Since Mattel quit making Simpsons toys, there has been no master toy licensee--the backbone of broad merchandising programs.
The money will be spent on remodeling to accommodate expanded merchandise assortments and a broader merchandise mix, as well as for certain other customer service improvements.
The big retailers are going to want companies that are not just offering the lowest price, but can add value, that have broad product portfolios, that can assist with merchandising promotions and just-in-time inventories.
Department store stales sunk 1.6%, while broader general merchandise stores, which includes mega-retailers like Target, saw sales decrease 0.8%.
Ms. Tam says her style could lend itself to a broad range of merchandise, including cosmetics, skin-care products and home furnishings.
The reports from two such important merchants that sell a broad assortment of merchandise -- like leather blue jeans, pine-scented candles and gel push-up bras -- seemed to confirm that outlook for many.
The sale resulted from the posting of a simple ad on Craigslist, a Web site filled with classified ads for a broad array of merchandise — but rarely any heavy-duty firefighting equipment.
Presented by Jim Chapman, a superstar vlogger himself (and brother to two more, the makeup artist duo Pixiwoo), it opened up the world of video blogging to those of us too old to be its audience ourselves but too young to have children who follow its personable stars online and buy, if the stars are lucky, their increasingly broad ranges of merchandise.
The modern blockbuster's DNA has since been fundamentally altered, with more emphasis than ever on branding merchandise, broad appeal, global returns, and special effects.
