Concept One Signs Sanrio for South Africa

Concept One Accessories has partnered with Sanrio to launch Hello Kitty and My Melody accessories and luggage in South Africa through its agent, CLM. The accessories include headwear, bags, small leather goods, cold weather accessories and more. Over the past two years, Concept One has been aggressively expanding its international presence.  

“We are so grateful to be able to extend our partnership with Sanrio into South Africa,” says Sam Hafif, chief executive officer, Concept One Accessories. “Hello Kitty and Friends are among our top-performing licensed products in every market we serve. It’s fantastic to be able to bring our Sanrio products into this new market. Over the past two years we’ve grown our international revenue from less than 5% of our sales to 14% of sales. Each time we’ve entered a market, we’ve demonstrated to our licensors’ incremental growth opportunities in the accessory and luggage space, as these categories are often not given as much attention as apparel or toys. While the macro-economic environments in the USA and Europe remain challenging, licensors are looking for new revenue streams that we’re happy to provide.”  

“We are glad to partner with Concept One on this new project,” says Silvia Figini, chief operating officer, Sanrio – EMEA, India and Oceania, Mr. Men – Worldwide. “The combination of the global appeal of Hello Kitty and Friends and the great experience of Concept One in creating high-quality accessories will generate the perfect formula to deliver a wonderful line to our South African audience.”  

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The Hello Kitty and My Melody luggage and accessories will be available early this year at retailers such as Take A Lot, Toy Kingdom and various specialty retailers.