The home goods industry struggled in 2022 after the robust sales of the lockdown era, and most observers expect that trend to continue into 2023. But licensing has been a bright spot lately, and new licensing deals continue to be forged at a regular pace. One notable current trend—not surprising given consumers’ concerns about inflation […]
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Cutting the Clutter
Last week, de-cluttering expert Marie Kondo, made famous in the U.S. through her Netflix show, Sparking Joy, as well as her four books, announced a collection of home organization products with 3Coins, a discount home store in Kondo’s native Japan. The first category to debut is kitchen storage, including bags for sorting perishables, expandable organizers, […]
Say Cheese
The number of collaborations taking a food or beverage brand’s distinctive taste into another, unexpected, food or beverage category continues to grow. Over the last year, one flavor—cheese, in all its many varieties and forms—has been at the center of several such partnerships. Examples range from cheese-infused alcoholic beverages to cheesy ice cream and donuts: […]
Meal Time
This spring and summer, a number of chefs and other celebrities have introduced home goods collections centering on mealtimes, featuring products including cookware, tabletop items, kitchen storage, kitchen textiles, table linens, and the like. The new ranges, some produced in-house but most accomplished through licensing or collaboration, join a very crowded landscape in this category, […]
Country Club
A trio of country singers have recently announced consumer product initiatives that are significant both in terms of the breadth of the programs and the attention they have garnered: Last week, news arrived that Blake Shelton had partnered with Land’s End for a fall and holiday collection. The assortment includes apparel for men, women, and […]
Black Beauty
By Karen Raugust on April 21, 2022 in Demographic groups, Diversity/Inclusion, Health/beauty, Licensing, Retail
Retailers’ beauty departments represent one area where progress has been made on the road toward more diversity, equity, and inclusion over the past two years, and change continues. While each effort is unique, in general retailers have diversified their product mix to make more offerings available for women of all colors and skin and hair […]
A Golden Age for the Golden Years
There was a time not long ago when it was rare to see licensing or collaboration agreements featuring celebrities aged 50-plus. When they have occurred, they have typically been geared toward consumers in the same age cohort. But things are changing. Recent partnerships have involved older celebrities who have become popular with young adult fans […]
New Ways to Feather the Nest
Retailers of all types have been expanding their home assortments since shortly after the start of the pandemic. This is a logical move, as consumers have been doing more DIY projects; redecorating their nests to create comfortable sanctuaries; reconfiguring to accommodate home offices, schooling, and outdoor entertaining; and sometimes filling the blank slate of a […]
Retailers Rethink Beauty
Four of the major U.S. mid-tier and mass retailers are launching new beauty concepts, three this month and one in the fall. All have in common a focus on younger shoppers, synergies between in-store and online executions, and an emphasis on products for consumers of all ethnicities. The goal is to capture new consumers at […]
A High Point for Low-Priced Craft Supplies
The arts and crafts segment proved to be one of the beneficiaries of the pandemic-driven stay-at-home era—as measured by increased sales levels—thanks to families looking for things for their kids to do while in isolation and adults using their unexpected leisure time to try a new craft or revisit a hobby they had abandoned. It […]