Star Wars merchandise mania Awakens on Sept 4

Major retailers and Disney Stores around the world will start selling the first merchandise tied to the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens during an event that will kick off just after midnight on Sept 4.

Walt Disney announced the plans on Sunday, just ahead of May the Fourth, an unofficial holiday known among fans as Star Wars Day.

The international celebration comes from a pun on the Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you", which is said as "May the 4th be with you".

Demand for Star Wars merchandise is expected to jump with the Dec 18 release of The Force Awakens, the first movie in 10 years from the celebrated sci-fi franchise, Wall Street analysts say.

At the Sept 4 event, Disney Stores and other retailers will open at 12.01am to sell products ranging from toys, books and collectibles to comics, e-books, apps, apparel and lifestyle accessories, Disney said in a statement.

New products will also be sold online at disneystore.com

The company urged fans to document their Sept 4 shopping experiences on social media with hashtags #ForceFriday and #MidnightMadness.

It also unveiled product packaging that features Kylo Ren, a masked villain from The Force Awakens.

Disney bought Star Wars producer Lucasfilm for US$4.05 billion in 2012.