The Licensing Letter

Apparel

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

Toys/Games, Food/Beverage & Apparel Lead Growth on Products Side

For the second straight year, toys/games was the fastest growing product category, posting an 8.1% increase. Growth in toy and game merchandise has mirrored (and fed off of) the success of the entertainment/character property type over the past three years. As in 2013 and 2014, connection to “A-list” entertainment properties like Frozen, Star Wars and Minions drove growth in … [Read more...] about Toys/Games, Food/Beverage & Apparel Lead Growth on Products Side

Big Fashion Licensors Taking Back Control of their Brands

By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. The licensing model is one fashion trend that's unlikely to ever go out of style. But a growing number of fashion licensors—especially the bigger houses—are bucking the trend and taking back direct control of their brands. The most recent example is Puig, the Barcelona-based beauty company and owner of Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances, which earlier this … [Read more...] about Big Fashion Licensors Taking Back Control of their Brands

Pantones Colors Fashion, Décor Pink and Blue

If a color—or two—can reflect the mood of a people, it could be that we're all just lightening up. Color house Pantone has for the first time named a blending of two shades, Rose Quartz (Pantone 13-1520) and Serenity (Pantone 15-3919), as its Color of the Year for 2016. The positively pastel pink-blue combo stands in stark contrast to the hue of 2015: Marsala, a dark, earthy … [Read more...] about Pantones Colors Fashion, Décor Pink and Blue

The Retail Force Awakens: How Much Money Will Star Wars Make?

By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. Most movie-based entertainment properties have a limited shelf life lasting roughly as long as the film's run. Occasionally, exemplary properties like Cars, Monsters Inc. or Toy Story will drive sales for a few years after the film closes.   But Star Wars is in a universe of its own. There hasn't been a new Star Wars film since 2005. Yet the franchise … [Read more...] about The Retail Force Awakens: How Much Money Will Star Wars Make?

Entertainment, Sports Licensed Goods Lead Black Friday Deals

Hot holiday properties Frozen and Star Wars, and collegiate and NFL licensed merchandise, will be decking the halls of many retailers on one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Some of the nation's largest retailers over the past week moved to control the flow of information about their Black Friday promotions by "leaking" their own Thanksgiving weekend ad circulars … [Read more...] about Entertainment, Sports Licensed Goods Lead Black Friday Deals

Aéropostale Seeks to Raise Cash with International Licensing

Teen specialty retailer Aéropostale, struggling to turn around sagging sales domestically under threat of delisting from the New York Stock Exchange, is expanding through retail and product licensing deals. By expanding through licensing, Aéropostale is positioned to receive a steady income while its licensing partners covers the majority of costs. The chain … [Read more...] about Aéropostale Seeks to Raise Cash with International Licensing

Licensee Accusation: Asics Deliberately Tried to Drive Us Out of Business

By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. What Happened: Asics gave Windsor Financial Group, LLC, financing and exclusive rights to open and operate 13 Asics stores, including flagships in Boston and New York. The deal was supposed to run for 20 years but a couple of years in, Asics terminated the agreement. As a result, Windsor had to close the stores and eat the millions of dollars it had … [Read more...] about Licensee Accusation: Asics Deliberately Tried to Drive Us Out of Business

Lucky Brand Joins Bands

With its recent deal to develop a national apparel and accessories program around classic rock bands KISS, Journey, Def Leppard and others, apparel company Lucky Brand is plugging into a harmonious spot in the more generally discordant market for music licensed products. Lucky's deal with licensing agency Epic Rights will put music brands KISS, Journey, Def Leppard, Billy … [Read more...] about Lucky Brand Joins Bands