The hotel and hospitality industry has been an area of interest for licensors of late, with potential opportunities taking many forms: Branded hotels. Karl Lagerfeld announced in November that he would launch a chain of luxury hotels, with the first to open in Macau in 2018. He joins fashion labels such as Armani, Missoni, Bulgari, […]
E-Sports Update
A lot has happened in the e-sports market since we last covered the topic in August 2016: More merchandise deals. Apparel licensee J!nx licensed Echo Fox, an e-sports team founded by former NBA athlete Rick Fox, for a line of clothing and accessories including hoodies, caps, and t-shirts. The company is also introducing a lifestyle […]
A New Celebrity Sector
The increasingly high profile of transgender celebrities in pop culture over the past few years has led to a relatively new and niche realm of celebrity licensing focused on signature merchandise inspired by transgender models, reality stars, and actresses. Examples, while still few and far between, date back at least as far as 2013 and […]
The Evolving World of Branded E-Commerce
Licensors and licensees are watching developments in the brand-specific e-commerce space. While recent announcements from Fanatics and Delivery Agent have little in common on the surface, together they reflect the challenges facing property-specific e-commerce due to fast-paced technology changes, quickly evolving consumer shopping patterns, and ever-expanding competition. Service providers either adapt or fail. Fanatics confirmed […]
A Heartwarming Hook for Holiday Products
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 […]
Product as Promotion
Several recent announcements show how corporate brands’ licensing activity these days often walks the line between consumer merchandise and marketing: Luxury meets novelty. Cheetos’ first online store, introduced at the end of November, features an assortment of luxury items, some of which sound like April Fool’s jokes. In fact, the site’s Cheeteau fragrance began its […]
Blind Bag Bonanza
When the NPD Group released its estimates for U.S. toy industry growth for the first nine months of this year, it called out the collectibles category as a particularly strong segment, with sales up 64% year-to-date. Blind bags—impulse-priced foil or plastic bags with a surprise mini collectible toy inside—represent a bright spot even within collectibles, […]
Decorating in Stone, Ceramic, and Glass
In October, The Tile Shop, a specialty retailer of natural and manufactured stone tiles, announced that it would be the exclusive U.S. distributor for Ted Baker-branded tiles. British Ceramic Tile has been the licensee for the U.K.-based designer’s tile range since 2015. The Tile Shop carries the floor and wall tiles in its 120 showrooms […]
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 […]