The debuts of the leading U.K. retailers’ moving and high-production-value Christmas-themed TV “adverts” have become an anticipated event in that country each year. Many spur exclusive, limited-time merchandise items or ranges that tend to sell strongly, with some of the proceeds typically contributing to charitable causes. For example: John Lewis’s merchandise tied to the star […]
Archive | Retail
Learning to Love Licensing
Licensors of selected children’s properties are very slowly gaining a foothold in classrooms, largely through deals with manufacturers (or retailers) that focus on supplemental educational products purchased by teachers and home school parents, as well as parents, grandparents, and caregivers who simply want to help support children’s learning. These licensees sell their products largely through […]
I Got You, Babe
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 […]
Delectable Destinations
Experiential licensing deals continue to accumulate, with branded cafés one of the most common examples of late. Properties announcing deals in the past six months to launch new ventures, or expand existing café chains, illustrate both the variety of properties active in this sector and the global reach of the trend: Characters. Moomin will inaugurate […]
Long Legs for Adult Coloring
The adult coloring book trend persists, showing much more longevity than many observers had predicted. Barnes & Noble, which has been adult coloring central for the last couple of years, continues to give the category a lot of space and prominent placement. One large store currently features a large wall display and three tables right […]
Pokemon? No.
A search for Pokémon merchandise during a recent visit to Mall of America, in light of the Pokémon Go phenomenon, points to the challenges of capitalizing on a quick-rising trend. Just a handful of MOA’s 520-plus stores are currently highlighting Pokémon products, despite the abundance of visitors who were playing the game while walking the […]
Spinning Some Tunes
Wherever there is a consumer trend, licensing will follow. The presence of licensed examples among the exclusive vinyl releases for Record Store Day, the 2016 edition of which took place on Saturday (April 17), illustrates this truism. Record Store Day was launched as a way to support independent stores that continue to offer new and […]
Meal Deals
The link between licensed properties and meal delivery services continues to strengthen. Three announcements in the last few months illustrate the trend: As part of a deal between the NFL Players Association and Chef’d, athletes Kyle Rudolph and Chad Greenway provided recipes for a Super Bowl-themed “Big Game Party in a Box,” consisting of an […]
Sparking Creativity Through Consumer Products
Much of the merchandise being given a high profile at retail this holiday season is connected to the Maker movement, loosely defined as a community of do-it-yourselfers of all ages, from artists and crafters to tech-driven inventors, engineers, and programmers. Maker-associated product categories currently being featured in stores of all types include: Maker-labeled goods. Barnes […]
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 […]