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IN CONVERSATION WITH… BRANDS IN
which are agile and courageous,” he says. “We are always looking for the right growth opportunities, but we are mindful of spreading ourselves too thin. For now we are staying firmly planted in being a quick response licensee in jersey apparel as that is our USP.” While footfall is slowly returning to the high street, Rick admits that things certainly aren’t the same, acknowledging that consumers are wanting “fresh approaches and speed which is driving closer-tohome sourcing”. He asserts: “The switch to online shopping has been fast tracked five years - including the trend of sustainability. Every licensing business needs to understand the drivers that are creating the 'new normal' and position themselves to deliver.” When it comes to Amazon in particular, Rick says that Brands In had its best Christmas period ever last year “by understanding where we can increase pricing to drive margin”. Kids categories provided the most growth, with the company adding new categories such as headwear and tee and short sets to further broaden the offer, bringing further benefits to the business. Talking about demonstrating best practice in building a strong partnership with Amazon, Rick advises: “Be competitive, list great quality product
and spend valuable time keeping a clean catalogue that is constantly being updated and extended, in order to drive growth.” Rick admits that the company has to constantly be on top of its game, but it sounds like he thrives on this. When asked what his single biggest positive take-away from the past few months has been, both personally and on a business level, he concludes: “Nobody owes me a living, therefore always remain hungry. Every day will be a challenge and an opportunity.”
Above (top) and right: Brands In has built up a strong partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Above centre: Disney is an evergreen for the company.
Brands In: Need to know Founded by Rick Lowe and Lee Craze, who have three decades of experience in licensing, production, distribution and retail, Brands In has built a solid team of experienced industry professionals – including Sue Stanley as licensing director – supported by a European sales team and fuelled by the latest tech. The company prides itself on its approach of ‘never out of stock’ programmes on apparel, backed up by an in-house print on demand and drop ship facility. This means that any retailer has full flexibility on choice and rapid delivery of orders, however large or small. “Our business is focused on jersey – tees and sweats for men, women and kids predominantly,” Rick explains. “We are currently now trialling headwear and more growth in the kids’ category, as we identify this as an area for further growth.” The company’s ambition is to be the leading supplier across Europe for all licensed apparel and accessories across men’s, women’s and children’s categories. It also places sustainability high on its list – digital printing goes a long way to reducing environmental impact, with the company’s Kornit print machines having a 100% water less process, with no pre-treatments, steaming or washing required. In addition, biodegradable ink and its energy saving process make Brands In’s production an eco-friendly printing solution. LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2020
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