A handful of licensors in the past three months have announced deals for a single functional grooming product or targeted collection. The somewhat unexpected pairings, involving properties ranging from designers to celebrities to gaming brands, have generated significant media coverage and social media discussion, some of it tongue-in-cheek and much of it positive: In June, […]
Tag Archives | Vera Bradley
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, […]
Reflections on Retail Exclusives
The continuing importance of retail exclusives involving licensed properties—particularly celebrities and designers—is evident in stores of all types this holiday season. Outside of the entertainment realm, the licensed products most likely to be granted significant space at the front of the store or in other high-traffic areas, or to be featured in a window display […]