Character Licensing’s Potential to Power India’s Next Retail Evolution

In 2023, licensed merchandise drove $356B in global retail sales, with South Asia Pacific outpacing general retail at +7.4% growth. Meanwhile, China clinched the 4th spot worldwide with $13.8B, highlighting what's possible when licensing scales. India, by comparison, reached $2.4B, signalling significant headroom to grow. (Source)

This is a clear opportunity for character licensing in India to go beyond seasonal campaigns and evolve into a year-round product strategy. Globally, retailers are already embracing this approach—embedding character licensing as a core, year-long element of retail and product development strategies, amplified by innovative experiences that elevate product discovery, creating lasting emotional connections with shoppers at retail.

For India’s fast-growing market, the moment is ripe to build year-long programs that pair beloved characters with innovative in-store and in-mall retailtainment experiences—sparking product discovery and stronger emotional connections.

Here are some examples in the top-performing categories to inspire how you can lead the way through product and retailtainment with character licensing.

Fashion & Apparel 

From charming infantwear and playful kidswear to edgy young adult streetwear and luxury lines, character licensing in fashion is a versatile tool that resonates across generations and positioning. Brands globally are using character licensing to unlock new consumer moments throughout the year. 

Across Demographics:  

• Infant – The Elly Store: Disney Collection 
• Kids – Primark: Disney’s The Wonder of Friendship Collection 
• Young Adult – Kith: X-Men 60th Anniversary Collection  

Across Positioning Tiers:  

• Mass – Uniqlo: Disney Collection 
• Mid-Premium – Disney x Tommy Hilfiger: Manga Mickey Collection 
• Luxury – Disney x Balmain: The Lion King Limited-Edition Collection 

To create an even more compelling reason for consumers to visit stores and purchase these collections, retailers like Uniqlo have gone a step further.  

Uniqlo’s Magic For All store in Shanghai is a perfect example of how retailers can transform their retail spaces into immersive, character-themed entertainment floors—blending shopping with storytelling to captivate and engage visitors.  

For India’s dynamic retail landscape, this convergence of fashion, immersive entertainment, and character storytelling signals immense opportunity—across everything from everyday wear to premium and luxury lines.   

Super/Hypermarkets 

Character licensing transforms supermarkets into family destinations globally—think Disney-themed Good Vibes Everyday section in Lotus’s and the Stitch themed takeover in Makro Thailand.

Indian retailers can leverage similar strategies to spark joy at the shelf and boost sales during key seasons.  

Malls & Location-based Entertainment 

Malls and themed attractions worldwide tap licensed characters to create buzz—like Gardens By The Bay Singapore's Children's Festival featuring Inside Out 2 activation, or the Spider-Man themed World of Webs mall activation at SM North Edsa in the Philippines.  

Indian malls can draw inspiration from these activations to elevate in-mall experiences and win more family footfall. 

As these examples highlight, character licensing has become a powerful tool for engaging consumers and creating fresh retail experiences across the world. In India’s evolving market, this is an exciting space to explore—beyond one-off campaigns and capsule collections.  

Looking Ahead

For Indian retailers, mall operators, and industry leaders, character licensing can be a thoughtful, year-long strategy to tap into evolving consumer tastes, drive engagement, and spark new ideas that shape the future of retail. 

Ready to take character licensing beyond seasonal hits and into a year-long growth strategy? Drop us a mail to discuss how to make that happen.

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