May the Star Wars monetary force be with you

Latest film could awaken new opportunities for retailers, restaurants and more

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens set to dominate the Christmas box office, investors are spoilt for choice with companies selling galactic toys and film tickets, writes Daniel Coatsworth, editor of SHARES magazine.

Cinemas are reporting unprecedented demand for tickets to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it hits the big screen in late December. The biggest UK cinema operator on the stock market is Cineworld and many of its screenings of the sci-fi epic sold out months in advance.

Cineworld is now Europe's second largest cinema business thanks to an acquisition in 2014. A film on the scale of Star Wars that appeals to film fans old and young has the potential to significantly boost its sales.

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Going to the flicks is favourite outing for families, so there is a good chance of Star Wars fans going for a meal after seeing the film. Frankie & Benny's owner Restaurant Group has lots of sites located on retail parks near cinemas, so it is a logical destination.

Toys related to the film are expected to be top sellers at Christmas. Argos is stocking action figures, Lego Star Wars kits, clothes, party items and much more. Investors can get access to Argos via shares in its parent company Home Retail.

Curry's and PC World-owner Dixons Carphone is one of the biggest companies stocking the Sphero's BB-8 droid. Fans have gone nuts about the mobile phone-controlled device which is seen as a modern version of the R2D2 robot from the original Star Wars film.

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Dixons may also fly high with Playstation 4 games consoles that are being packaged with Star Wars: Battlefront, the latest video game in the sci-fi franchise. Fellow stock market-listed retailer Game Group is also well placed to appeal to fans of Han Solo, Rey, Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker.

Investors happy to own shares listed on foreign stock exchanges may want to go straight for the Star Wars brand owner. Walt Disney, which trades on the New York stock market, bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in 2012 and has wasted no time creating plans to capitalise on the global appeal of Star Wars.

Nasdaq-listed Hasbro owns the main licence to produce Star Wars-branded toys. It is selling lightsabers, mass, figures and many more items that both adults and children will want to snap up.

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