Netflix, chill and shop: New Online store offers limited-edition merchandise

(Reuters) -Netflix Inc will launch an online store to sell apparel, lifestyle merchandise and collectibles based on its popular shows, the streaming giant said on Thursday.

The online store, Netflix.shop, will first be available in the United States and expand into other countries in the coming months.

The store will sell limited edition products on a regular basis, in addition to products available at retail stores through its partners.

The latest launch comes as streaming competition intensifies with a growing list of companies launching their own services and battling for consumers' attention with new shows and series.

Netflix has also created games based on shows "Stranger Things" and "La casa de Papel (Money Heist)".

Items debuting this month include streetwear and action figures based on anime series "Yasuke" and "Eden" among others, Netflix said. It also plans to launch exclusive products based on hit shows "The Witcher" and "Stranger Things."

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Shinjini Ganguli)