FOCUS ON: LICENSED STATIONERY
The power of brand The licensed stationery and arts and crafts sector is continuing to grow at pace. Across the sector, suppliers and retailers are all seeing strong performance, with licensed products evolving from simple character-led designs into complete lifestyle and gifting collections.
Sara Miller is an expanding range for Portico Designs
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onsumers are increasingly looking to express their identity through the products they use every day, and stationery has become a highly accessible way to do that. For Charlie Czul, director at Portico Designs, this growth reflects a deeper cultural shift. “We’ve seen consistent growth in licensed stationery and creative products, driven largely by the continued strength of fandom culture and the blending of lifestyle and entertainment brands. In particular, the rise of ‘romantasy,’ wellness-led journalling and nostalgiadriven purchasing has created strong tailwinds for licensed ranges.” This idea of emotional connection is echoed across the sector. Yasmin Snowdon, marketing and content creator at Half Moon Bay, points to the personal resonance that licensed designs bring. “Consumers are increasingly looking for products that feel more personal and meaningful, and licensed designs offer that added layer of connection. Licensed brands tap into nostalgia and emotion, which is incredibly powerful.” For younger audiences in particular, licensed stationery plays a unique role. Lisa Shand, managing director of Blueprint Collections highlights the importance of collectability and engagement: “In the tween age demographic, stationery is collectable and multiple licensed characters help build this. In the younger age groups, licensed characters help children to engage with the activities.” This dynamic not only drives initial purchases but encourages repeat buying as collections expand.
Across the board, certain licenses are proving especially powerful. Half Moon Bay reports strong performance from heritage brands, with Yasmin noting: “We’re seeing particularly strong performance from nostalgic, well-loved brands such as Paddington, Wallace & Gromit and Moomin. These are timeless household names that customers already have an emotional connection with, which translates really well into stationery.” It’s Disney’s Stitch for IG Design Group, with Katie Brickle, marketing manager commenting: “It’s standout for us at the moment. It continues to perform consistently well across categories, translating particularly effectively into both stationery and creative play formats. We’re also launching new ranges for Sonic and Toy Story 5, combining strong recognition with opportunities to explore new formats and creative direction.” Similarly, Lisa from Blueprint Collections points to evergreen favourites and trend-led brands as its best performing, including Pokemon, Bluey, Hello Kitty and Squishmallows. And it’s the same for Robert Frederick, with Heather Dagless pointing to the importance of trusted, evergreen brands. “Our licensing programme continues to grow, with a focus on heritage and evergreen characters that appeal to a wide range of customers. We’ve seen particularly strong growth from popular characters such as The Gruffalo and Paddington,
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highlighting strong customer demand for these trusted brands.” At a broader level, David Harrison, licensing director at Pyramid International, identifies a balance between established and emerging brands as key to sustained growth: “We have seen consistent growth in recent years, particularly within stationery. This has been driven by a strong mix of established brands that provide a solid foundation for retailers, alongside newness and innovation that keeps ranges relevant.” He adds that younger consumers are currently leading the charge: “Within stationery, growth is currently being driven by younger consumers, where character-led products play a key role. Licences such as Minecraft, Mario and Stitch perform strongly by bringing familiarity and excitement to everyday products.” Meanwhile, Allana Holmes, commercial director at Hunter Price International, highlights the Heritage brands, such as Moomin, are key for Half Moon Bay.