Rio 2016 have exhibited their range of merchandise at an event in São Paulo ©Rio 2016

Rio 2016 have unveiled their range of merchandise for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, which they claim will generate R$1 billion (£168 million/$255 million/€227 million) in revenue, at a special event in São Paulo.

The products include branded Havaianas flip-flops, lego versions of mascots Vinicius and Tom, stamps, coins and jewellery.

The range of 3,000 already developed products was exhibited at the event, where presentations on the Games were also held for distributors, retailers and media in an effort to reach 40,000 sales points across Brazil.

Organisers are predicting strong sales in Brazil as they expect 70 per cent of the merchandise products to be bought by Brazilians, with the other 30 per cent coming from foreign visitors to next year’s Olympics and Paralympics.

Rio 2016 are predicting 25 per cent of their sales to come from purchases of the mascots alone.

“We are certain that Vinícius and Tom will account for some 25 per cent of our sales,” Rio 2016 licensing director Sylmara Multini said.

“It is a project in which the sales peak, accounting for about 80 per cent of the total, happens in just 17 days of the event.

“We need to prepare the Brazilian retail market for a wave of consumption that it has never seen before and will probably never see again.”

Lego versions of both mascots Vinicius and Tom pictured were among the products displayed
Lego versions of both mascots Vinicius and Tom, pictured, were among the products displayed ©Rio 2016

Other similar mobile showrooms, demonstrating the array of merchandise available for the Games, are due to be held in Rio on October 14, with others planned in the new year.

Five official stores selling merchandise are already open in the South American nation ahead of the Games next year, which run from August 5 to 21.

Residents of Brazil can purchase Rio 2016 merchandise over the internet and organisers are set to open up the online store to overseas users in February 2016.

So far, 58 licensing contracts that will produce 8,000 products have been signed by Rio 2016, with more due to follow in the lead-up to the event, the first Olympics and Paralympics to ever be staged in South America.



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