Here, WWD has an interesting article about the success of Guess ? in licensing.
Guess has seven accessories licenses comprising $800 million in wholesale revenue.
Accessories include handbags, footwear, belts, men’s jewelry and small leather goods, women’s jewelry, eyewear and watches.
The licensed accessories business is so successful, that Guess ? opened its first accessories-only store in Los Angeles in September 2004 and went from there to 110 stores by now. The number shall increase to 300 in the next years.
The company also has two Guess Footwear stores in conjunction with footwear licensee. The firm will roll out 15 to 20 such stores in the next 12 months.
The watch licensee launches 300 new Guess watch styles a year and plans to double the GC business in 2007.
Overall, the licensees concurred that the keys to their combined success are communication and long-standing relationships.