TrendWatch: Holiday Wish Lists A Big Win for Licensors

Jarring timing aside, fall is the time of year when the major retailers reveal their holiday gift guides, and sure enough (and at no surprise to

License Global

readers), licensed properties are factoring huge into the must-have lists across the board, whether in the U.S. or the U.K.

Everyone from Target to Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, Argos and Kohl's are predicting that licenses will yet again find their way onto children's wish lists, and the consensus is that many of the very same products and properties are showing up across multiple retailers.

Brands from companies such as Nickelodeon, Disney, Mattel, DreamWorks, Entertainment One and Hasbro are trending strong around the globe.

In the U.K. and

Minions

Pie Face game, a Universal and Hasbro collaboration; Hasbro's Nerf Tri Strike (also a holiday winner for retailers Argos and Amazon); and the Num Noms Glossy Lip Gloss truck from MGA Entertainment, which also finds a place on the North America list. In the U.S., topping TRU's holiday predictions is the "PJ Masks" Headquarters play set, based on the animated series from Entertainment One; the DreamWorks

Trolls

Hug Time Poppy doll from Hasbro; the

Star Wars

InteracTech Stormtrooper action figure; and from Pokémon International and Tomy, the Pokémon Z-Ring interactive set.

Walmart took a different approach to narrowing down its holiday predictions, instead relying on the very customers themselves–kids–to select what they think is the coolest. Its Chosen By Kids top toy list includes retailer exclusive products as well, most of them licensed. Items such as the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" remote control skateboarding Mikey figure ("TMNT" actually made at least two appearances on Walmart's top list) and the Disney Princess carriage made the retailer's Top 25. Other big hits include MGA's Num Noms Lip Gloss Truck (so clearly, this is an on-fire item); a "Doc McStuffins Hospital" care cart from Disney; the

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Batcave play set, based on the Warner Bros. film; and the My Little Pony Explore Equestria Crystal Empire castle play set from Hasbro. "Paw Patrol,"

Star Wars

, Nerf, Hot Wheels, Barbie and more also make the list.

At U.S.-based retailer Kohl's, licensed properties are again factoring into holiday must-haves, with properties like

Trolls

,

Star Wars

, Marvel's

Captain America

(which actually secured two spots–for the Marvel

Captain America

magnetic role play set and the Funko POP! Marvel

Captain America

75th anniversary collectible), "Paw Patrol," "Peppa Pig," Barbie and Hot Wheels each finding a spot on the list.

Of course proprietary brands are ever-present on these holiday round-ups too, but for many of them there is a licensing component at some level. Think Num Noms, which is launching its global consumer product program across the U.K. and EMEA this fall (see "MGAE Takes Num Noms Abroad" for the full story) and Moose Toys' Shopkins, which has been the breakout licensing powerhouse for the past two years.