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 […]
Tag Archives | Laura Ashley
Fashion Acquisitions Highlight Brand-Management Model
A raft of fashion brands were acquired by one of the major licensing-forward brand management companies in 2024, and the trend already seems to be continuing into 2025. The sheer number of such purchases is an indicator of the power of this long-important business model to rescue and right the operations of struggling fashion brands […]
These Kitchen Appliances Are *Chef’s Kiss*
Celebrity chefs regularly lend their names to licensed cookware, bakeware, tableware, cutlery, gadgets, and other categories closely related to cooking and entertaining. One area that makes good sense, but where chefs have been infrequent players to date, is in small kitchen appliances. Typically, these sorts of collaborations, when they happen, are positioned as offering professional […]
Grabbing the World by the Lapels
A handful of womenswear designers known for very feminine styles have been bringing their sensibilities into the menswear space of late. The move makes sense as the lines between womenswear and menswear are increasingly blurring, as illustrated by the rise of gender-neutral collections and gender-neutral pieces within womenswear and menswear lines. Some recent examples: Laura […]
Flower Power
The fresh cut flower category, while still a relatively niche opportunity, has seen an increase in licensing activity over the years, with fashion and lifestyle designers among the property types that are most active in the space. Logically, most of those doing deals are either known for integrating floral patterns into their apparel and home […]
Are Prints Losing Their Power?
Four licensed lifestyle brands known for their distinctive all-over prints have been struggling of late: Orla Kiely, the 1970s-infused label tied to the Irish designer billed as the “queen of prints,” announced in September that it would liquidate, shutting its stores, located in the U.K. and Ireland, and its website. The 20-plus-year-old brand’s licensing business, […]
Expect the Unexpected
A handful of deals announced this fall have put licensed properties into new and unexpected places: Kathy Ireland licensed Gander Group for a line of products sold exclusively through casinos in North America. The merchandise includes a range of home goods (indoor and outdoor), including kitchen accessories under the Chef Andre Sunday Dinner Presented by […]
Swanky Stationery
Fashion and interior designers continue to strengthen their presence in the high-end stationery category, furthering a trend that has been evident over the last couple of years. Some of the licensing agreements focus on e-stationery, while others encompass both electronic and print versions of holiday cards, invitations, and thank you notes. Two designers adding their […]