Bulldog Licensing has signed yet another licensing deal for Shopkins – the red hot collectible brand that has already built a huge presence at UK retail since launching late last year.

Shopkins are cute little characters that live in Shopville and are irresistibly collectible. There are over 140 to collect in each series, including a ultra-rare special characters, and are sold inside adorable little shopping bags. Despite only being on the market for a few months the brand has sparked a fully-fledged craze, fuelled by an online presence that has seen over 13 millions hits on the Shopkins Youtube channel. Retailers across the UK are struggling to keep the line in stock and are having to airlift in new supplies to fulfil consumer demand.

The new agreement will see the introduction of NJ Screen Prints Ltd on board for all daywear articles offering a clockwork speed production environment to retail with the support of innovation in garment decoration. The deal covers the UK and Eire and comes hot on the heels of a raft of licensing agreements for the property, with Pedigree (annuals), DJ Murphy (magazines), Winning Moves (Top Trumps games), Pyramid (posters) and Whitehouse Leisure (amusement plush) all joining the licensing programme.

“Shopkins is one of the hottest collectibles out there at present and is topping the sales charts right across the retail landscape. This apparel range will have huge appeal and I’m confident it will be a strong seller when it hits the shelves,” says Bulldog Group MD Rob Corney.