Licensing is playing an ever-greater role in the children’s cooking activity kit segment, with a number of new licensed products coming on the market recently. They range from toy playsets to science kits to cooking kits for use in making real food. Some are available at retail and others through a subscription model. Here is […]
Hitting the Slopes in Style
Skiwear collections have become regular occurrences for designers on the luxury end of the spectrum each fall. More drops of technical and fashion-forward ski apparel, including many collaborations, are introduced each year, and past partners tend to reprise their efforts with new designs annually. Examples for 2023 involve a variety of labels: Dior is offering […]
Christmas Characters Are Comin’ to Town
Seasonal merchandise programs tied to perennially favorite Christmas films, TV shows, and books have been strengthening in recent years, with more products available as each holiday season rolls around. This year, the collections seem to be particularly prominent, fueled by a couple of anniversaries, customers’ still-growing taste for pairings of licensed properties and seasonal themes, […]
Raising a Glass to Whiskey Collaborations
Brands of whiskey are long-time and still growing participants in the world of fashion. The collaborative collections of apparel and lifestyle goods typically incorporate design elements tied to the properties’ brand heritage and the distilling process. The marketing messages supporting the initiatives often call out the quality and craftsmanship of the jointly developed pieces, reflecting […]
Finding Consumers Where They Work or Play
This past September, J.C. Penney paired with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products to release women’s and men’s sweaters, dresses, shirts and tops, jackets, tote bags, and other apparel and accessories tied to the TV series Abbott Elementary. The collection was designed specifically for teachers, emphasizing comfort and affordability as well as a casual-but-professional style. […]
Toy Companies Offer Tasty Treats
By Karen Raugust on November 16, 2023 in Corporate brands, Food/Beverage, Gifts/Novelties, Licensing, Toys/Games
Plush is always a core category within the toy industry. But it is doing particularly well of late. In 2022, category sales rose 31.1%, according to the Toy Industry Association’s annual sales data developed by the NPD Group (now Circana). That was by far the biggest growth rate for any category tracked, in a year […]
E-Bike Partnerships Accelerate
The e-bike market is growing at a fast pace, propelled in large part by consumer and corporate interest in sustainability. Fortune Business Analysis, as reported by Inside EVs, estimates that the global market will increase from $37.47 billion in 2022 to an expected $43.32 billion in 2023, translating to annual growth of 15.61%. By 2030, […]
Fortunes Look Good for Licensed Tarot Decks
By Karen Raugust on November 9, 2023 in Character/Entertainment, Design and content themes, Gifts/Novelties, Licensing, Publishing
Interest in both self-care and hobbies/pastimes spiked during the pandemic, and tarot cards—which reside in both worlds—were no exception. Some suppliers have reported sales that tripled during the peak lockdown days and, more significantly, have doubled in the five-year period since 2018. While licensing drives a very small portion of the market, the number of […]
Worked Up About Workwear
Fashion watchers keeping an eye on what’s happening on the runways have highlighted workwear as a notable trend in this year’s fall and winter collections. The segment long ago expanded beyond traditional workwear purchasers. Starting in the late 1980s, workwear became associated with rap, street, and skate culture. Celebrities began wearing workwear and posting the […]
Fresh Produce Tie-Ins Bear Fruit
Marriages of licensed characters and fresh produce have come up regularly over the years, but the sector has been as active this year as any time in recent memory. The deals have taken a variety of forms, from branded packaging to promotional initiatives, and have involved a number of different types of partners, from restaurants […]