The second annual survey from LIMA, which boasts details of the $251.7 billion global licensing industry, is now available for readers to download.

Conducted by Brandar Consulting, the report quantifies worldwide royalty revenue and corresponding retail sales by product category, property type and geographic region.

In the survey, results found that character and entertainment are the top property type, accounting for $113.2 billion in retail sales, with a 44.8 per cent share of the market.

Meanwhile, apparel led all product categories with $37.9 billion in revenue, which is 15.1 per cent of total global licensed retail sales, closely followed by toys at $33.7 billion (13.4 per cent), and fashion accessories, which came in at $28.5 billion (11.3 per cent).

“After expanding our survey program last year, we’re excited to provide our industry with the latest edition of our comprehensive report, whose results and analysis can help guide licensing professionals in all markets in making the best strategic decisions for their business,” said Charles Riotto, president of LIMA.

“I’m pleased to see this year’s report show an overall increase in retail sales and royalty revenue for the worldwide industry, with new growth and innovation to look forward to.”

Results also found that the US and Canada have remained the largest global markets for licensed merchandise, with retail sales of $145.5 billion last year, up 3.9 per cent for a 57.7 per cent share of the market.

Western Europe was cited as the next largest region, with strong results in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, where revenues totaled $51.8 billion, a 20.1 per cent share, up from 19.8 per cent a year ago.

The full survey is available now for free for LIMA members, and will cost $750 for non-members.

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