Facing challenging times, players in the soft home sector have been turning their attention even more toward licensing, looking for brands that will resonate with consumers while setting them apart within the category. Their pro-licensing outlook offers opportunities for IP owners, including those that are taking advantage of the trend by entering the home textiles […]
Archive | House and home
In the Mood for Mahjong
Mahjong, the classic Chinese tile-based strategy game, has been surging in popularity in the U.S., especially among female-skewing gen X and millennial consumers. There are many global versions of the game, with most in the U.S. playing an American version that differs slightly from the original. The trend has been fueled by exposure on TikTok […]
Extreme Refreshment
Ice baths, cold water therapy, and contrast therapy, which combines cold-water or ice baths with saunas, have collectively been increasing in popularity over the past few years to become one of the top wellness trends globally in 2025. This is true for ice baths in particular. Wellness spas are adding ice baths to their offerings, […]
Every License Has Its Day in Pet Products
Licensing has been a big business within the pet products and services industry for at least a decade, and has had a presence for many years before that. While new deals do not come up as frequently today as they did five or so years ago, IP owners and pet products marketers continue to partner […]
An Important Slice of the Kitchenware Market
Chefs consider a high-quality set of knives to be integral to success in the kitchen, and the same is true for sophisticated home cooks. Not surprisingly, a number of celebrity chefs have lent their names and expertise to licensed cutlery over the years, including the following examples from the past 12 months. Like many chef-licensed […]
Food Influencers Bring Followers to Retail
The home goods category has been among the most active over the past couple of years when it comes to new licensing deals and collaborations involving licensed IPs. One property type of note in this sector of late has been food-related lifestyle influencers and their brands. Three recent deals serve as examples, all involving celebrities […]
Retail Results: Hard Times for Home Goods
Four major multi-category retailers that released their 2024 financial results in the last month showed significant declines in sales of home goods. The category often (but not always) lagged behind other segments, according to the companies’ filings and third-party analyses of the results. The numbers illustrate the continued challenges that have been facing this sector […]
Political Winds Blow on Black History Month
By Karen Raugust on February 27, 2025 in Demographic groups, Diversity/Inclusion, Fashion, House and home, Licensing
Black History Month 2025—the first since corporations in the U.S. began pulling back on their D.E.I. programs and plans in a big way—winds down tomorrow. Many brands, including the likes of Target and Walmart, have recently ended programs to support Black-owned brands at retail, among other initiatives, that began in the wake of the 2020 […]
Japandi Design: Wabi-Sabi Meets Hygge
By Karen Raugust on February 24, 2025 in Design and content themes, House and home, Licensing, Lifestyle
The concept of Japandi has been trending for at least a decade, mostly in the context of interior design focused on high-end homes and luxury hotels. The minimalist movement combines the Japanese practice of wabi-sabi, which is about slow living, simplicity, and contentment, with the complementary Scandinavian philosophy known by different names in each country but […]
Hot and Steamy Spin-Offs
By Karen Raugust on January 9, 2025 in Design and content themes, House and home, Licensing, Lifestyle, Wellness
Sauna and public bath culture, historically important in places like Finland and Japan, is on the rise globally of late, including in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and China. Most researchers forecast annual growth rates for the global sauna and bath industry of between 3% and 6%, with the U.S. market pegged at the high end […]