files/pictures/picture-35.jpgPress Release from HIT Entertainment
New York, NY – HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality children’s entertainment, has partnered with Falabella, a leading department store in Latin America, to launch an exclusive Thomas & Friends direct to retail program in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru. This is the first time HIT and Falabella have collaborated on a direct to retail program for Thomas & Friends, and the Thomas & Friends products will be available at all 73 Falabella stores.
Starting in Summer 2011, Falabella will create, manufacture and market Thomas & Friends apparel, accessories, and child watches. Additional products will be available by territory including stationery, school and art supplies (Argentina, Chile); bedding (Peru); beach towels and fleece blankets (Colombia, Peru); and melamine and plastic beverageware (Chile, Colombia, Peru). The product designs will incorporate the exciting new look based on the new CG-animated series of Thomas & Friends (Thomas y sus amigos) that launched on Discovery Kids in Latin America last summer.
“Thomas & Friends, the #1 preschool toy property around the world, is quickly becoming a favorite brand with kids in Latin America,” said Gabriela Arenas, Vice President, Consumer Products, Thomas Division – The Americas, and Latin America. “We’re proud to offer this direct to retail program with Falabella to provide children and their families with an array of Thomas apparel and accessories at one of the region’s key retail destinations.”
Since its launch last year on Discovery Kids, the CG-animated Thomas & Friends series has become a favorite with Latin American children and has reached #1 in the rankings for children 4-11 across the region. Thomas & Friends can also be seen across Latin America including Chile, Argentina and Peru on free TV during a HIT-branded preschool television block from Albavision. Thomas & Friends has aired in Latin America since 2002, and its broadcast presence on free TV, pay TV and VOD has been steadily growing.
Thomas & Friends is the Number One preschool toy property in the UK, a position it has held for the past 11 years. It remained the Number One preschool toy license in the US for 10 straight years and has been the Number One preschool entertainment brand in the US since 2009. The unrivaled popularity of the global brand continues with Thomas also being the Number One preschool toy license in Germany and Australia, as well as the Number One foreign preschool brand in China, Japan and Korea.
About Thomas & Friends
Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son more than 65 years ago and today is enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories. The #1 blue engine and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Children embark on adventures with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. Thomas & Friends makes tracks to great destinations in Latin America on Discovery Kids.
About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney, Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends, Pingu, Fireman Sam, Angelina Ballerina, Mike the Knight and Rainbow Magic. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment’s Fifi and the Flowertots and Roary the Racing Car in North America, as well as Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT acts as representative for The Wiggles in the UK. Launched in 1989, HIT’s lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, Sprout. For more information, visit
www.hitentertainment.com .
