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Licensed retail sales reached $22.3 billion in 2018 in Asia, according to The Licensing Letter. The total was up 4.5% from the previous year, adding just over $950 million compared to 2017.
The largest and most established licensed economy in the region grew an unprecedented 0.6% in 2018, the fastest rate of growth TLL has observed since we began tracking licensed sales in 2011. In that 8-year timespan, however, Japan-based sales actually shrunk by $85 million thanks to a gradually contracting economy. Despite natural disaster striking in the latter half of the year, Japan observed healthy, mostly tourist-based growth for rest of 2018.
In 2018, the fastest-growing categories in Japan were fashion- (2.2%) and sports-based (1.9%) licensed retail sales. Meanwhile, entertainment/character-based sales dipped -1.9%, a loss of $76 million from the previous year. Corporate/trademark sales continue to do well at 1.4% growth, while art-based licenses rebounded with 0.4% growth for the first time after two straight years of declines.
The second-largest economy in Asia added $3.8 billion in licensed retail sales over the same 8-year period, now only $1.2 billion behind the region’s licensing powerhouse. Up 8.4% overall in 2018, China contributed an unprecedented $750 million in licensed retail sales.
In greater China, a region comprised of mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, entertainment/character (up 5.9%) is a key growth area, although it lags behind the dollar growth contributed by fashion brands (9.0%). In 2018, sports-based properties saw the fastest growth of any category at 12.4%, thanks primarily to esports and soccer. Corporate/trademark-based goods jumped 6.9% in 2018.
India broke the billion-dollar mark in 2018, counting $1,023 million in licensed retail sales. The country observed double-digit growth in sports-based sales (18.0%), and is one of the few countries in which the property type outpaced fashion-based (5.6%) growth on a dollar basis. Corporate/trademark licensing was up 8.7%, art up 7.0%, and entertainment/character up 5.6% from the previous year.
Licensed sales in South Korea were up 4.0% in 2018, largely spurred by activity from the Winter Olympic Games. Sports-based sales in the country were up 27.0% in 2018, outpacing growth in fashion (4.4%), corporate/trademark (3.2%), art (2.4%), and entertainment/character (1.8%).
Southeast Asia tracked 4.7% growth overall in 2018; the region includes Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and other territories. Entertainment/character-based sales make up almost 40% of the territory’s total $399 million in licensed retail sales; growth categories for 2018 are sports (7.0%) and fashion (6.5%). Entertainment/character sales were up 2.6%, lagging behind the growth of corporate/trademark (2.8%) but not art (2.0%).
Note: Numbers may not add up exactly due to rounding. | ||||||
(Figures in millions) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Territory | Retail Sales, 2018 | Retail Sales, 2017 | Change, 2017–2018 | Share, 2018 | ||
Japan | $10,349 | $10,287 | 0.6% | 46.4% | ||
Greater China | $10,061 | $9,280 | 8.4% | 45.1% | ||
China (mainland) | $9,119 | $8,366 | 9.0% | 40.9% | ||
Taiwan | $566 | $553 | 2.4% | 2.5% | ||
Hong Kong | $306 | $294 | 4.0% | 1.4% | ||
Macau | $70 | $68 | 4.0% | 0.3% | ||
India | $1,023 | $947 | 8.0% | 4.6% | ||
South Korea | $443 | $426 | 4.0% | 2.0% | ||
Southeast Asia | $399 | $381 | 4.7% | 1.8% | ||
Singapore | $101 | $99 | 2.5% | 0.5% | ||
Malaysia | $70 | $67 | 4.6% | 0.3% | ||
Philippines | $95 | $89 | 6.6% | 0.4% | ||
Indonesia | $69 | $66 | 5.1% | 0.3% | ||
Thailand | $24 | $23 | 3.9% | 0.1% | ||
Vietnam | $15 | $14 | 10.0% | 0.1% | ||
Other Southeast Asia | $24 | $24 | 3.3% | 0.1% | ||
Other Asia | $35 | $35 | -0.6% | 0.2% | ||
Total Asia | $22,309 | $21,356 | 4.5% | 100.0% |