A handful of dollar stores and their international equivalents are using licensing and collaborations to stand out in an increasingly crowded market in which they face growing competition from a variety of different types of low-cost retailers. Many of these chains have raised their prices above the $1 mark, or similar milestones, which puts them […]
Archive | Retail
Retailers Smell Opportunity in Beauty Sector
Since the Covid pandemic, the beauty industry has been outperforming many other product categories when it comes to sales growth. Several retailers are looking to capitalize on current trends by entering into partnerships to boost their branded offerings in the category. In 2025, the U.S. prestige beauty industry saw both dollar and unit sales grow […]
The Dirt on Dirty Soda Collaborations
The current popularity of dirty sodas has given rise to a handful of collaborations in the last year or so, many involving fast food chains. Dirty sodas are soft drinks with the addition of flavored syrups or fruit juice; a splash of half-and-half, cream, or creamer; and sometimes garnishes such as fruit or candy. They […]
Fine Art Meets Fashion Retail
The fashion industry has been turning more and more often to art and artists for new apparel collections that grab consumers’ attention. One segment within that sphere that has been expanding of late consists of pairings of classic fine artists, licensed through their estates or museums that hold artworks of theirs, with fashion retailers. A […]
Craving Celebrity-Quick Service Combos
The practice of quick-service restaurants teaming with celebrities, mostly from the realms of music, acting, and sports, began in earnest in about 2022, following occasional pairings in earlier decades, and intensified in 2023. That year, some pundits predicted the end of the trend ahead, as the examples piled up and the market seemingly became saturated. […]
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 […]
Elevating the Fast-Food Drink Selection
Quick-service restaurants have long been at the forefront when it comes to creating offbeat novelty items to raise visibility for their brands and give something new to their loyal customers. One of the latest trends may also be one of the most unexpected: The pairing of fast food with wine. Such collaborations make a PR […]
Stop & Shop These Licensed Collections
Licensed foods have become an everyday sight in supermarket aisles around the world. A number of deals announced in the past 12 months show the growing importance of supermarkets as partners for exclusive licensed collaborations in non-foods categories as well, especially home goods, gift/stationery, and décor: Aldi paired with Disney last month to introduce a […]
Growth is a Piece of Cake for These Bakeries
Bakery chains from Asia—especially South Korea and Taiwan—are quickly expanding on a global scale, including in the U.S. Their combination of Asian and western (typically French) baked delicacies, made on-site daily, along with a range of hand-crafted beverages, appeals to the global Asian diaspora as well as a wide spectrum of western consumers. These shops […]