As they compete with each other and with general-market retailers, both mass and specialty, stores specializing in products for expectant and new mothers have been active players in licensing. In particular, they have been on the lookout for direct-to-retail and exclusive distribution deals with celebrity, fashion, character, and other properties that make sense in this market.
The phenomenon holds true for most of the leading chains in this sector:
- Destination Maternity. Its exclusive collections over the past several years, across its various nameplates—Destination Maternity, Motherhood Maternity, and Pea in the Pod—have included Wendy Bellissimo, Jessica Simpson, Disney, and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
- Babies ‘R’ Us. This Toys ‘R’ Us-owned chain has offered exclusives including Truly Scrumptious by Heidi Klum, a Small Paul collection from Paul Frank, and the Kardashian Kids line for girls to 24 months.
- Mothercare. Exclusive licensed collections at this U.K.-headquartered, global chain include character-based assortments with Peter Rabbit, Brambly Hedge, and Dinosaur Roar! and designer arrays with Julien Macdonald, Myleene Klass, and Jools Oliver.
- Buy Buy Baby. Among this retailer’s exclusives are HGTV Home baby furniture and Ivanka Trump baby accessories (via A.D. Sutton, for launch in January 2017).
Some of these chains’ exclusives, which extend beyond the examples in this list, are limited to the launch phase, after which the collections expand to other retailers. But many are true exclusives, whether through a licensee or a DTR deal. In both cases, they serve to differentiate the retailers in this challenging sector, which is not only very competitive but serves an ever-changing pool of customers, each with a short window of demand.
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