Barnes & Noble will host its first Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball on Dec. 9th at stores throughout the U.S. The event will feature activities including a designated themed craft-making station, wizarding charades and games, a coloring station, photo opportunities, face painting, fortune telling, and Harry Potter lookalike showcases. Select stores will also feature treats … [Read more...] about Retail Roundup
Entertainment/Character
TIA’s Top Toys of 2016
Congratulations to the 100 finalists for TIA's 2017 Toy of the Year Awards—about a quarter of which are licensed products! For the first time, the finalists will be identified on Amazon's and Toys "R" Us' homepages, across their websites, via social media/email channels, and in two Toys "R" Us inserts with a total circulation of 24 million. The winners in each of the 14 … [Read more...] about TIA’s Top Toys of 2016
Licensors Poised to Lose Millions in Royalties
The Hollywood Reporter reports that top entertainment and music companies like Discovery, CBS, Fox, and NBCUniversal are facing millions in lost royalties if a planned bankruptcy auction of Delivery Agent goes through. Delivery Agent was founded in 2005; the company runs digital platforms that sell licensed merchandise and has generated more than $800 million in revenue. After … [Read more...] about Licensors Poised to Lose Millions in Royalties
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
Top Retailers Tag Holiday Toy Favorites
The holiday shopping season is firmly upon us, with more retailers revealing their top picks for this year's holiday season. By the 7th of September—54 days before Halloween, 78 days before Thanksgiving and 108 days before Christmas and Hanukkah (which this year begins on Christmas Eve)—the two largest toy retailers in the U.S., Walmart and Toys 'R' Us, had announced the toys … [Read more...] about Top Retailers Tag Holiday Toy Favorites
Halloween Spending Up; Entertainment Tops Costume Choices
By Karina Masolova Halloween spending is expected to reach an all-time high this year, according to the National Retail Foundation (NRF)'s Halloween Spending Survey; total spending is expected to reach $8.4 billion, up 21.7% from $6.9 billion in 2015. The last time sales came close was in 2012, at a previous high of $8.0 billion. Over 171 million Americans expected to celebrate … [Read more...] about Halloween Spending Up; Entertainment Tops Costume Choices
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
Pumping Up Brands
By Karina Masolova Despite our love for athleisure and all things healthy, a recent study by Nautilus shows that Americans and Europeans fail when it comes to general health and fitness knowledge (scoring an average of 42% and 39%, respectively). But it can't be denied that fitness is a big business, even if it is more aspirational than not. The 2016 update to Inc.'s 5000 list … [Read more...] about Pumping Up Brands