Cars 2 3D combo pack in an exclusive light-up case.

Target and Best Buy both touted a $5 Disney coupon at their websites that could be used on the Cars 2 3D combo pack or the three-movie collection.

Walmart offered copies of the Cars 2 Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with a pack-in die-cast Finn McMissile car toy.

Also, Best Buy is touting exclusive 3D editions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 and Part 2, due Nov. 11.

Deals Made in ‘America’

Following a week in which it seemed every new release had an exclusive goodie attached to it by the big retailers, the Oct. 25 new releases were mostly left to stand on their own.

Among the major new releases, the only real exclusive was found at Best Buy, which offered the Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-ray with a slipcover adorned with a replica of an early “Captain America” comic book cover.

Best Buy also offered the Thor Blu-ray combo pack at $19.99 (regularly $29.99) with the purchase of any version of Captain America.

More superhero savings could be had at Best Buy, which offered $6 in savings with the purchase of any two “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” DVDs from Disney. Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 were released Oct. 25. The sets are priced at $12.99 each.

Also at Best Buy, fans of Jurassic Park could get a copy of the new trilogy Blu-ray with exclusive steelbook case packaging for $59.99, $10 more than the regular Blu-ray.

Ahoy! Thar Be ‘Pirates’ Here

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides debuted to great fanfare Oct. 18, with Blu-ray/DVD combo packs dominating new-release aisles to the point where hardly any space was left for other newcomers such as Green Lantern, which was either sold out or unstocked at some Targets.

Target’s exclusive for the five-disc Stranger Tides 3D combo pack included a pack-on Lego version of the Black Pearl ship, tying into a series of Lego shorts on the disc.

Best Buy offered a bonus disc with copies of the 3D combo, as well as $5 off previous “Pirates” Blu-rays with purchase of the new movie or the Stranger Tides video game.

Walmart offered a tin treasure chest bank with copies of the two-disc Stranger Tides combo pack. Other pack-on goodies at Walmart this week included a power ring with the Green Lantern DVD and a copy of the F in Exams humor book with the Bad Teacher DVD.

The only other notable exclusive was a Catwoman figurine with the Blu-ray combo pack of the DC Universe movie Batman: Year One.

Consumers could get a $5 coupon off the purchase of select Stranger Tides Blu-ray sets by going to Pirates4Coupon.com/BestBuy or Target.com/DisneyCoupon.

‘Lantern’ Offers Bright Deals

Another week, another Friday release for a major title. This time it’s the Oct. 14 release of Green Lantern, but it’s not the only big title to debut on disc during the week.

Among the major retailers, only Best Buy is pushing an exclusive tied to Green Lantern, offering a Blu-ray version in a steelbook case for $22.99.

Among other major titles, Best Buy offers a $5 off coupon for the Zookeeper standalone Blu-ray or the Blu-ray combo pack.

Other deals at Best Buy include the exclusive Blu-ray release of Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless, as well as a $10 savings off the Bones: Season 6 DVD or Blu-ray with the purchase of a previous season of “Bones.”

The Circle of Retail Life

As it has done with previous movies, Disney offers a $5 coupon to save money off the purchase of The Lion King 3D Blu-ray combo pack. The coupon also works on the Lion King Trilogy boxed set and Best Buy’s exclusive version of the Blu-ray that comes in a “Lion King” lunchbox.

Target’s “Lion King” exclusive came in the form of the soundtrack as part of the 3D combo pack.

Walmart’s “Lion King” exclusive was a 15-month calendar packed on with the combo pack.

Best Buy offered previous “Fast & Furious” movies at $4.99 on DVD each and $9.99 on Blu-ray.

Best Buy also had a $10 savings when the DVDs of The League: Season 2 and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 6 were purchased together.

Preparing to ‘Transform’

Another week at retail has been defined by a blockbuster title hitting disc on a Friday. For Sept. 27, it was the Sept. 30 DVD and Blu-ray disc of Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Though the discs are bare-bones editions in anticipation of more extras-laden versions later, retailers still are preparing for big sales of the title.

Best Buy offers the Blu-ray combo pack at $17.99 with an exclusive slipcover. The first two films are offered a $6.99 each on DVD and $9.99 on Blu-ray.

Target has the combo pack for $20 and the standalone DVD for $16.

The only major exclusive from the other titles released during the week came at Best Buy, which offered the new Ben-Hur Blu-ray boxed set with an exclusive figurine of a Roman soldier. Best Buy also had an exclusive Blu-ray/DVD combo pack of the film for those not looking for the deluxe set.

Best Buy also offers a huge sale on $14.99 Blu-rays, with a deal to get any three of the selection for the price of two, a total of $29.98.

Pink Elephants on Parade

When Star Wars: The Complete Saga hit shelves Sept. 16, fans shopping at Target could pick up the boxed set for $79.99 with a free eight-piece lithograph set ($9.99 on its own). Within a few days, however, the price of the set was up to $89.99, with a new deal in place — get a $30 Target gift card with purchase of any “Star Wars” Blu-ray set (individual trilogies were offered at $44.99 each) with a $159 Panasonic 3D Blu-ray player.

Target also touted its DVD version of Bridesmaids with an exclusive “Girls’ Night In Party Pack” printable download valued at $15.

Target and Best Buy both offered $8 instant savings with the joint purchase of Disney’s Spooky Buddies and the Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition. Target’s Dumbo Blu-ray/DVD combo also includes an exclusive activity book.

Best Buy is offering a free Dumbo plush with purchase of the movie, and a free collectible case with preorders of the Oct. 3 Lion King Blu-ray. Best Buy also has an exclusive Blu-ray edition of the first season of the new “Hawaii Five-0.”

Walmart offered the exclusive Blu-ray/DVD combo pack of Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace for $13.

‘Star Wars’, ‘Thor’ and Shirts

As the fourth quarter approches, the selection of new titles on disc is picking up, with hot summer blockbusters, major catalog titles and popular TV shows making their way to DVD and Blu-ray at the same time.

The two titles dominating the Sept. 13 release week are a new superhero flick, Thor, and a classic sci-fi saga, with all six “Star Wars” films debuting on Blu-ray Sept. 16.

Best Buy offers the Thor Blu-ray with special packaging depicting the comic book cover of the character’s 1962 debut issue. Otherwise, the chain has gotten T-shirt happy, offering free T-shirts with the purchase of Star Wars: The Complete Saga ($89.99) and DVDs or Blu-rays of The Big Bang Theory: Season 4 or Supernatural: Season 6.

Best Buy also has a $40 savings with the purchase of the six-film “Star Wars” set with a $99.99 Blu-ray player, or $15 off with purchase of one of the smaller trilogy sets ($39.99) with the player.

Target offers a free lithograph set with purchase of Star Wars: The Complete Saga at $79.99.

Target also offers a $5 gift card with purchase of Barbie: Princess Charm School and a $21.99 Barbie Charm School doll.

Shadow of the ‘X-Men’

Studios offered a smattering of new releases Sept. 6, clearing the way for the Friday, Sept. 9, bow of X-Men: First Class on DVD and Blu-ray, which garnered significant attention on the weekly ad circulars.

Best Buy listed the DVD at $16.99, with the Blu-ray with digital copy version at $22.99. The chain touted two bonus featurettes totaling 25 minutes available through CinemaNow, with an unlock code available with Blu-ray copies purchased at Best Buy. Previous “X-Men” films were offered at $4.99 each on DVD and $9.99 each on Blu-ray.

Target promoted an exclusive First Class Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo pack at $22.99, with the standalone DVD at $16.99.

Exclusive to Best Buy are Blu-ray versions of Mimic and Trainspotting.

Given short shrift in the weekly ads this week was Everything Must Go, a bit surprising considering it’s a comedy starring Will Ferrell. Neither Best Buy nor Target included the film in their ads.