Not only does Duck Dynasty deliver A&E’s highest ratings as one of the cable TV’s most-watched shows, the redneck Robertsons are also making millions from sales of Duck Dynasty merchandise this year.
According to Forbes, by the end of 2013 Duck Dynasty fans will have spent more than $400 million on Duck Dynasty merch, ranging from T-shirts to camo-style antibacterial bandages and rain boots.
As Forbes notes, more than half of those sales are coming from Walmart, which entered into a lucrative deal with the Robertsons that has paid off handsomely. As a result, Duck Dynasty-themed products are available in 13 different departments in the typical U.S. Walmart, with more than 100 new items arriving in stores this week for the holiday shopping period.
As Charlie Anderson, CEO of retail marketing agency Shoptology, explains, the synergy between Duck Dynasty viewers and Walmart shoppers makes perfect sense, since it’s essentially the same demographic.
“The cast members pray at the end of the show,” Anderson told Forbes. “That’s very Middle America and resonates with Walmart customers. It’s the rural consumer. It’s the American dream: they made themselves into millionaires. Yet people working for $8 an hour can still relate to them.”;
Although the most recent season of Duck Dynasty recently ended, expect to see — and hear — plenty of the Robertsons over the holidays when they release their first Christmas album, Duck the Halls.