Although he already made a fictional visit to China in an episode of The Simpsons, it was not until recently that Homer Simpson made his appearance in dedicated retail stores. But two new stores, in Shanghai and Beijing, will make the yellow cartoon family their main focus. The stores—the first physical retail locations in the world to be dedicated exclusively to Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and all the other residents of Springfield—will stock all sorts of Simpsons gear, from shirts and jackets to phone cases and stationary. In addition, the founders of the store note their hopes to open about 100 such stores throughout China in the near future. The arrival of the Simpsons reflects a wider trend, by which the companies that own the licenses for entertainment products recognize the promise of the vast Chinese market. Accordingly, Disney already has opened a flagship store in Shanghai, and Star Wars–themed products account for tens of billions of dollars in sales. The international appeal of such characters is clear: Funny families generally work on any continent.

 

Source: Wang Ying, China Daily, January 21, 2016