Tag Archives: COVID-19

In bloom: Gardening specialist Primus on the growing potential and demand for licensing in the back garden

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With the increased time spent at home, with family, and the surge of the UK’s population turning to the garden space and gardening hobby as a means of exercise and ‘back to nature’ entertainment, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that the market has become one filled with potential for the licensing space to tap into.

It was only at the end of last month that garden and gardening specialist, Primus, took home a double award win at Glee Gathering, where its range of Peppa Pig garden ornaments triumphed in both the Best of British Award and Best Garden Decoration Award categories.

The win underscored an interesting and undeniable shift in the landscape; one that Steve Perry, head of marketing at Primus, reaffirms when he tells Licensing.biz that “the garden industry desperately wants to see more licensed products in the marketplace.” It’s something the licensee spotted when it first struck up partnerships with Aardman for Shaun the Sheep and Wallace and Gromit garden ornaments, or with RSPB for its hand crafted wooden bird gifting range, and continues to see today with the success of its latest partnership with Hasbro: the market for brands in the gardening space is currently blooming.

Licensing.biz catches up with Perry, head of marketing at Primus to explore the market, why the hobby is finding younger and younger audiences, and why now is the right time for the licensing industry to be sowing the seeds for a fruitful venture in the back garden.

Hi Steve, it’s good to explore the garden with you and congratulations on the recent award wins. Seeing a licensed product take the win across two categories, how reflective do you think this is of current trends in the garden/gardening market?

I think the garden industry desperately wants to see more licensed products, having our range of RSPB hand carved wooden birds shortlisted for the same award last year also backs this up. The judges are looking for something new and original and licensed products in this category hasn’t been done like this before (other than us in other ranges).

After a very successful run from our Shaun the Sheep licensed products we decided that we would expand our licensing portfolio, so I reached out to the licensing agency behind the IP on the idea of translating the ever popular Peppa Pig characters into an ornamental form suitable for the home and garden, which they were incredibly receptive to. A deal was soon made and then after a lengthy development stage the final products have been released and all are in agreement that they are fantastic, the initial market feedback speaks for itself.

It’s here that the licensing category manager at Hasbro, Zahara Gul told us that given that the show is ‘very much about first experiences’, the team is “looking forward to working with Primus to extend the garden offering to get kids involved with nature.”

You guys mention other licensed lines in Shaun the Sheep and Wallace and Gromit. What potential do you see for the world of licensing in the garden and gardening market?

We feel that brand licensing in the garden sector is a large growth area, you don’t see the same kind of licensing activity like you do in other sectors and licensors now are definitely starting to realise this. In particular we feel this is the case with younger audiences who are heavily bought into brands and characters and no doubt in part why our new range Peppa Pig and friends did so well at this year’s Glee Gathering winning two awards – Best of British and Best Garden Decoration categories.

So far the response from the trade has been the best we’ve ever had to a new licensed product collection. We knew Peppa Pig would be popular but we doubled our initial order quantity purely from the demand generated by our pre-order catalogue. We know our retailers’ customers are going to love these ornaments, as well as the more than 200 other new products for the 2021 season. We loved them from the start but we were unsure what the reaction would be from the trade and customers.

Being shortlisted for best new product at the Glee Gathering 2020 and with the volume of pre-orders coming in we are glad everyone likes them as much as we do and I think this is simply going to open more doors for the world of licensing and the gardening market. It is certainly pivotal to our plans going forward.

What sort of increase in interest in gardens and gardening have you seen in terms of customers and audiences as a result of the UK lockdown measures? Has this fueled growth in the market?

Like many industries, the current pandemic has certainly had an impact on the gardening sector, but thankfully it’s potentially had a very positive long term impact in this particular sector, The Horticultural Trades Association states that ‘almost three million gardeners sprung up this year as a result of lockdowns.”

The pandemic has created a new generation of enthusiasts who have found the joy that can be had from their garden and we hope people continue to embrace this new found love of gardening especially the younger, family demographic we are seeing a big increase in.

Arguably the success of the Peppa Pig range suggests that more families are taking it up as an ‘at home’ hobby. Would this be the main market for licensed garden products? What do you look for in a licensing partnership or property to work with?

To this point garden gift and decor has been our area of focus, I would agree that part of Peppa’s success has been due to the family appeal but there is a huge amount of scope to be had with brand licensing in the garden sector.

For us, when choosing a license partner to work with we do not necessarily look for trends or fads, instead we look at characters and brands that have stood the test of time and can almost be seen as “classic”, certainly this is the case for our Aardman collection, with Wallace and Gromit having their 30th anniversary last year.

Unlike with plush for toy industry where licenses are based heavily on what’s hot right now, I think the gardening market appreciate heritage and something that is lasting.

What does the current licensed range at Primus span? Have you got plans to build on this? What plans have you got for tapping into the younger audiences?

Currently Primus has focused heavily on decor and gift lines such as Aardman metal garden ornaments, our RSPB hand carved wooden birds and now Peppa and friends, garden decor is the core of what we distribute at Primus with over 500 other non-licensed products in the category. However we do see that there is a real movement right now to encourage young gardeners and get them into the hobby from a very young age.

There’s a huge amount of positive experiences that can be had by introducing children to gardening and research suggests children perform better at school if they’re involved with gardening, as well as it being a healthy and active hobby as opposed to video games and other not so stimulating interests’ younger generations can have.

Working with our existing licensors and potentially some new partners we feel that Primus could help to lead the way by using some of their favourite characters to help inspire them to engage into this new activity and get a lot of joy from it.

Barratt and Icefresh retro ice cream launch brings joy to a locked down nation

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A licensing partnership between confectionery brand Barratt and Icefresh has surpassed sales expectations during lockdown, thanks to the launch of an ice cream range targeted at retro sweet fans.

The range of four ice lollies and an ice cream tub was made available exclusively at Iceland this summer, with ice cream versions of childhood favourites Fruit Salad, Dip Dab, Flump, Black Jack and Wham.

The partnership was brokered by brand licensing specialist, The Point.1888, which is now seeking new partners for the Barratt brand following the increased awareness that has been generated through the collaboration.

The fun-filled range entered all of Iceland’s more than 1000 stores nationwide from April 20th, a month into the UK’s lockdown experience. Once on sale the range repeatedly sold out, with more than 1.3m units sold in the first 12 weeks, despite the strict social distancing measures and without a significant launch investment.

Valeo Foods, owner of the Barratt brand, has stated its belief that the success was linked to ‘a strong national affection for a familiar British brand we have all grown up with’ and the fun and escapism it brings to consumers.

Russell Tanner, marketing and category director at Valeo Foods, said: “During a challenging time for the nation, the supermarket shop became the only time many people left their homes.

“The Barratt ice cream range became a sell-out success not just because of the fantastic lockdown weather, but because shoppers were seeking small and cost-effective ways to bring fun into their lives at a time when that wasn’t easy to come by.

“Although this was a brand-new product in freezers, buyers trusted the Barratt brand for a taste sensation that would help to infuse their lockdown summer with joy. As a result we’re thrilled to be emerging from a challenging trading period with an army of new and reinvigorated brand fans.”

Sarah Crimes, head of marketing at The Point.1888, added: “Against the backdrop of Covid, to reach this type of result is amazing and is a testament to the strength of the Barratt brand. As experts at bringing licensing partners together, we’re thrilled at a job well done and are now ready to take advantage of the increased interest in Barratt from retailers to explore more collaborations in the near future.”

Icefresh was responsible for translating Barratt’s range into the ice cream experience.

Lucy Wright, brand manager, said: “As we developed this new range we knew that sweet-lovers would be unforgiving of anything that didn’t truly recreate that joyful feeling of enjoying a sweetie in the playground. We kept coming back to the original sweets and refining the recipe until we were confident that we had a product that was completely true to the Barratt brand – for example, the Dip Dab ice lolly even comes with sherbet for dipping.

“Thanks to the strength of the Barratt fan base and the quality of the ice creams, this has been our highest performing licensed ice cream launch to date, with more than 1.3 million boxes of ice cream sold in the first 12 weeks.”

An earned media campaign whetted the public’s appetite for the frozen treats. After samples were sent to journalists up and down the country, national coverage rolled in with more than 40 mentions secured across titles including The Sun, Daily Express, Metro and You magazine.

Meanwhile a colourful and creative social launch delivered exceptional ROI, with the product seen by 1.3m people and a quarter of a million video views tracked.

Iceland, it turns out, was equally as thrilled with the range performance. Sally Bentley, senior buyer, commented: “We always knew that Barratt and Iceland would be a great fit and as expected, the ice creams flew out of our freezers as fast as they came in. Our store staff were big fans of the range, and were outstanding advocates when it came to promoting the product in store.”

Discussions are ongoing to extend the range in 2021, with more exciting flavours and formats added to maintain consumer interest.

Trend Bible CEO Joanna Feeley talks spotting the consumer shift ahead of Festival of Licensing

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Among the many facets promising to keep visitors glued to their screens for the duration of October’s Festival of Licensing this year will be a dedicated channel to spotting the newest and emerging trends in a bid to spy the opportunities in what the future consumer will think, feel and do. It sounds like witchcraft. But it isn’t.

Moreover, it’s the work of Joanna Feeley, the CEO of Trend Bible, the company she founded in 2011 after identifying that the market for predicting the future of life at home was under-served, yet set to grow dramatically. Today, the team specialises in home and interiors, baby and kids, gifts and greetings, and FMCG. Trend Bible also works with global brands in over 35 countries, helping them to understand what their future consumer will look like.

With Festival of Licensing now waving at all of us from our calendars, Licensing.biz catches up with Feeley ahead of her presentation at the month long festival kicking off from October 6th.

Hello Joanna, to kick off with the obvious question – how have consumer needs and behaviour changed during the pandemic? 

The changes have been quite broad, and they vary from category to category. The pandemic has dented demand for certain products and increased it for others. I think it’s important to note – and we’re huge advocates of this – that brands and retailers need to understand the whole person that buys from them. It’s impossible to get a clear picture of that consumer if you only look at the relationship with them and your product. 

We have seen an increase in behaviours we weren’t seeing so much pre-pandemic. For example, a notable interest in heightened hygiene, the rise in demand for crafts, the increase in eating and drinking from home. People have been anxious and worried and that naturally impacts behaviour. 

Surprise events with global implications – like the pandemic – are known as Black Swan events and they can have interesting and unexpected implications. For example, a Danish study showed a 90 per cent decrease in extremely premature births in the month of lockdown compared with the same period during the previous five years. Why? We don’t know for sure, but it’s presumed to be linked to a reduced stress levels from working from home together with a drop in pollution levels. And this is a fascinating trend, because it forces us to look at what this means for mothers and if – or how – we should change the way they are treated medically. 

Our approach as trend forecasters is to pay attention to consumer attitudes as these are often indicators of change long before a new behaviour is exhibited. Often, a consumer’s mindset has already shifted, but it’s difficult or impossible for them to live behaviours that match that mindset. For example, there was a growing awareness of the environmental damage done by landfill, so consumers wanted to recycle more, it just wasn’t that easy to do before governments and local councils gave us the tools to do that.

More recently, we spotted there was a growing desire among office workers – particularly those with families – for more flexible working, but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit and businesses were forced to allow home working, that workers were granted that flexibility. 

Companies like Google and Facebook recognised this many years ago, but the rest of the business community hadn’t caught up. Covid has accelerated that transition. Whether it’s worked and people will want to continue working from home, is yet to be seen, but I do believe most people will want to retain that flexibility and we need to be aware of what that means for the home – functioning as an office – and for the workplace, with many spaces now being transformed to offer a clubhouse style of working.  

 So what are the key trends to have arisen over this period? 

There are so many that we have been mapping trends in terms of three categories:

  • Accelerated trends – things that were already happening but that have now become more prominent or possible, like working from home
  • ‘Elastic’ trends – the behaviours that have changed for now, but we expect them to ping back
  • New trends that the pandemic has been a catalyst for

What innovations have you seen from retailers to piggyback on them? 

So many. And they’ve been so broad and varied. It’s fair to say, that retailers who had already nailed the D2C channel or who pivoted quickly have performed much better. 

We’ve also seen an increase in sample culture from a home and interiors viewpoint. So, consumers are now keen to order tile or paint pot samples online. And some retailers have responded really well to this. 

I think Pret a Manger’s shift to a £20 p/m coffee subscription is really interesting. There’s a widespread move to cashless, cashierless and menuless restaurants, something that’s already very common in China, where you scan QR codes to get a table and view the menu, and then pay online with WeChat. The only human interaction is with the person who brings your food. This will be truly transformative for our service industries.

I was Head of Trends at Tesco 15 years ago, when supermarket shopping and the ability to buy everything under one roof was deemed the next big thing. For 20 years that large-scale retail format had dominated. But now, we’re seeing small independents dominating again – small butchers, coffee vans delivering to the consumer, pop up artisan bakers, and that could be good news for the local high street and the suburbs. 

As a retailer, how do you ensure you spot trends early? 

Most retailers access future trend intelligence from a forecaster like Trend Bible but knowing about trends is pointless if you don’t act, and act in a timely fashion. 

We’re forever reading about retailers who have failed saying that they knew about incoming trends, they just hadn’t seen their relevance and that ultimately led to their demise. We speak to a lot of brands who struggle to activate the trends inside their business and find it difficult to take a trend from being merely interesting information into meaningful change from board level through to the product designers. 

How important is it for retailers to be agile with their responses? 

Agility is important, but it’s really about having a clear idea of how your customers world is going to change and how that’s going to impact what they come to you for. The strategy has to be right and timing is everything. You can go too early with a trend as well as too late. It’s pointless focusing on being agile without having a deep understanding of how your customer is going to shape-shift in the coming months and years. 

What role can licensing, and licensed product, play in all of this?

What we often find when working with people in licensing is there is an assumption that assets can’t be changed to fit with trends. Yes, trends have to be applied more carefully, but they can still be used to update products without upsetting the visual DNA. It’s about being aware of the socio- political environment of the day and how that sits with your consumers.

For example, I was watching an old episode of a pre-school animated series that included an expression of motherhood that I felt was sexist, old fashioned and totally out of step with how I feel as a modern parent. That IP could have changed the story to move with the times, and the context which the brand lived in, without having to change the design or colour of its assets. 

Trends can – at their best – keep a license relevant, and some brand owners excel at this. So, Spider-Man and the Marvel licensing programme, is a fantastic example. They really understand how to use those assets, no matter how old they might be, in a context that feels contemporary and in step. Black Panther felt very timely. For licensing, it’s about being in tune with the social context that exists. It goes back to what I said right at the start – always ask, what is the end consumer ALSO consuming outside of my product to identify who your future consumer will be. 

Why should retailers tune in to your session at Festival of Licensing? 

I would love the audience to leave clear in their minds that they either are confident they have the tools and wherewithal to know what their future consumer will do in the next 12 months, or they do not. Being honest about what you currently know about how your customer will behave in the future is a critical first step. 

Spielwarenmesse postpones Nuremberg’s international toy fair until Summer 2021

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Nuremberg’s annual Spielwarenmesse is to take place in the summer of 2021, a move from its usual January/February slot in response to the current measures in place regarding the persistent Covid-19 pandemic.

For the first time in the show’s long history, the large scale toy fair has been postponed until summer next year by organisers Spielwarenmesse eG. The decision was made by the supervisory board on September 24th and comes as a response to the rising infection rates of coronavirus across the world, and further restrictions on travel.

The move has been implemented as a short-term solution to the global challenge of Covid-19 is still being sought. In a release to the trade, Spielwarenmesse state that ‘the new change in circumstances and concerns over the health of all participants make it almost impossible to stage the Spielwarenmesse and guarantee the customary level of quality at the end of January.’

Many countries around the world are currently experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of Covid-19 infections, leading to new travel restrictions also in major European cities. These developments are casting doubt among exhibitors and visitors over whether they should be taking part in an international trade fair.

This uncertainty has been voiced in intensive discussions with the Spielwarenmesse team.

Ernst Kick, CEO of Spielwarenmesse eG, said: “We very much regret the decision to postpone the Spielwarenmesse 2021.”

Preparations for the 72nd event in January were already well under way. Based on the guidelines of the Bavarian State Government, the Health & Hygiene Concept drawn up in collaboration with the local health authorities and venue operator NürnbergMesse, was well received by all participants.

“I’d like to thank everyone who joined us on this path, and I feel sure that the improvements we have made will benefit all future events and appearances,” concluded Kick.

Spielwarenmesse eG is currently in talks with NürnbergMesse to find a suitable date for the Spielwarenmesse 2021. In the meantime, the website at www.spielwarenmesse.de will continue to provide exhibitors, retailers and buyers, as well as media representatives with a large offering and a plethora of information about the toy industry.

The digital platform is continually being expanded as an extra service and a complement to the physical exhibition experience.

DreamToys 2020: Date confirmed for all digital event

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The DreamToys committee and the Toy Retailers Association have confirmed the new date of this year’s all-virtual DreamToys event as October 28th, a date that coincides with the October half term.

Organised by the Toy Retailers Association, DreamToys is billed as ‘the most authoritative predictive list of what will be the hottest products this Christmas.’ The list itself is selected by a panel of retailers and industry experts. The list celebrates that it is ‘fiercely independent to toy manufacturers and makers.’

For those interested in attending the all virtual DreamToys event this year, you can do register your interest by clicking here.

The event’s organisers confirmed earlier this year that the usual DreamToys offering would be taking place on a virtual platform this year, in accordance to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions. DreamToys is celebrated each year as a key list of the most wanted products for Christmas, gaining national media coverage.

Debenhams puts liquidation firm on standby but insists it is “trading strongly”

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Debenhams has put a liquidation firm on standby to draw up contingency plans for the department store chain should it not find a solution to its current financial crisis. The company, which is now in administration, has hired Hilco Capital to undertake the task should an answer not be found.

The retailer has underlined that it is currently “trading strongly” and that having the firm on standby does not mean that a liquidation was likely. Last week, Debenhams said it would axe 2,500 more jobs on top of the 4,000 job cuts is announced in May this year.

Debenhams filed for administration in April – the second time in a little over a year – and is examining options to exit the process. These include the current owners continuing to run the business, a sale of Debenhams or a joint venture with new or existing investors.

If the administrators fail to find a buyer or new investment, Debenhams faces liquidation, a process that will put 14,000 jobs at risk.

As reported by the BBC, a spokesperson for the department store said: “Debenhams is trading strongly, with 124 stores reopened and a healthy cash position.”

Debenhams began reopening its shops in June after being closed since lockdown in late March to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The company was struggling before the pandemic, however, and had previously issued a strong of profit warnings. Ahead of last year’s administration, Sports Direct owner, Mike Ashley had proposed injecting £200 million in to the retail chain, an offer that was rejected as Debenhams entered a pre-pack administration which allowed it to keep trading.

Debenhams puts liquidation firm on standby but insists it is “trading strongly”

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Debenhams has put a liquidation firm on standby to draw up contingency plans for the department store chain should it not find a solution to its current financial crisis. The company, which is now in administration, has hired Hilco Capital to undertake the task should an answer not be found.

The retailer has underlined that it is currently “trading strongly” and that having the firm on standby does not mean that a liquidation was likely. Last week, Debenhams said it would axe 2,500 more jobs on top of the 4,000 job cuts is announced in May this year.

Debenhams filed for administration in April – the second time in a little over a year – and is examining options to exit the process. These include the current owners continuing to run the business, a sale of Debenhams or a joint venture with new or existing investors.

If the administrators fail to find a buyer or new investment, Debenhams faces liquidation, a process that will put 14,000 jobs at risk.

As reported by the BBC, a spokesperson for the department store said: “Debenhams is trading strongly, with 124 stores reopened and a healthy cash position.”

Debenhams began reopening its shops in June after being closed since lockdown in late March to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The company was struggling before the pandemic, however, and had previously issued a strong of profit warnings. Ahead of last year’s administration, Sports Direct owner, Mike Ashley had proposed injecting £200 million in to the retail chain, an offer that was rejected as Debenhams entered a pre-pack administration which allowed it to keep trading.

Rubies and Bristol Novelty to merge operations in forward-looking response to Covid-19

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Rubies Masquerade and Bristol Novelty have detailed the merger of its operations and office functions in a forward looking move to house all of its products under one banner as the industry begins to shake itself off from lockdown. It comes, the firm has stated, as companies the world over look to adapt to navigate the economic consequences of Covid-19.

Amid the changes at the firm, Rubies Masquerade has bid a fond farewell to its managing director, Holly Oldham, who returned to the firm in the managerial role, having previously held a long term role within its licensing business.

The launch of the company’s new Rubies Ecommerce trade website in July marked the beginning of the firm’s transition to ecommerce and ‘tech led partner engagement’, with forward ordering, fulfilment services, and bulk order upload tools available for customers. Add to that an effective window into all corners or Rubies’ consolidated group product warehouses, states the firm, and the entire portfolio is at customers’ fingertips.

“It’s a real Marquee licenses meets fashion forward fun proposition for all our retail partners,” said executive director Peter Warton. “The Rubies and Bristol product lines just complement each other so well. Harry and Sally, Butch and Sundance, MIB, Mr and Mrs Smith, Buzz and Woody, Batman and Robin… The list goes on.”

Mike O’Connell, COO Rubies Masquerade and MD Bristol Novelty will lead the integration and merger of resources, facilities and processes. Having successfully restructured and modernised the Bristol business over a two year period, O’Connell has been building the foundations to bring the Rubies UK group of companies together.

‘Having already rolled Mask- Arade Co into Bristol earlier this year, we now close the loop to consolidate considerable resources toward bringing fun and laughter to consumers across the UK,’ said the firm in a press release. ‘Our remit is to make it easier than ever for our retail partners to offer our great products to their customers.’

“Like many organisations around the world, Rubies group of companies must adapt and change to navigate the significant economic consequences of Covid 19,” said the firm.

On top of that, Peter Warton, executive director at Rubies, has expressed his gratitude onto leaving MD Holly Oldham.

“We of course thank her for her significant efforts,” he said. “In addition to her return stint as MD, Holly has been a long term and talented licensing executive with Rubies UK over many years. Particularly gifted in the art of public speaking and persuasive presentations, Holly has a thoroughly engaging demeanor and sharp wit. Rubies wishes her well for the future.”

DreamToys 2020 will go digital this year due to Covid-19 impact on the UK

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The Toy Retailers Association and DreamToys committee today announced, DreamToys 2020 will take place as a digital event this year.

“Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, it is not possible to hold a large-scale physical event to announce the DreamToys list,” commented Gary Grant, chair of the DreamToys selection committee. “Instead, this year’s list will be announced in a new exciting digital format on Tuesday 10 November 2020.

“2020 has been a challenging year for all, but toys have managed to bring entertainment to many in lockdown. We hope DreamToys will bring some festive joy when it is most needed.”

DreamToys is organised by the Toy Retailers Association and is the most authoritative predictive list of what will be hottest products this Christmas. The list is selected by a panel of retailers and industry experts and is fiercely independent to toy manufacturers and makers.

Funko feels the Covid-19 impact as net sales drop 49 per cent

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Store closures across the US and the rest of the world at the hands of the Covid-19 pandemic have ‘significantly impacted,’ second quarter results for the pop culture collectables specialist Funko. Net sales for the firm decreased 49 per cent to $98.1 million in its Q2 2020 earnings compared to the $191.2 million in the same period last year.

The year-over-year decline has been attributed primarily to impacts from Covid-19 during the quarter, including the prolonged closure of many of the company’s retail partners.

The second quarter of 2020 also saw the number of active properties total 644, decline of five per cent on Q1 2020 numbers, but an increase on the second quarter of 2019. Net sales in the US dropped 36 per cent to $77.9 million, while international net sales plunged 71 per cent to $20.2 million.

The European region was especially challenged in the quarter as Funko made the strategic decision to shift new products slated for the second quarter into the third quarter of 2020. Sales related to Loungefly branded products declined 25 per cent compared to the prior year despite many of its retailers being closed, reflecting resiliency in the Loungefly brand during the quarter.

Despite what makes for pretty grim reading, Funko is optimistic for the second half of the year, boasting what it calls its ‘most diverse product offering in the market,’ ready to land for the holiday season.

Brian Mariotti, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Although our second quarter results were significantly impacted by store closures in both the US and abroad, we were able to accelerate our connection and engagement with our fans through continued innovation and new product introductions as well as the expansion of our direct to consumer business. In Q2, we saw strong performance on our own e-commerce sites which delivered triple-digit sales growth.

“Looking at the second half of the year we are excited to have our most diverse product offering in the market come this holiday season. In the face of the highly dynamic environment, we are staying nimble and remain committed to our key growth strategies.”