Disney will try to combine streaming and shopping

Walt Disney announced that it intends to test the viability of selling the thematic merchandise along with some Disney+ shows and movies. To do this, the company will run a test period. Disney+ subscribers will have exclusive access to a small number of new products related to the "Star Wars," "Black Panther" and "Frozen" franchises until next Tuesday. Next week, the items will be available for sale in regular retail stores.

The exact number of Disney+ subscribers in the U.S. is unknown. Disney said the service has about 45 million customers in North America.

A year ago, Disney+ had 115 million subscribers worldwide. As for today, the number reached more than 150 million, but the quick growth ended. This data reflects the efforts and reality of the business. Disney should work harder to attract new subscribers and to retain current subscribers, especially taking the potential recession into account. One way might be exclusive access to merchandise. Another may include benefits at theme parks, including early access to new attractions. Disney+ subscribers have already received discounts at Walt Disney World hotels in Florida.

Alice Bowen, president of Disney+, said that the access to a collection of merchandise for the upcoming holiday season is an experiment in improving the Disney+ user experience, which includes improving the benefits of subscriptions.