Walk any gift hall and you will find licensing everywhere, even where nobody calls it that. The museum archive print on a tea towel. The illustrator collaboration on a card range. The heritage brand name on a biscuit tin. It is one of the least understood corners of retail and one of the most quietly commercial. 

That gap between how much licensing is worth and how well it is understood is the reason Spring Fair is giving it a much bigger stage in 2027. 

Why does licensing get overlooked? 

Partly because the word sounds legal rather than creative. Royalties, minimum guarantees, approval processes: none of it sounds like the fun part of buying. 

And partly because the conversation has been dominated by character merchandise for so long that homeware and interiors buyers assumed it was somebody else's category. If your shop does not sell superhero lunchboxes, why would licensing be on your radar? 

But the definition is much wider than that. Any time a brand, an artist, an archive or a property lends its name and its look to a product somebody else makes, that is licensing. Which covers a great deal of what already sells well in independent shops, from the surface design shaping homeware trends to the artist collaborations running through fashion and garden retail. 

What is changing at Spring Fair in 2027? 

The Licensing Lab launched at the 2026 show as a small, dedicated space for buyers to get their bearings. It worked. More than 4,000 of the buyers who attend Spring Fair flagged licensing as a core interest, a group representing an estimated £2.25 billion in buying power. 

So, for 2027 it's growing considerably. Licensing moves into more than 800sqm in Hall 5, an expansion of over 900% year on year, and sits next to the new Gift Edit, The Gift of the Year Showcase, and the Kids, Toy & Play and Food & Drink sectors. The placement is deliberate. Licensed products belong in the middle of the buying route, not tucked away for specialists. 

Designers Kate Merritt, Emma Lawrence and Nicole Elders are already confirmed, alongside agents Jehane and Tantau Studio, and licensees including Bluesky Studios, Difuzed and Widdop & Co. 

What does the Total Licensing partnership bring? 

Spring Fair is building the sector with Total Licensing, who have spent over twenty years connecting the global licensing community. 

Practically, it means a dedicated Licensing Lounge for meetings between licensors, licensees and buyers, a Licensing Studio, and a co-branded content stage running daily insight sessions. Total Licensing magazines will be available at the show, and the collaboration continues year-round through here on Inside Retail. 

Fay Tranter, Event Director at Spring Fair says, "The success of the Licensing Lab at the 2026 show exceeded all expectations. The quality of speakers, the calibre of brands involved, and the level of audience engagement demonstrated just how important licensing has become across modern retail. More than 4,000 of our visitors told us licensing was a core area of interest, and we know that demand is only going to increase as retailers look for new ways to differentiate their offer, tell stronger stories and create products with real consumer connection." 

"Partnering with Total Licensing is a natural next step in that journey. Their expertise, industry relationships and global reach will help us elevate the Licensing sector even further and create an even more valuable platform for designers, brand owners, agents, licensees, licensors and retailers alike. By significantly expanding the space and introducing new features and enhanced content programme, we're investing in licensing as a major growth pillar for Spring Fair 2027 and beyond." 

Becky Ash, Editorial Director at Total Licensing added: "We're delighted to partner with Spring Fair on the next evolution of Licensing. Licensing continues to be one of the most dynamic and commercially exciting areas of retail, creating opportunities for brands, manufacturers and retailers to reach new audiences and unlock growth across multiple product categories." 

"Spring Fair offers unrivalled access to the UK retail market, making it the ideal environment in which to connect licensing with buyers, suppliers and businesses that may be exploring the sector for the first time. We want to make licensing more visible, accessible and commercially relevant, while showcasing the breadth of brands, properties and partnerships available across the industry." 

What should you do before February? 

Nothing complicated. If licensing is unfamiliar, treat the Licensing Lab as a research trip rather than a buying one. Go to a couple of the stage sessions, ask a speaker how a royalty actually works, and get a feel for lead times and approval windows before you commit any budget. 

If you already stock licensed lines, the more useful question is whether you are buying them reactively or planning them around launches, anniversaries and seasonal moments. It is the same forward-planning habit behind retailers already planning Christmas a year out, and the kind of thinking the independents in Merchant's Corner put their resilience down to. 

If you like what you've seen here, why not join us in-person for the retail event of the season? Autumn Fair runs from 6-9 September 2026 at the NEC, Birmingham, co-locating with Glee on 8-10 September. Register for free here, and join our newsletter for the latest updates before the show.