Lil'panda Signs First Licensees

American Greetings has signed on for greeting cards; Bioworld Merchandising will make headwear, gloves, scarves, sweatshirts, bags, wallets, coin purses, hosiery, audio accessories and lanyards; Evy of California will make girl’s sportswear; Gund is on board for plush; and Jerry Leigh of California is signed for junior’s and girl’s tops.

The inaugural ranges of licensed products will hit retail in spring 2013.

“When approaching potential licensees, we have been very selective to ensure that our partners understand and embrace the mission of Lil’panda and also have the ability to deliver great products and get placement at the right accounts,” says Stephen Gross, creator, Lil’panda. “We are extremely excited to be working with such great licensees who are leaders in their respective industries, and we have been thrilled by the retailer commitment we have already seen thus far–from Target to mid-tier to specialty. Based on the brand’s performance at specialty retail over the past two years, as well as the extensive focus group testing we have conducted and continue to do in order to best prepare the brand for its expansion via licensing, we are extremely confident in the brand’s continued success.”

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