INSIGHTS FROM OUR CATEGORY MANAGEMENT:
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
What really moves the needle - curated trends, categories, and assortment thinking for smarter growth
Which licenses are growing?
Not all licenses grow equally, but several segments are consistently outperforming expectations:
Anime & Manga:
still the engine of
global growth
Anime remains the single fastest-growing entertainment category worldwide.
Franchises like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Demon Slayer expand across age groups and territories.
New seasons translate directly into product demand spikes, especially for premium figures, trading card accessories, lifestyle items, and stationery.
Why it grows:
Strong emotional storytelling
High character diversity leads to
more entry points for fans
Always-on content cycles (manga, anime, movies, games)
K-Pop: from trend to global power category
K-Pop continues to mature into a standalone merchandise segment.
Demand for albums, photocards, binders, apparel, official collectibles and blind boxes is accelerating.
Why it grows:
Exceptional fan engagement and repeat purchases
Global reach through social platforms
Strong identity and community culture
The Growth of Mystery Boxes
Not just a trend - a strategy! Mystery formats remain one of the strongestperforming collectible concepts today.
Why it grows:
High repeat purchase rate
Exciting unboxing culture is perfect for social media
Low entry price
Works across all fandom segments
Western Licenses: stabilizing, but event-driven
Western entertainment (Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc.) shows more variable performance, but major movie and series releases still create predictable peaks.
Overall trends shaping the market
Lifestyle collectibles are booming
Fans want their fandom to be part of everyday life.
Examples:
Drinkware, bags, hats
Lamps, LED signs, home decor
Desk setups & streaming accessories
Tech accessories (cases,covers,chargers)
New customer groups beyond traditional collectors.
Premiumization:
high-end collecting is accelerating
Collectors increasingly invest in centerpiece items.
Growth areas:
Large-scale premium statues
Limited editions with certificates
High-end plush
Premium card storage & display cases. This segment strengthens brand perception and retail differentiation.
Fandom fragmentation: microcommunities matter
Instead of a few mega-franchises, many
mid-sized fandoms thrive.
Examples:
Indie horror games
Niche anime titles
VTubers
Retro franchises (Digimon, Yu-GiOh nostalgia)
Retailers winning in this space curate broader assortments with targeted entry-point SKUs.
Display & protection products becoming core category
As collections grow, the need for storage and display expands.
Demand growth in:
Toploaders, binders, sleeves
Acrylic risers, cases
Premium display systems
These categories deliver high repeat purchase rates and year-round stability.
Crossovers &
collaborations are booming
Pop culture mashups are reaching new heights.
Anime × streetwear
Horror × gaming
K-Pop × lifestyle brands
These collaborations ignite hype and justify premium pricing.
Retro & nostalgia
comebacks
Fans crave reprints, classic designs, and legacy characters.
Opportunities:
Retro packaging
Vintage-inspired collections
Legacy figure lines
Old artwork reprints
Nostalgia is a strong purchasing driver for Millennials and Gen Y.
Collector & Fandom Trends: what’s changing?
Collecting is becoming social and sharable
TikTok, Instagram, and streaming platforms accelerate unboxing culture and influence impulse purchasing.
Authenticity is everything
Consumers prefer official, licensed products and trusted distributors, reducing reliance on grey market goods.
Personalization and identity matter
Character-driven SKUs, customizable accessories, or items that reflect belonging within a fandom are increasingly important.
Cross-category collecting is increasing
Anime fans buy TCG accessories. K-Pop fans buy stationery and decor. Horror fans buy lifestyle items. This convergence opens new range-planning opportunities.
Fandoms move fast with the right insights, you move faster!
heo’s Category Management sees a collecting landscape that is more dynamic, more global, and more interconnected than ever.
By understanding how fans engage with licenses and how collecting behaviors evolve, we help retailers build ranges that truly meet fan expectations. Whether it’s the explosive rise of anime, the global power of K-Pop, the adaptability of horror, the premiumization of collectibles, or the unstoppable momentum of mystery formats, one thing is clear: Knowledge is the new competitive advantage.
And at heo, we turn fan insights into better product ranges.
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