Celebrity entrepreneur Mark Cuban is making a new investment in e-commerce, the fastest growing retail channel for licensed goods. Cuban's eponymous Mark Cuban Collection of products featured on the TV show Shark Tank debuted June 1 on Amazon.com, forgoing Walmart, Target and other large retailers.
The Mark Cuban Collection is in the Amazon Exclusives store, which stocks … [Read more...] about To Sell Shark Tank Goods, Cuban Makes Bet on
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To Sell Shark Tank Goods, Cuban Makes Bet on
Mergers & Acquisitions
Beanstalk will now represent the personality rights of legendary icons. The service, formally called Icon Representation, will be led by Martin Cribbs, who has joined the agency as VP Brand Management. Orchard Street Ventures is a new agency specializing in lifestyle licensing. OSV currently represents Lionsgate, Time Inc. (Food & Wine and Southern Living magazines), and … [Read more...] about Mergers & Acquisitions
E-commerce Sales Top $11 Billion in 2015; Led by Trademarks and Entertainment
By Karina MasolovaOver $11 billion in licensed merchandise was sold through e-commerce retail channels in the U.S. and Canada in 2015, according to The Licensing Letter’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. Factoring out automobiles and fuel, the U.S. Commerce Department estimates that 10.5% of all U.S. retail sales in 2015 were made online. In contrast, TLL estimates that … [Read more...] about E-commerce Sales Top $11 Billion in 2015; Led by Trademarks and Entertainment
Earnings Scorecard: Winners & Losers of the First Quarter
By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. This month, the nation's largest retailers posted their earnings for the first quarter of 2016. And the numbers confirm what we already know: These are tough times for the retail industry. But just how tough are they? While the monster losses by Macy's, Target, Kohl's, Nordstrom and others stole the headlines, they belie the strong performance … [Read more...] about Earnings Scorecard: Winners & Losers of the First Quarter
Survey Delivers the Low Down on Dollar Store Shoppers
A new secret shopper survey brings to light the characteristics and habits of shoppers in one of the fastest-growing retail channels for licensed merchandise: dollar stores. Amid strong overall sales and earnings growth for channel leaders Dollar Tree and Dollar General (see related story), U.S. and Canadian sales of licensed merchandise in the dollar/value/off-price channel … [Read more...] about Survey Delivers the Low Down on Dollar Store Shoppers
Rihanna Shows Strength for Puma, Foot Locker
By Marcy Magiera In the competitive world of licensed athletic gear, pop singer and fashion icon Rihanna is riding the demand for athleisure apparel to go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest athletes in the NBA. Athletic retailer Foot Locker on Friday posted its highest quarterly net income ($191 million, up 3.8%) and earnings per share ($1.39) in the company's history, but … [Read more...] about Rihanna Shows Strength for Puma, Foot Locker
Are Celebrity Chefs the Next Wave in Marijuana Branding?
Celebrities have been quick to seize the branding opportunities offered by the $2.7 billion legal marijuana industry. But up to now, most of the celebrity branding deals have involved maverick musicians like Bob Marley, Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg and other rappers. (See TLL's live chart of celebrities that have lent their names to a marijuana brand.) But a new kind of celebrity … [Read more...] about Are Celebrity Chefs the Next Wave in Marijuana Branding?
Male Celebrities to Bolster H&B
As licensed sales of health and beauty products are flagging (according to The Licensing Letter’s Annual Licensing Business Survey, licensed sales were flat at 0.1% in 2015), men’s products are proving to be a silver lining as one of the fastest growing markets. Former England, Real Madrid and Manchester United star David Beckham, in a deal negotiated with Seven Global, is now … [Read more...] about Male Celebrities to Bolster H&B
Who’s News
Jeffrey Godsick steps down as President of Fox Consumer Products to join Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group as EVP Worldwide Partnerships. Genius Brands Intl. promotes Stone Newman to President Global Consumer Products & Marketing. Soo Koo is appointed CCO at Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Michael Carrington steps down as CEO of Zodiak Kids Studios to take the helm of … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Star Wars’ Direct Path to the Top of Entertainment/Character
By Marcy Magiera The following is an excerpt from TLL’s feature story on entertainment/character licensed brands. See the complete run-down here, including retail sales by product category and retail distribution. Like the entire entertainment/character universe, which began to grow in 2013 but really took off in 2014, Frozen was introduced with the Disney film in 2013, but … [Read more...] about Star Wars’ Direct Path to the Top of Entertainment/Character