FOCUS ON: LICENSED APPAREL & ACCESSORIES says Tom. “On the toddler side, Hey
Duggee has been a real success story for the past 18 months.” “Blues is excited for Thomas and Friends’ 75th anniversary this year, so expect to see an increased level of product in the market,” he adds. “We also have new ranges launching for Ryan’s World which ended 2019 strongly. Moon and Me is also one to watch – the licence launched towards the back end of 2019 and we’re looking forward to growth throughout the year as the TV continues to perform above all expectations.” Dennicci also has major launches on Paddington and Spot, which turns 40 this year, in the coming months and is excited to see both brands develop throughout the year. Poetic Brands made the move into the baby and children’s retail space last year and has already signed a number of brands including Gigantosaurus, The Baby Club, Mr Men Little Miss, Humphrey’s Corner, My Unusual Friends and Sunny Side Up. “From experience, we know that in the baby and preschool sector we need to offer so much more than basic jersey product,” says director Anne Bradford. “We are busy developing everything from jersey tees, sweats, woven bottoms, occasion dresses, true knitwear, swimwear and outerwear. For babies, it’s a full Right: Hey Duggee’s strong style guide showed freshness and creativity, says VMC.
article listing from layette through to comforter toys and baby changing bags in order to make truly cohesive collections.” For Misirli, 2020 has started well, with design and licensing manager, Faye Rashad, saying: “Having worked really hard through 2019, the opportunities have continued and the first half of 2020 is better year-on-year, which is very encouraging for our main season of autumn/winter.” Peppa Pig is taking a big share across nightwear and underwear for the company, while Disney classics such as Minnie, Mickey, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Bambi and Toy Story are key drivers on socks. Misirli has a healthy portfolio of new offerings for this year – including big name brands such as Team GB, Care Bears, Trolls, Minions and LINE Friends, while it will also be launching Ricky Zoom across nightwear, underwear and socks, aiming to hit retail at the end of 2020. Faye continues: “There is a willingness [from retail] to trial new brands but this is dependent on a number of options/ space on shelf. It is a crowded marketplace so buyers are spoilt for choice. New brands need to have strong style guides and full range
THE SUSTAINABILITY QUESTION It’s a major trend running through all aspects of the preschool industry right now, so how is the licensed apparel and accessories category approaching the sustainability issue? “Sustainability is a very important issue for our group,” admits Tom Crompton from Blues Clothing. “We’re actively working with our factory base to develop improved manufacturing techniques, as well as looking at internal practices here in the UK to reduce the overall carbon footprint of all our ranges.” Aykroyd & Sons’ Rob Broadhurst agrees that sustainability has been a big focus for the licensee for a while. He says: “We are already supplying many ranges using the likes of BCI
cotton and recycled polyester, but this is only the start. We have a department dedicated to this area and are liaising heavily with our supply chain and our retail partners to future proof our programmes.” For TDP’s Dean Greasley, meanwhile, improved sustainability is: “critical across each and every area and we need to make every small change possible, not just look for the headlines.” He continues: “Our own journey involves looking at reducing or changing packaging solutions, waste management and introducing electric vehicles. In our factory in India we have water treatment plants and will have installed solar power before the end of March.” PROGRES SIVE P R E S C H O O L
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Above: TDP says that it is working hard across all of its preschool portfolio this year.
of products launching at the right time once the TV/content has had enough time to seed.” TDP’s head of licensing, Dean Greasley, agrees that the sector is congested but that there are still some ‘very strong brands’ out there. PAW Patrol, Hey Duggee, Bing and Disney classic characters remain key for the company, although Dean believes that the best new properties will always stand a chance, saying: “we just need to be quick of the mark and of course online retailers will often be the fastest route to satisfy early demand”. He adds: “Lack of confidence and indecision are our enemies. Parents will always need new clothes for their babies and toddlers, so we all need to work hard to give the best offering possible.” Rob Broadhurst, sales and licensing for Aykroyd & Sons, points out that economic uncertainty as a factor of consumer purchasing decisions is undoubtedly going to be a big challenge. “However,” he says, “there are plenty of retailers who are proving that with a genuine commitment and backing of licensed product, this can be an area that drives real growth amidst falling sales of non-licensed.” The company is seeing a continuation in popularity for Hey Duggee, PAW Patrol, Peter Rabbit, Bing and the Disney classics, while Rob is excited for the launches of Gigantosaurus, Love Monster and Blippi. “It would be great if we could get a higher proportion of new licences into the retail mix as I think it’s very important to keep ranges interesting,” he concludes. “But online channels also make it easier for brands to find ‘their’ customer, proving that there really is a market out there for a much broader range of licences.”
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