Vampires Poised to Suck Red from Retailers

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The undead are expected to bring some life back into retail.

The launch of "New Moon," the second movie in the famed vampire series Twilight, is being welcomed by retailers like Nordstrom(JWN Quote), Hot Topic(HOTT Quote) and Wal-Mart Stores(WMT Quote), which are adding themed merchandise to shelves to kick off the premiere.

The original book series by Stephanie Meyer was a hit for sellers like Barnes & Noble(BKS Quote) and Borders(BGP Quote). And the series -- as happened with the Harry Potter cult -- has taken on a life of its own.

Teen retailer Hot Topic is expected to benefit the most from the craze, as the unofficial exclusive seller of licensed merchandise. While Hot Topic has not struck a deal with Summit Entertainment, the company that produced the movie, analysts say it has the most extensive product offerings.

Hot Topic was the first retailer to jump on selling merchandise with images of the beloved hero Edward Cullen when the first movie came out in November 2008 -- which lifted its fourth-quarter business.

"They are the go-to destination for all things Twilight," said Needham analyst Christine Chen, who noted that the trend should help the company's same-store sales in October and holiday sales.

This week, high-end department store Nordstrom is also rolling out a line of apparel and accessories that reflect the mood and spirit of the film. With any purchase of $50 or more of Twilight-inspired merchandise, shoppers receive a ticket to an exclusive screening of the movie.

Wal-Mart will also stock shelves with products like Barbie dolls of Cullen and female protagonist Bella Swan. The dolls will be available starting Nov. 1 at Wal-Mart stores for $24.95.