The Licensing Letter

Target

Discount, Ecommerce Channels Add $1.3 Billion in U.S. & Canada Licensed Sales

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The discount/mass and online/ecommerce channels alone added an additional $1.3 billion in licensed retail sales in 2018, according to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey. That's exactly 91.0% of the $1.5 billion growth in licensed retail sales from 2017. The share of retail sales of licensed merchandise conducted … [Read more...] about Discount, Ecommerce Channels Add $1.3 Billion in U.S. & Canada Licensed Sales

Who’s News—January 2019

Are you hiring—or being promoted, changing jobs, retiring, launching a new company, or otherwise changing your employment? Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com to announce the news in our next issue of Who's News. 1/14/2019 Margie Cohn, currently President of DreamWorks Animation Television, takes on the additional role of President of DreamWorks Animation. Cohn … [Read more...] about Who’s News—January 2019

One-Quarter of Top 2018 Holiday Toys are Licensed

Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. Roughly 29% of the top 2018 holiday toys are licensed, according to lists created by Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Kmart. In 2017, retail sales of licensed toys/games sank -4.4% to $7.7 billion in the U.S./Canada, according to TLL’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. This was largely due to the impact of the Toys 'R' Us … [Read more...] about One-Quarter of Top 2018 Holiday Toys are Licensed

Entertainment/Character Roundup

Disney's Star Wars will see a new film trilogy from The Last Jedi frontman Rian Johnson, separate from the episodic Skywalker saga. The media giant is also planning a new live-action Star Wars TV series for its SVOD service to launch in 2019. Also headed to SVOD are original TV series adaptations of Pixar’s Monsters Inc., Disney Channel’s High School Musical franchise, and … [Read more...] about Entertainment/Character Roundup

The Future of Ecommerce is In-store

By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com With traditional retail business models crashing down, and ecommerce on the rise, retailers will need the power of brands to thrive. Two dominant trends emerge when looking at the future of retail: retail-tainment and omnichannel. Despite the rise of ecommerce, shoppers still prefer to see, touch, and experience products. … [Read more...] about The Future of Ecommerce is In-store

Retailer’s Top Toys of the 2017 Holiday Season

By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The top toy lists from Toys 'R' Us, Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Kohl's are out! Just over one-third of the top toys of the holiday season are licensed offerings. This year, we've identified which toys are licensed, their respective manufacturer, and which are exclusive to the retailer. See the complete list below. In 2016, … [Read more...] about Retailer’s Top Toys of the 2017 Holiday Season

Who’s News

Lionsgate promotes Kerry Phelan to President Global Franchise Management. Phelan is tasked with managing upcoming projects including Lionsgate Movie World in Korea, the Lionsgate Entertainment World indoor theme park in China, and the Lionsgate Entertainment City centers set to bow in the U.S. and Europe. Warner Bros. Consumer Products U.K. & Ireland appoints Rachel Wakley … [Read more...] about Who’s News

Walmart Steady as Top Retailer in the U.S.

Walmart remained steady in its No. 1 spot as the top retailer based on sales, while Amazon climbed and Target dropped, according to Stores Magazine’s annual Top 100 Retailers list, released by National Retail Federation (NRF) and Kantar Retail. Innovation in shopping options is key to remaining on top, with Stores Magazine citing "creative disruption" and "reinventing physical … [Read more...] about Walmart Steady as Top Retailer in the U.S.

Retailer Showdown

Over 100 retailers are joining forces to fight against a proposed U.S. tax on imports, aiming to sway both federal lawmakers and American consumers. The Americans for Affordable Products coalition includes The Retail Industry Leaders Association and more than 120 other trade groups. The proposed corporate tax reform is meant to reward companies that sell products outside the … [Read more...] about Retailer Showdown

Deals in Short

As always, see the complete list of deals from this last week here. In Japan, a Betty Boop-branded diner opens in Japan through a deal brokered with Food Business Consultant Inc. (FBC) by licensor King Features’ Japanese agent, Copyrights Asia. The location plans to feature merch and special holiday events in the '50s-esque eatery. WildBrain is appointed as the exclusive … [Read more...] about Deals in Short