Seiyu to push Olsen twins' products

A clothing line linked to Hollywood celebrity twins Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen will be sold at 90 supermarkets operated by Seiyu Ltd., beginning in August, Seiyu and U.S. partner Dualstar Entertainment Group said Tuesday.

Seiyu plans to market products under the mary-kateandashley brand, including clothing and accessories, at a cost of 2,000 yen to 3,000 yen, said Masatoshi Hagiwara, Seiyu executive officer in charge of merchandising.

The targeted consumer group will be girls aged 9 to 16.

Tokyo-based Seiyu secured the tieup with Dualstar, based in Los Angeles, via a global affiliation between Dualstar and U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart International, Seiyu's largest shareholder.

The 17-year-old Olsen twins made their acting debuts when they were only 9 months old, appearing on the U.S. television program "Full House" in 1987.

They have since released videos, music albums, Mattel Inc. dolls, video games and books. They are reportedly the youngest millionaires in the United States.

The Japan venture will mark the brand's entry into the Asian market. Seiyu and Dualstar said they have yet to announce a sales target.

"We think the Japanese girls are going to go crazy for Mary-Kate and Ashley," said Robert Thorne, Dualstar cofounder and chief executive officer. "It seems that Japan just really jumps for something that's really hot and American and successful."

Thorne said his company will have invested $ 2 million in Japan by 2006.

Dualstar will commit 20 percent to 25 percent of its human resources to the Japanese launch from its $ 11 million operations overhead for calendar 2004, Thorne said.

"By 2006, (I expect) 20 percent of the revenue outside of the U.S. would come from Japan and (South) Korea," Thorne said. "We think that Japan will have disproportionately more business."

Thorne said the twins will be in Japan next month and August to promote the brand. They also plan to sell their entertainment products, including dolls, videotapes and books, at Seiyu and other retail outlets.