The Licensing Letter

Target

Mergers & Acquisitions

Toys 'R' Us sells the FAO Schwarz brand to California-based toy manufacturer and distributor ThreeSixty Group. ThreeSixty will develop FAO Schwarz-branded toys and retail experiences, to launch next fall. Target partners with Alibaba to sell goods in China via the Tmall ecommerce marketplace. Viacom's Board of Directors forms a Special Committee of Independent Directors to … [Read more...] about Mergers & Acquisitions

Who’s News

Rob McMenemy leaves Egmont Publishing in his role as CEO Intl. In the U.K., Sarah Bates is promoted to Commercial Director, Ali Dougal moves up to Fiction Publishing Director and John Packard to Brands & Licensing Publishing Director. Henna Riaz launches HRR Entertainment. The music and business management company will manage individuals in the music and entertainment … [Read more...] about Who’s News

Apparel Fuels 3.1% Growth in U.S./Canada Fashion Licensing—Global Growth Is Even Higher

Growing competition; continued decline in the brick and mortar backyard; currency devaluation in Europe and Asia; a fourth quarter retail fiasco. 2015 was a tough year for the fashion industry. Yet, for all of the challenges, fashion licensing prospered in not only in the U.S./Canada but worldwide, according to The Licensing Letter’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. Global … [Read more...] about Apparel Fuels 3.1% Growth in U.S./Canada Fashion Licensing—Global Growth Is Even Higher

Who’s News

Beanstalk launches its Icon Representation service for the representation of personality rights of legendary icons to be led by Martin Cribbs, who joins as VP Brand Management. Rosalind Nowicki steps down as EVP Global Sales & Retail at 20th Century Fox to lead Iconix's entertainment division and Peanuts Worldwide. Zodiak Kids promotes Gwen Hughes to COO Zodiak Kids … [Read more...] about Who’s News

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

Who’s News

LIMA appointed Rutika Malaviya as its official representative for India. Cherokee Global Brands hired Randi Spieker as EVP Business Development. DHX Brands named Kaisa Nieminen Senior Brand Manager for North America. Dave Tovey joined the company in the newly created role of Business Development Manager EMEA. And Danielle Tanton was appointed to the new role of Live Events … [Read more...] about Who’s News

Entertainment, Sports Licensed Goods Lead Black Friday Deals

Hot holiday properties Frozen and Star Wars, and collegiate and NFL licensed merchandise, will be decking the halls of many retailers on one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Some of the nation's largest retailers over the past week moved to control the flow of information about their Black Friday promotions by "leaking" their own Thanksgiving weekend ad circulars … [Read more...] about Entertainment, Sports Licensed Goods Lead Black Friday Deals

Mattel, Hasbro see Q3 Retail Sales Split Along Gender Lines

By Karina Masolova Reported third quarter (3Q) sales from toy giants Hasbro and Mattel exhibited an interesting break along gender lines, with boys' toys outperforming girls' amidst depressed worldwide sales thanks to unfavorable exchange rates. More gender balance may be on the way, however,  with the girls' market expected to get a boost from the first interactive Barbie doll … [Read more...] about Mattel, Hasbro see Q3 Retail Sales Split Along Gender Lines

Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ Merchandising Campaign: Bigger & Earlier than Anything Before

The timing between movie release and merchandising is a perennial challenge in movie licensing. Historically, merchandise associated with an anticipated blockbuster appears on store shelves around six weeks before release. But several of the entertainment executives we interviewed last spring for The Licensing Letter's 2014 Annual Licensing Business Survey predicted that this … [Read more...] about Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ Merchandising Campaign: Bigger & Earlier than Anything Before

Disney Opens 15 Week Merchandise Window for Star Wars

By Marcy Magiera When The Licensing Letter spoke to entertainment executives for our Annual Licensing Business Survey back in the spring, several sources predicted that movie-based licensed merchandise this fall would begin to appear in stores earlier than ever, with end-of-year movies loading merchandise into stores as soon as September. The expected leader of that trend: … [Read more...] about Disney Opens 15 Week Merchandise Window for Star Wars