For the second straight year, toys/games was the fastest growing product category, posting an 8.1% increase. Food/beverage, apparel and accessories rounded out the top performers…
CELEBRITY
Freshness Eludes Celebrity Scents
February 19, 2016
Despite a small rush of celebrity-licensed fragrances introduced to retail in the late summer and fall, the category still smells off, with marketers Elizabeth Arden, Coty and Parlux all reporting…
VIDEO GAMES/SOFTWARE
Nintendo NY Re-opens With New Merch, Games
February 19, 2016
The newly branded Nintendo New York store, previously Nintendo World, re-opened Feb. 19th with a new 15-foot gaming screen, exclusive merchandise and guest appearances. See how the company is repositioning its focus on licensed goods and welcomes esports…
CELEBRITY LICENSING
Is Rachael Ray the Next Big Celebrity Lifestyle Brand?
February 19, 2016
Rachael Ray seeks to parlay her cooking cred into a lifestyle brand that reaches beyond the kitchen and into every room of the house…
TOYS & GAMES
TOTY’s Top Toys Hit the Nostalgic, Tech Sweet Spots
February 19, 2016
The 113th North American International Toy Fair once again played host to the The Toy Industry Association’s annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. Three of the top toys are licensed—sweeping the boy’s, girl’s and preschool and top toy of the year categories…
TOYS & GAMES
Toy Fair 2016
February 17, 2016
While last year’s Toy Fair was dominated by Frozen and Minions, this year their effects were felt more literally, with attendees braving sub-zero degree weather. Although the power brands are nowhere near gone, there was a greater diversity of new properties as well as nostalgia-fueled reboots, re-launches and spinoffs. Technology-enhanced play and STEAM…
BRINGING LICENSING IN-HOUSE
Big Fashion Licensors Taking Back Control of their Brands
January 29, 2016
Although licensing is one fashion trend that’s unlikely to ever go out of style, a growing number of fashion licensors are bucking the trend and taking back direct control of their brands…
PET PRODUCTS
As Pet Pampering Grows, Licensing Goes to the Dogs
January 29, 2016
The emerging trend of pet “parenting” has increased demand for specialty products, including toys and other products licensed from fashion, entertainment and celebrity properties, as pet parents seek to share their favorite brands with their pets…
TOYS & GAMES
NPD: Star Wars Toy Sales One-Third Higher than Frozen
January 22, 2016
Star Wars, the space epic whose newest chapter has knocked down box-office records around the world, also drove sales of movie licensed toys up by almost 10% in 2015, according to…
TOYS & GAMES
The State of Girls’ Toys
January 22, 2016
This new year promises to be a success for licensed toys and games; category sales grew to almost $7 billion in 2014, according to TLL’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. But amidst this success, girls’ toys are seeing slumping sales, amidst a perceived bias against girls in the marketing and licensing of products. And while the focus of this story is toys, this trend applies to all gender-segregated categories—from bedding, to apparel to toothbrushes…