'Black Swan effect' sees online ballet searches soar

It's official. Box-office hits influence consumer spending habits and none more so than Black Swan, the new release starring Natalie Portman.

Figures suggest its popularity is bringing ballet back into fashion.

Online searches for ballet-related products grew by more than 1,000 per cent* since the release of the box office sensation, according to figures released by PriceRunner.co.uk.

The shopping comparison website has seen consumers rush to seek out the best prices for ballet essentials such as dresses, pumps and leotards in the last week. The increase is one of the largest recorded since the ‘Glee effect' which caused a massive rise in searches for Madonna albums, which featured in the hit TV show.

Marc Thomas, UK manager, PriceRunner.co.uk comments: "This isn't the first time that we've seen a correlation between movies and searches but this increase is exceptional. In these tough economic times, it's great to see how cinema can help inspire people to try new experiences.

"Online retailers need to ensure that they can quickly update their stock with relevant products if they want to tap into the £1bn** spent at the UK box office each year."

* Source: Searches on PriceRunner.co.uk (14-20 January 2011 and 21-27 January 2011)
** Source: UK Film Council