Shopkins, the red-hot collectible that recently won the girls’ category Toy of The Year Award, has added more licensees to its stellar programme of licensing partners – with Bulldog Licensing signing deals with Roy Lowe, MV and Goliath.
Shopkins are cute little characters that live in Shopville. There are 148 to collect in each series, including limited edition and ultra rare characters, and are sold inside adorable little shopping bags. The range includes playsets which allow fans to interact with their Shopkins in fun, interactive environments. Despite only having been on the market for a few months the brand has sparked a buying frenzy, fuelled by an online presence that has seen over 20 million hits on the official Shopkins Youtube channel as well as over 420 million views on fan videos. Retailers across the UK are struggling to cope with demand and are seeing enormous sales of the new series two characters, making Shopkins the hottest girls’ brand in the territory.
The new deals will see Roy Lowe & Sons produce socks, whilst MV Sports and Leisure will release wheeled goods including bikes and scooters. Goliath joins with a range of boardgames that are already seeing huge sales in the US and will be distributed in the UK by John Adams Leisure Ltd. Retail feedback across the whole range of licensed products has been phenomenal with products launching and immediately topping the sales charts across a wide range of categories.
The new licensees add to an impressive line-up that includes Spearmark (lunchware, tableware, drinkware and lighting), Topps (collectible and trading cards, sticker products and accessories) VMC (headwear, scarves, sunglasses and more) Aykroyds TDP (nightwear and underwear), Autumn Publishing Bonnier (publishing), Character World (bedding, inflatable chairs and beanbags), RMS International (arts and crafts), Pedigree (annuals), DJ Murphy (magazines), Winning Moves (games), Pyramid (posters) and Whitehouse Leisure (amusement plush).
“Shopkins is a huge character brand, the biggest new property in the UK market and a huge opportunity for licensees and retailers alike. Kids can’t get enough of them and this is translating into a massive licensing presence,” says Bulldog Group MD Rob Corney. “We are speaking with every major retail in the UK to build specific packages to continue the brand growth and drive sales and are hugely excited for the future of Shopkins, having seen the 2016 lines at the recent Distoy. The plans behind this brand are amazing and Shopkins fans everywhere are in for a real treat!”