By Yizan He, Founder & CEO of Alfilo Brands, www.alfilo.com. Note from the editor: Just under half (43%) of respondents to TLL's Licensing Business Survey said that the incidence of direct-to-retail (DTR) deals increased in 2018 compared to the previous year. A roughly equal share said that the number stayed the same or decreased (17% each; the remaining 22% indicated they … [Read more...] about The Boom of Private Label: Why DTR Licensing is Crucial to Retailer Success
Retailers
On Notice: Sportswear, Organics & Bankruptcy Updates
Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Puma's latest sneaker designs are coming under fire from In-N-Out Burger in a trademark lawsuit, with the fast-food restaurant alleging "essentially identical" elements like palm tree motifs as well as contrasting red and yellow accents in its Cali-0 Drive Thru and California Drive Thru CC shoes "causing consumers to … [Read more...] about On Notice: Sportswear, Organics & Bankruptcy Updates
M&A: New Faces, Same Places
Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Penske Media Corp. (PMC) purchases the last remaining 49% stake in Rolling Stone from BandLab Technologies, giving it full ownership over the magazine brand, including all event and licensing rights, as well as the parallel entity Rolling Stone Intl. Other PMC properties available for licensing include Variety, Deadline … [Read more...] about M&A: New Faces, Same Places
2019 U.S. Retail Growth Forecast Rosy; But Not Without Challenges
Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com This year's batch of respondents to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey agree with the experts: the U.S. economy is good for business in 2019. But uncertainty threatens to tank that rosy optimism. Half of the respondents to the 2018-19 Annual Survey—just under 50%—say that their licensing business will improve in 2019, … [Read more...] about 2019 U.S. Retail Growth Forecast Rosy; But Not Without Challenges
Legal Updates: Netflix/Chooseco, Rihanna, Sears & More
Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Indie publisher Chooseco files suit against Netflix in federal court alleging infringement of its "Choose Your Own Adventure" trademark, which is used on the classic interactive children’s book series. Chooseco alleges that Netflix failed to license its use in the streamer's latest interactive feature, Black Mirror: … [Read more...] about Legal Updates: Netflix/Chooseco, Rihanna, Sears & More
Licensed Trademark/Brand-based Ecommerce Sales Jump 5.8% in 2017
By: Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Discounters, supermarkets/grocery, and ecommerce made the biggest gains in share of licensed retail sales in 2017 in the U.S./Canada, according to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey. Licensed retail sales of corporate trademark/brand merchandise grew 2.5% to reach $29.2 billion in 2017 within the U.S./Canada. A large part … [Read more...] about Licensed Trademark/Brand-based Ecommerce Sales Jump 5.8% in 2017
Store Check: Holiday 2018 at Rockefeller Center
Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. FAO Schwarz has returned to New York City with a brand new flagship store at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The toy store spans 2.5 levels with over 20,000 sq. ft. of FAO's signature toys, interactive experiences, and themed partner areas. In addition to holiday exclusives, the store's collaboration with specialty candy retailer … [Read more...] about Store Check: Holiday 2018 at Rockefeller Center
Specialty, Mid-Tier & Ecommerce Drive 2017 Licensed U.S./Canada Fashion Sales
Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. Retail sales of licensed merchandise based on fashion properties in the U.S./Canada grew 1.5% to reach $21,776 million in 2017, per TLL’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. On the distribution side, the fastest-growing channel in 2017 for the U.S./Canada was ecommerce at 4.3% growth. Unlike most of the other five major … [Read more...] about Specialty, Mid-Tier & Ecommerce Drive 2017 Licensed U.S./Canada Fashion Sales
Retail Watch: Thanksgiving, Black Friday & Other Trends
Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. Here are the top trends and data points to help you digest this five-day holiday weekend. This story has been updated for Dec. 3, 2018 to incorporate additional data, especially for Cyber Monday. The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts that holiday sales, both in-store and online, will increase anywhere from 4.3% to … [Read more...] about Retail Watch: Thanksgiving, Black Friday & Other Trends
2018 Holiday Spending Expected to be Strong
Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. U.S. consumer confidence rose to an 18-year high in October, per The Conference Board. The index reading of 137.9, driven largely by a robust labor market, indicates that consumers expect the current strong pace of economic growth to carry over into early 2019. The NRF estimates that holiday spending will increase 4.1% this … [Read more...] about 2018 Holiday Spending Expected to be Strong