Last year demand for Bing consumer products enjoyed an 11% year-on-year increase, says Acamar Films.
Appetite for Bing consumer products is showing no signs of slowing, with Acamar Films further expanding the UK licensing programme for the preschool property.
Notably, last year demand for Bing consumer products enjoyed an 11% year on year increase (Kidz Global, 0-6 years, Oct 2020 vs Oct 2019).
This year, Acamar has welcomed strategic new categories to the programme, taking the UK licensing portfolio up to 25 licensees. 2021 will see new partner Solent launch bathtime and dental products and children’s audio system, tonies will be delivering an audio storytelling experience, slated for a 2022 release.
Bing also continues to perform well for master publisher, HarperCollins, which enjoyed 62% year on year net sales growth in 2020, with nine new titles scheduled for this year.
Master toy partner Golden Bear saw an impressive 115% year on year sales growth for Bing in 2020 and is expanding Bing’s world in 2021, introducing Nicky, a new character from the latest series, and siblings Coco and Charlie to the range. New lines for autumn/winter include a musical dancing Bing and a large play-set of Bing’s House. For the first time, bath toys will be available for Bingsters with the new wind up Bathtime Boat looking to make a splash at retail.
In addition, 8th Wonder has a raft of new wooden toys and games to add to its Bing range, while MV Sports will be widening its retail footprint with additional listings for its wheeled and outdoor toys.
Softlines have also expanded across daywear and outerwear from Fashion UK and William Lamb. There will be a specific growth in girlswear to match the boyswear offering and new lines include dresses, sweatshirts, joggers, trainers and rucksacks.
Aykroyds and TDP continue to build their business year on year and Smiffys has introduced an additional girls’ dress-up line to its range with Sula, which launched exclusively with Tu at Argos/Sainsburys ahead of World Book Day 2021.
Continuing the focus on Acamar Films’ direct to consumer relationships, e-commerce hub The Bing Store will also be expanding its product offering further in 2021.
“It is wonderful to see steady growth across our consumer product programme for 2021 and the support from our partners during such tough times,” said Louise Simmonds, head of UK licensing and merchandising at Acamar Films. “Bing’s timeless and relatable core values, alongside the growing audience engagement we are seeing across our content, digital and social platforms, provides a reliable and trusted foundation for the year ahead.”
