• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
MPWMost Powerful Women

Can Dylan’s Candy Bar Become the Next Disney?

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 27, 2016, 11:52 AM ET

Dylan’s Candy Bar is not just selling sweets.

This year marks a decade and a half since the first Dylan’s opened its doors on the Upper East Side of New York City. The brand now has seven freestanding stores, as well as nine licensed locations—mostly in airports—and two shop-in-shops. Impressive reach for a candy store, but not exactly the profile of a retail giant.

Yet Dylan Lauren, the company’s creator and president (and, yes, daughter of Ralph Lauren) is constantly pushing the brand to its limits. In addition to candy, ice cream, and cocktails—the original items offered by the store and depicted in its colorful logo—one can find Dylan’s-branded dog treats, towels, baby products, dolls, lingerie, jewelry, handbags, games, books…the list goes on. In total, the brand offers over 7,000 different SKUs—each of which has been personally approved by Lauren.

And while candy-branded handbags might already seem to be a bit of a stretch to some, Lauren says she has no plans to limit the scope of the brand’s expansion. “There are so many things I want to create,” she says. “I want to license furniture and do candy furniture and there’s pet toys—that could be really fun. There’s so much—home goods, I could keep going—so much room for growth.”

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

This past spring, Lauren enlisted licensing firm IMG to help bring those ideas to life. IMG will negotiate licensing partnerships on behalf of Dylan’s and expand its products into new areas.

The way licensing deals are structured varies from brand to brand, but they typically involve royalty fees on a sale of an item, says Bruno Maglione, president of IMG Licensing Worldwide. Fees can range from as little as 5% to as high as 25% depending on the item, he explains. The percentage is generally based on an item’s popularity: “Is there demand for it? A hot property has higher demand than a weaker property,” he says. “It also depends on the margins within the industry itself—luxury items have crazy markups.”

IMG’s role is to ensure that the companies licensing the Dylan’s brand follow certain guidelines—such as using its nine signature colors—and to verify that the products they create make sense for product universe as a whole. This universe, however, seems to be ever-expanding, with the brand considering extensions into kitchen appliances—”candy popcorn maker, ice cream sundae maker, hot chocolate maker” —as well as children’s furniture, school supplies, and stationery.

While going from candy to furniture might seem a little bizarre to some, Interbrand North America CEO Josh Feldmeth, a branding expert who has no affiliation with Dylan’s, says it’s not actually that far-fetched. “I can see it happening,” he says.

The key to brand extension, explains Feldmeth, is tapping into a deeper consumer need, which Dylan’s has clearly been able to do. And what exactly is that need? Levity.

“In a world where everything is responsible, everything is locally sourced, everything that isn’t good for you is frowned upon, these guys are unapologetically about candy,” he says. “They’re loud, they’re fun. They’re saying: ‘It’s okay to feel great.'”

Feldmeth notes that the zeitgeist these days is quite a serious one. With consumers constantly being bombarded with news of terrorist attacks, police shootings, and politics, it’s no wonder they’re attracted to a brand that promises an escape.

That customers can only access the Dylan’s stores in a handful of locations helps the brand retain its specialness. “It shows up when you’re happy, when something exciting is going on,” says Feldmeth.

Feldmeth and Maglione both point to Walt Disney Co. (DIS) as an example of the type of company Dylan’s could eventually become. “It’s appealing to both the child and the child in all of us,” says Maglione. The entertainment conglomerate has managed to stretch the Disney brand to everything from films to amusement parks to apparel—and there’s no mistaking what the brand stands for.

“It’s an unbelievably refreshing alternative to a very serious world,” says Feldmeth about Dylan’s Candy Bar. “If they can keep making people happy, there are no ceilings.”

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

Why Meta hired Dina Powell McCormick
NewslettersMPW Daily
Why Meta hired Dina Powell McCormick
By Ellie AustinMay 29, 2026
14 hours ago
Meet the Black women on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list shaping business leadership
MPWMost Powerful Women
Meet the Black women on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list shaping business leadership
By Cheyann HarrisMay 29, 2026
15 hours ago
whitmer
MPWElections
Gretchen Whitmer said she wasn’t running for president. That lasted until lunch
By Joey Cappelletti and The Associated PressMay 29, 2026
16 hours ago
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass seeks reelection following term mired with wildfire and homelessness: ‘I haven’t always got it right’
North AmericaLos Angeles
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass seeks reelection following term mired with wildfire and homelessness: ‘I haven’t always got it right’
By The Associated Press and MIchael R. BloodMay 29, 2026
16 hours ago
jill
MPWElections
Jill Biden on that debate performance: ‘Is he short-circuiting? Is this a stroke?’
By Darlene Superville and The Associated PressMay 29, 2026
17 hours ago
t
CommentaryCoding
Girls Who Code CEO: 70% of teen girls want to work in cybersecurity. We’re losing them before they start
By Tarika BarrettMay 29, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
Magazine
As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
By Emma HinchliffeMay 27, 2026
3 days ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
9 days ago
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
Success
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
By Emma BurleighMay 28, 2026
2 days ago
UBS says Ron DeSantis has a problem with his plan to help 92% of homeowners save on property taxes: His own state's data
Personal Finance
UBS says Ron DeSantis has a problem with his plan to help 92% of homeowners save on property taxes: His own state's data
By Nick LichtenbergMay 28, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 28, 2026
2 days ago
Researchers let AI models run a simulated society. Claude was the safest—and Grok committed 180 crimes and went extinct within 4 days
AI
Researchers let AI models run a simulated society. Claude was the safest—and Grok committed 180 crimes and went extinct within 4 days
By Jake AngeloMay 28, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.