Licensed fashion is booming in France, says Worldpanel by Numerator

Although the fashion industry is going through a sluggish patch, licensed fashion is bucking the trend. That, at least, is what data from Worldpanel by Numerator, compiled for Sun City, a French company specialising in licensed fashion products, indicate. Sales in this sector rose by 13% in volume in 2025, defying a 3% decline in the overall textile market. Overall, the licensing market in France was worth around 6.8 billion euros in 2024 across all categories. The country ranked seventh worldwide, behind the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, Germany, and Canada.

“Licensed products are predominantly pleasure-driven, impulse purchases made in-store: 77% of French consumers say buying licensed products is an unplanned purchase. Licensed merchandise appeals to 32% of French people, including 8% who are true aficionados,” notes Hélène Janicaud, an expert at Fashion Worldpanel by Numerator.

A market largely driven by children’s products

Purchases of licensed products are generally gift-led: 51% of purchases are reported as being made to give as gifts, up from 39% in 2024, according to the study. Licensed products appear to be a particularly attractive option when it comes to delighting recipients, thanks in part to the popularity of the franchises and characters they feature, such as Disney films, superheroes or manga. “Licensing allows us to capitalise on current cultural and media moments, and to re-enchant the act of purchase by bringing an emotional dimension to the product,” says Emmanuel Assouline, COO of Sun City.

Licensed products today appeal to a wide audience, reaching the whole family, although the children’s segment remains central. Over the year under review, 14.1% of consumers, or almost 10 million buyers, made at least one purchase of this type, for an average spend of 38 euros per year. The breakdown of sales underlines the importance of the children’s segment in this market: items for girls represent 32.9% of sales, and those for boys 28.8%. Women account for a further 17.6% of sales, followed by baby products (11.2%) and finally men (7.3%), illustrating the gradual expansion of licensed ranges across all family members and their cross-generational appeal.

Character popularity shifts rapidly

On the retail side, specialist chains account for over 60% of spending on licensed fashion, with Primark, La Halle, Kiabi, and Gémo among the leading players in the segment. The retailer E.Leclerc is in fifth place, as food superstores lose ground to out-of-town retailers and discounters. For manufacturers and distributors, however, the licensing market remains tricky to manage. Character popularity cycles are rapid, and performance varies according to product category and target audience.

When well executed, licensing can animate the retail calendar beyond traditional peaks such as the sales or Black Friday, the study points out. In terms of characters, the licensed fashion market has its favourites: the Disney creature Stitch takes the top spot in 2025, displacing PAW Patrol. Other top-selling franchises include Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, and the One Piece manga universe. The Bluey animated series is also gaining ground, challenging the historic licences in the children’s segment.

But not everything is confined to children’s characters: in 2024, Sun City launched a UFC licence and held the licence for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, thus expanding its sports offer. Sun City Fashion Group reported revenue of 48.87 million euros in 2024.