By: Karina Masolova I visited another bookstore for our store check feature, and this time, it's a specialty Japanese retailer in midtown Manhattan. The chain bookstore has 12 locations in the U.S., including two recently opened shops in Texas. The fastest-growing region in the U.S. for interest in Japanese-origin properties is the Midwest, and the strongest demand for the … [Read more...] about Store Check: Kino’s (a.k.a. Blind Box Heaven)
Publishing
TLL’s Guide to Publishing-based Properties
The publishing sector includes three primary areas: Books, newspapers/magazines, and comic books and strips. Licensing of books is dominated by children’s titles and focuses on children’s book characters. However, there are also specialized imprints for adults such as Rand McNally, Berlitz, and For Dummies, and some adult nonfiction authors have launched licensing efforts as … [Read more...] about TLL’s Guide to Publishing-based Properties
Soft Book Sales as the World Celebrates Reading
To mark the 20th anniversary of Read Across America (or World Book Day in the rest of the world), children around the world dressed up as their favorite publishing-based characters. The holiday is also known as Dr. Seuss Day in honor of American writer Theodore Seuss Geisel, whose birthday falls on March 2nd. The Roald Dahl Literary Estate launched Roald Dahl’s Imaginormous … [Read more...] about Soft Book Sales as the World Celebrates Reading
2016 Only Gets Better for $100+ Entertainment/Character Brands
Karina Masolova, additional reporting by Glenn Demby and Marcy Magiera A total of 44 properties made TLL's latest list of entertainment/character brands that cleared $100 million in licensed retail sales in the U.S. and Canada. For the first time, we're casting our predictions for what next year's look will look like. See the retail sales breakdown here, and look below for … [Read more...] about 2016 Only Gets Better for $100+ Entertainment/Character Brands
44 Entertainment/Character Brands Make the $100 Million List
Karina Masolova, additional reporting by Glenn Demby and Marcy Magiera Forty-four entertainment/character properties make our list of brands that generate over $100 million in retail sales of licensed merchandise in the U.S. and Canada—accounting for a total of $41 billion in sales worldwide in 2015. See the full list here. Three brands cleared $1 billion in the U.S./Canada … [Read more...] about 44 Entertainment/Character Brands Make the $100 Million List
Superheroes Revisited: Batman Overtakes Spider-Man
The age-old question is re-examined: DC or Marvel? We've restated the 2014 retail sales figures for Batman, Avengers, and Superman to reflect the relative rankings between the four superhero brands on the $100 million-plus list. This is how the top superheroes rank up in 2015 for licensed retail sales in the U.S./Canada: Batman (No. 11 on the $100 million list) Spider-Man … [Read more...] about Superheroes Revisited: Batman Overtakes Spider-Man
Preschool: A Passport to the Worldwide Market
By Karina Masolova As one of the first categories in which properties originating outside the U.S. became part of global culture, the worldwide preschool sector essentially provides licensors with a passport to the global licensed consumer products market. The trend is only accelerating as the over-$10 billion market for licensed preschool products expands. See the complete … [Read more...] about Preschool: A Passport to the Worldwide Market
Franchise Films Losing Ground to Publishing Adaptations
By Marcy Magiera Franchise films still consistently top the U.S. box office, but 2016 has seen many sequels and reboots fall flat with audiences, causing many observers to question whether consumers have hit an unanticipated limit when it comes to Hollywood's franchise obsession. It takes time, however, before those concerns are reflected in studio production schedules. Our … [Read more...] about Franchise Films Losing Ground to Publishing Adaptations
Publishing Up 1% in the U.S./Canada; Steady Growth Worldwide
Retail sales of publishing-based licensed merchandise grew 1.0% to reach $4.51 billion in retail sales in the U.S./Canada—the highest since the category peaked in 2008 at $4.53 billion. Although 2015 growth is less than the previous year’s (1.6%), the category is steadily recovering from the dip observed from 2008–2010 and laconic growth in subsequent years (under 1.0%). The … [Read more...] about Publishing Up 1% in the U.S./Canada; Steady Growth Worldwide
Cursed Child Blesses Retail
The numbers are in for the latest addition to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World franchise, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 & 2, and the book is strongly positioned to break records. The franchise will further grow with the upcoming film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, slated for release on November 18, 2016. Although the Harry Potter licensing program has … [Read more...] about Cursed Child Blesses Retail