Government seizures of counterfeit products totaled over 31,560 goods in fiscal year 2016, up over 9% to an estimated $1.3 billion based on the MSRP of seized goods. The top categories were apparel and accessories (over 20% of all seizures, valued at $110.8 million). Watches and jewelry continued to be the top products seized, with a value of more than $635.5 million. Handbags and wallets were second with seizures estimated to value more than $234 million. Footwear clocked in at $51.2 million. Top sources for counterfeit merch remained China (45%) and Hong Kong (43%). Notable seizures last year included hoverboards and sports merchandise in the run-up to Super Bowl 50. In comparison, toys clocked in as the tenth-most seized category in 2015 (the latest year for which data is currently available).
The Emoji Company and Sony Pictures Animation enter into an agreement over the registered emoji trademark allowing for the use of the term “emoji” in connection with Sony’s worldwide merchandising program for its upcoming film The Emoji Movie, in theaters Aug. 11. Both companies will offer distinct sets of emoticons and characters as well as target different markets; Sony’s products will be from their original film, while the Emoji Company’s icons are developed with the classic look and feel known from the Unicode.
A new study from IBM and the National Retail Federation shows that 98% of Generation Z prefer to shop in brick-and-mortar stores; 67% shop in-store most of the time, with another 31% doing so sometimes. That doesn’t mean they’re disconnecting; 74% spend their free time online, with 25% of participants online five hours or more each day.