A seldom-noticed and relatively small, but increasingly active, segment of the pet products market consists of pet-related brands extending into adjacent categories. Examples come from all corners of the industry: Food. The Dog for Dog premium pet food brand licensed G-Mason earlier this year for crate mats, training pads, and other products, as well as […]
Archive | Licensing
Cashing in on Cryptocurrency
A handful of licensed properties are starting to enter the world of cryptocurrency, which consists of virtual “coins” enabled by blockchain technology. As with physical currency, consumers can utilize cryptocurrency to pay for things, or as an investment. Blockchain involves a decentralized digital ledger or database of transactions, ownership history, and/or other data associated with […]
The Post-Apocalyptic Retail Landscape
While news of retail store closures has seemingly slowed since last year’s “retail apocalypse,” there has still been a steady stream of chains reporting multiple location shutdowns in 2018. Just last week, for example, Lord & Taylor announced it would shutter 10 stores, including its Fifth Avenue flagship. In fact, the pace is not far […]
Retailers Proud to Celebrate Pride
The number of retailers in the U.S., Canada, and U.K. offering limited-edition merchandise collections timed to Pride events—held mostly in June in North America and across the summer months in Britain—has been growing each year. Some of 2018’s participants include: Bloomingdale’s, which teamed with t-shirt maker Native Son on a Pride-themed capsule collection designed by […]
Grocers Have a Taste for Meal Kits
The meal kit business has experienced some potentially profound changes of late, with grocery store operators increasing their presence in the segment. They are entering in a number of ways: Purchasing existing meal kit companies. Kroger acquired Home Chef for $200 million (plus $500 million more if the program meets online and in-store sales goals) […]
Believing in the Beautiful Game
With the 2018 FIFA World Cup coming up this summer in Russia, it seems like a good time to take a look at the growing number of football-inspired lifestyle labels on the market, many of which are linked to licensing in some way. These are apparel and accessories brands that capture the sensibility of the […]
Honing in on the Hispanic Market, Part 2
Just two weeks ago (“Honing in on the Hispanic Market,” May 17, 2018), we noted the slow and steady rise of licensing initiatives intended to appeal to Hispanic consumers in the U.S. Last week’s Licensing Expo confirmed this trend, with more exhibited properties than ever having this population in mind: Entertainment and publishing. One Entertainment, […]
Rainbow Connection
Rainbow-themed girls’ entertainment is in, if this year’s Licensing Expo is any indication. Among the rainbow-centric properties prominently displayed at the show this year are: True and the Rainbow Kingdom. This Netflix Original is produced by Guru Studio and licensed by Brand Central, with Toy State on board as the licensee for playthings. The show […]
Hard Liquor’s A Gonna Fall
The announcement last week that Bob Dylan was getting into the spirits game with a collection of premium whiskeys is just the latest in a raft of deals pairing musicians with wine, beer, and liquor marketers. More than a half dozen agreements announced this year so far illustrate the wide variety of music genres, business […]
Honing In On The Hispanic Market
Licensors and licensees continue to develop product initiatives meant to appeal to U.S. Hispanic consumers: In April, Masked Republic introduced a website, LuchaCentral.com, with Asteri Networks as a hub for news and content about Mexican masked wrestling. In addition to curated and original news, an event calendar, profiles of the luchadors (wrestlers), and a social […]