Hulu launches its own online shop, with ugly holiday sweaters and other merch

This summer, Netflix launched its own shopping site that allowed fans to purchase apparel, accessories and other lifestyle products from their favorite shows, like "Stranger Things." Now, Hulu is doing the same thing. The Disney-owned streamer announced the launch of Shop Hulu, which will feature limited-edition collections of apparel and lifestyle products from Hulu Originals and other titles in the company's on-demand library, as well as Hulu-branded swag. The site will also make Hulu's annual release of its "Ugly Holiday Sweaters" available for purchase for the first time.

Hulu began giving away its ugly sweaters to random fans as a promotional perk in 2019. The giveaway was popular enough that Hulu turned it into a sweepstakes event last year, giving everyone a chance to win one of the sweaters, which had then featured Hulu shows like "Little Fires Everywhere," "Shrill," "The Handmaid's Tale" and others.

Its 2021 selection of holiday sweaters will be available for purchase starting on Tuesday, November 30.

This year, the lineup includes "Love, Victor," "Solar Opposites," "The Great," "The Handmaid’s Tale" and "Wu-Tang: An American Saga," many of which had proved popular in previous years. However, unlike Netflix -- which invested in its online store as a new arm of its broader retail business -- Hulu's leading product line is designed to raise funds for charity. Through December 31, 100% of the purchase price from the sale of the Ugly Holiday Sweater collection, minus taxes and shipping fees, is being donated to Feeding America, says Hulu.

In the fine print, the company notes it's capping its donation at 1,000 sweaters, which is $54,950.

Image Credits: Hulu

Hulu's shop will continue to feature other products throughout the year, outside its charitable fundraising initiative for the holidays.

Fans of "Solar Opposites" will be able to shop apparel, glassware, stickers and more as the show's holiday special premieres on November 22. The collection was designed in collaboration with Executive Producers Mike McMahan, Justin Roiland and Josh Bycel, the company says.

Also available are household items and apparel from shows like "The Orville," "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" (select items from the capsule collection from Mitchell & Ness are available), and themed merchandise from acquired shows like "Grey's Anatomy," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "American Horror Story" and "What We Do in the Shadows," among others.

Hulu will offer shoppers a discount for signing up for its newsletter and plans to make special offers available throughout the year, starting with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.