Start Licensing’s Ian Downes looks at how the London Oxford Street showcase stores for Primark and Uniqlo approach licensing this week.
It was a tale of two retailers this week. I visited Uniqlo and Primark on London’s Oxford Street – they are facing each other across the street. Back in the day, Oxford Street used to be one of London’s premiere shopping streets – it was a destination street. It has lost some of its lustre, but I would say in recent years it has started to bounce back, in part because of the presence of retailers like Uniqlo and Primark, but also because of upgrades to stations like Tottenham Court Road and the introduction of the Elizabeth Line. Of course, there is increased competition to locations like Oxford Street from shopping centres and malls, but it seems to still hold an appeal to shoppers.
Uniqlo is a retailer that has a long history of featuring licensed lines in-store. My recent visit confirmed this and indeed suggested it is ever more engaged with licensing.
A theme which has run through Uniqlo’s licensing programme has been tapping into the art licensing market. Previously it has worked with the Tate on a product range that dovetailed with sponsorship. Art seems to appeal to it as it is a licensing category that holds global appeal; Uniqlo seemingly buys on a global basis. At the moment it has products featuring art from Picasso and Matisse, alongside more contemporary artists like Keith Haring.
It is not averse to pushing the art envelope further with interesting collaborations. One in-store at the moment features a partnership between Andy Warhol and contemporary artist KAWS. These sort of collaborations pique consumer interest and also create social media momentum. They also help Uniqlo position itself as a retailer that sells interesting and original designs. It helps build their personality.
I also liked the fact that Uniqlo had commissioned an artist to create a store specific mural in-store. It has worked with Jada Bruney to create a London-themed artwork that stretches up the shop’s staircase. It is good to see a retailer supporting the artist community, and indeed this link goes a bit further with Uniqlo selling a t-shirt and tote bag featuring the artwork.
Uniqlo also seems able to find some fresh sources to inspire its licensing – a good example being a collection of t-shirts featuring photography from the world renowned Magnum Photography Archive.
Uniqlo is also still supporting anime and manga brands with properties like Dan Da Dan and Dragonball Z in-store. It was one of the first retailers to source rights from this genre.
It also has a Mickey Mouse range in-store and in this case it is featuring a pop art style which fits in well with the art-led programme.
I was very impressed by the depth of Uniqlo’s commitment to licensing, but also equally impressed by its determination to create apparel ranges that feature a unique handwriting. It is also approaching pop culture in a fresh way, but seems acutely aware of the growing interest from fans in franchises they love.
I crossed over Oxford Street and popped into the Primark store. This is a superstore that has a large footprint and is a store that offers a broad range of products. It is also home to a Greggs Café – a move that seems very popular with shoppers. I was shopping quite early on a weekday morning, but the store felt busy even at that time of day, which I guess speaks volumes about Primark’s approach to retailing. It seems to have hit on a formula and product mix that resonates with consumers. I saw more than one consumer coming into store and picking up a large format shopping basket – I presume they were ready to shop!
Licensing is a core part of Primark’s offer and features throughout store. On this visit, the front of store featured an apparel and accessories range from Rita Ora. This was presented with photography of Rita and the product and was given quite a lot of space in-store. It is a good example of how personalities are becoming retail brands and how music stars can be very influential in this context.
Primark seemingly works closely with Disney, mining the portfolio effectively and efficiently. This includes tapping into classic animation characters and also using characters such as Lilo and Stitch across categories. Disney product appears throughout the store, but also has a dedicated Disney shop space. Even though the store is obviously a busy one, I think Primark has understood that shoppers need space to shop and that there is merit in working on displays. Thinking of licensed brands in particular, a brand can be an effective sales force on the shop floor.
Music and band brands are a well-established category for Primark, but I was surprised to see that the music roster also includes country music stars like Willie Nelson and Shania Twain. This is, in part, due to the increasing trend for country stars to crossover from the country charts to the mainstream charts, coupled with them being more global in their approach to touring. This has undoubtedly made consumers country curious, hence the presence of ‘legendary artists’ like Willie Nelson. No doubt there are other explanations for this trend – answers on a postcard.
Primark is well tuned into popular trends and ensures its product selection embraces a broad sweep of interests including US sports like NBA and NFL. It also includes apparel featuring teams from the US ‘soccer league’ MLS.
Breadth of choice seems to be a mantra in Primark – it uses a variety of brands and techniques to connect with its customers. For example, it features brand partnerships with classic apparel brands like Kappa, whilst also investing in display areas for collections featuring character brands such as Hello Kitty. I think Primark places a value in variety. In this context licensing is a gateway for it to source must have designs, but to also tap into a range of styles, tastes and themes.
As I left the Primark store I could see that some of the shoppers who had popped into store at the same time as me were still going strong filling their baskets. I am obviously not gifted with the same level of shopping stamina.
I didn’t spend my whole week shopping this week. I popped over to Northern Ireland for the weekend. While I was meant to be there relaxing I didn’t completely switch my Lookout radar off. I was struck by what a lasting impression the Game of Thrones has made on Northern Ireland and its contribution to local tourism. A substantial amount of the series was filmed there which in turn has spawned tours, trails and merchandise. For example, on Belfast’s harbourside, near the Titanic Quarter, there is a Glass of Thrones art trail – decorative glass panels featuring scenes from the series.
Elsewhere villages and other locations that featured in the series dial up their connection. Thronies make specific visits to see the locations and celebrate their fandom. It is a great example of how a television series can have a positive commercial impact on a region and a reminder that licensing can play its part in the retail economy or in this case the tourist economy.
Ian Downes runs Start Licensing, an independent brand licensing agency. His X handle is @startlicensing and on Instagram he is @iandownesphotos – he would welcome your suggestions for what to look out for.
