By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. The phrase "consumer engagement," kept coming up in this year's TLL Annual Survey, especially when respondents identified the key trends shaping licensing. "It's all about connecting with consumers and forging an emotional and day-to-day relationship so that your brand becomes part of their lives," according to one respondent. So, who does the best job … [Read more...] about Which Brands Are Best At Engaging Their Customers?
Retailers
TLL Survey: Corporate Licensing Up 3% in 2015 Fueled by Food/Beverage & Automotive
By Karina Masolova At $27.6 billion, corporate trademarks and brands accounted for 27% of all retail licensed sales in the U.S. and Canada in 2015, the most of any segment (followed by fashion at 20% and sports at 14%), according to The Licensing Letter's Annual Licensing Business Survey. But while it may be big, the corporate segment was also devoid of drama growing at a slow … [Read more...] about TLL Survey: Corporate Licensing Up 3% in 2015 Fueled by Food/Beverage & Automotive
Food/Beverage in Strong Demand Amongst Corporate Brands
By Karina MasolovaFor the sixth straight year in a row, food/beverage outperformed all other corporate trademark and brand segments with 4.5% growth in 2015, according to The Licensing Letter's Annual Licensing Business Survey. Overall, the eating and drinking-related segments continue to represent the growth area in corporate licensing, although the growth of the restaurants … [Read more...] about Food/Beverage in Strong Demand Amongst Corporate Brands
Licensed Product Distribution Grows in Online Channel as Physical Shelf Space Tightens for Smaller Brands
Sales of licensed products in the ecommerce channel continued to grow dramatically in 2015, and while the channel’s rate of growth tapered slightly from 2014, sales of licensed products through online outlets continued to outpace the rate of overall online sales. Most other channels continued in a characteristically steady vein, gaining or losing just a fraction of one … [Read more...] about Licensed Product Distribution Grows in Online Channel as Physical Shelf Space Tightens for Smaller Brands
Off-price Leads the Value Segment
The share of sales lost by department stores was picked up by the lowest-priced retail tier, consisting of dollar/value/off-price stores, which saw its share of market grow 0.4 percentage points in 2015. The segment rose from 8.8% to 9.2% of all retail sales of licensed products. That translates to a 4.5% relative increase in share. While survey respondents last year talked … [Read more...] about Off-price Leads the Value Segment
Ecommerce/Online Taking Retail by Storm
The growth of the ecommerce/online channel was the No. 1 retail issue reported by survey respondents, with more than 20% of those responding mentioning it when asked about key trends affecting retailing. Among the respondents who labeled the growth of ecommerce an important trend for the year, it was not viewed as exclusively positive: about a quarter also mentioned it in … [Read more...] about Ecommerce/Online Taking Retail by Storm
Store Check: Target at Culver City, CA
By Marcy Magiera A week before Disney’s Zootopia scampered into theaters accompanied by predictions of a $67 million opening weekend, limited merchandise was on the shelf at Target stores. A local Target in Culver City, Calif., gave the new IP a toy aisle endcap, sparsely filled with small action figures, playsets and plush. It was unclear whether the selection was already … [Read more...] about Store Check: Target at Culver City, CA
Nintendo NY Re-opens With New Merch, Games
By Karina Masolova The newly branded Nintendo New York store, previously Nintendo World, re-opened Feb. 19th with a new 15-foot gaming screen, exclusive merchandise and appearances by Mario, Luigi and Charles Martinet. The two-floor space has been redesigned with large-scale gaming events in mind; the location boasts larger, open spaces and merchandise on movable … [Read more...] about Nintendo NY Re-opens With New Merch, Games
Store Check: Macy’s Herald Square
By Karina Masolova Following snowdrifts and slush, shoppers returned to stores—and the licensed goods within. Macy's flagship 34th Street location featured some select brands in full force. While retail space is shrinking for lesser-known brands, the retailer put out all the stops for the heavy hitters. Felix the Cat plush dominated one display, with Where's Waldo and Peanuts … [Read more...] about Store Check: Macy’s Herald Square
Super Bowl Spending to Top $15.5 Billion
By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. The Super Bowl is big every year. But this year's 50th anniversary installment will be the biggest Super Bowl ever, at least from a consumption perspective. Just consider these numbers from the National Retail Federation: 188.9 million—Estimated TV viewers (as compared to 183.7 million last year) 17.7%—Percentage of viewers citing commercials as most … [Read more...] about Super Bowl Spending to Top $15.5 Billion