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EARLY LEARNING CENTRE
Inset: The brand is performing well online. Bottom: The Entertainer’s Stuart Grant (left) and Riverside Brands’ Ashley Holman (right) have a history of working together on successful preschool brands.
products are reflective of Early Learning Centre’s core brand values. “Every category and product format we are looking at will adhere to the Early Learning Centre’s core brand values and brand positioning in terms of quality and customer experience, as well as a creating a fun learning experience wherever relevant,” he says. “There is already a lot of data that has been compiled, so we have clear guidelines and strategy to ensure going into licensed categories enhances the overall Early Learning Centre offer.” And the brand’s heritage will really help products to stand out on shelf, Ashley believes: “Virtually no other brand in this space has the heritage at its core with multi-generational customers. Overlaid with The Entertainer’s ambitious plans for the brand over the coming years and scope of retail opportunity that already exists and will be developed, we feel this is an exceptional opportunity for partners to build a long-term evergreen licensed proposition. Early Learning Centre product will always be that little bit different and that little bit better.” Stuart agrees: “We see huge potential; the shop-in-shop in the Bullring looks phenomenal and is trading well, plus the brand is really big online. There is a huge resurgence back to it and the same love, care and attention goes back into the product. That’s why consumers are responding. There is a huge opportunity in selected categories in licensing that touch on the values of the brand.”
Early Learning Centre: Need to know The Early Learning Centre brand was established in 1972 by John Beale and became a powerhouse of the high street during the 1980s and 1990s, supporting children’s early years development through play. It was acquired by Mothercare in 2007 for £85 million (when it had more than 200 stores) before The Entertainer made it part of its portfolio in 2019, acquiring it in a £13.5 million deal. There are now around 600 franchised Early Learning Centre stores around the world including established footprints in the likes of Russia (over 100 stores), the Middle East, Malta, Cyprus, Indonesia, China and Singapore. Notably, it is the biggest toy retailer in the UAE region. A selection of its toys has also launched on Amazon.com in the US. A shop-in-shop in The Entertainer in Birmingham’s Bullring recently opened, while the range is available in over 170 of The Entertainer’s outlets. “There is a huge amount of awareness across the globe for the Early Learning Centre brand,” Stuart comments.
What is key now, adds Stuart, is getting the right partners, with the right product into the right retail location. Ashley admits that the preschool market in general in the UK is a crowded one, but both he and Stuart feel that Early Learning Centre is relatively risk free and is “a long-term opportunity that should be around in another 50+ years”. “We think Early Learning Centre has resonated with a lot of people, is an evergreen brand and attractive because it’s stable,” Stuart concludes. LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2020
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