Star Wars: May the holiday sales be with you

Forget visions of sugarplums.

At Cherry Hill Mall this Black Friday, Matthew Becker, 13, of Philadelphia, was thinking more along the lines of lightsabers as he checked out the hot Star Wars offerings at the Lego store.

"I like the sci-fi to it," Becker said. "I like the starships."

This holiday gifting season, he may have plenty of company.

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens due to hit theaters Dec. 18, fans of the blockbuster movie series have lots to choose from. And in a merchandising push that began months ago, retailers may hear the cha-ching of a sales engine that some analysts project will reach into the billions.

Take Cherry Hill Mall, where Star Wars offerings were aplenty but not necessarily a bargain.

"What's the one you've been asking me for all day?" Merle Becker, 48, a banker, asked son Matthew.

That would be BB-8, an app-controlled droid that retails for about $150.

"I thought it would be discounted today, but no," Becker said.

And that little fellow was a relative steal compared with some other Star Wars stuff, which was going for twice as much or more at various retailers.

Of course, there were more modest offerings like cups and costumes at the Disney Store, where the Star Wars display overshadowed hits of yesteryear like Frozen, Spider-Man, and Toy Story.

At Nordstrom, merchandise included Star Wars alarm clocks and watches, as well as T-shirts and hoodies.

Are they selling?

"Oh, God, yes, for sure," said Brielle Rumer, 23, an assistant manager. "That's our number one thing for boys right now - Star Wars."

And the gifting season is young. Forever 21 assistant manager Anthony Archie, 29, said the Cherry Hill Mall store would launch a big Star Wars push Monday, complete with Star Wars-bedecked mannequins.

None of this comes as a big surprise to Martin Cripps, 24, a supervisor at the Lego store.

"When it comes to Star Wars, that's probably one of the most popular items," he said.

He should know; his mom turned him on to the series when he was 5. Now his wife shushes him so she can hear the characters instead of his repeating lines he knows by heart.

His favorite in the series? The Empire Strikes Back.

But there's always room for a new one. His birthday, he said, is Dec. 17.

"So on Dec. 17 at midnight?" he said. "Definitely."

rgiordano@phillynews.com

856-779-3893 @ritagiordano