Taylor Swift boosts retailer sales with new album

The superstar’s latest album Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Departmentwas released just two weeks before the end of the quarter Target. Even with this short period, sales were enough to boost the retailer’s entertainment division, according to a report from Reuters.

Growth in entertainment sales

Target said the entertainment category grew close to 10% last quarter, benefiting from exclusive deals on Swift’s latest release. This strategic partnership resulted in a significant impact on sales.

Surprise launch and exclusive strategies

Swift released the first 16 tracks from Poets on April 19 and, two hours later, surprised fans by revealing a double album, with 15 more songs. “With an album version exclusive to Target and three exclusive CD options, this was the strongest music pre-sale in our history,” said Target’s chief growth officer, Christina Henningtonin a post-earnings statement last Wednesday (22).

Exclusive events and products

The company added that sales were boosted by in-store events for the album, which included a Target-exclusive vinyl with bonus tracks. These special events and exclusive products attracted many fans, further boosting sales.

Impressive sales numbers

Traditional album sales from this release reached 1.91 million in the week ending April 25, including downloaded digital albums, CDs, cassettes and 859,000 vinyl sales, according to data from Luminate.

Economic impact and records

Swift, 34, is breaking music records and boosting local economies with her The Eras Tour, which was revived in Paris this month. This phenomenon of economic impact, dubbed “Swiftflation” by some economists, highlights the artist’s influence not only on the music industry, but also on retail.