InsightsIP Commercialization
From licence to shelf: how character IP reaches retail in Vietnam
A strong character is only half the story. Getting it in front of fans takes the right retail partner, the right placement and a reason to visit. Here is what we have learned bringing KAYOU IP products to Nhà Sách Phương Nam.
Character IP earns its value when people can find it. A product can carry a much-loved character and still go unnoticed if it never reaches the right shelf. In our work at BAMU Commerce, much of the effort goes into closing the gap between a great product and a visible one.
Start where fans already are
Collectors and young fans already have places they visit: bookstores, hobby shops and gaming events. Rather than asking them to come to us, we look for retail partners whose shoppers overlap with the audience for a given IP. For IP products built around anime, games and classic cartoons, bookstores are a natural fit. Families, students and collectors pass through them every day.
That thinking shaped our key strategic retail partnership with Nhà Sách Phương Nam. As KAYOU's official distributor in Vietnam, BAMU helps bring KAYOU IP products onto its shelves, spanning IP such as Naruto, My Little Pony, Demon Slayer, Free Fire and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Placement is a product decision
Where a product sits in a store matters as much as whether it is stocked at all. We think about placement in layers. A branded feature makes the range visible from across the store. Floor stands let shoppers browse by series. Counter displays at the till catch the quick, last-minute pick-up. Each layer does a different job, and together they turn a shelf into a destination.
Give fans a reason to come back
Retail works best when it connects to something people already care about. Ahead of Vietnam GameVerse 2026, KAYOU purchases of 100,000 VND or more at Nhà Sách Phương Nam earned a ticket to the two-day event at SECC on 8 and 9 May. An everyday purchase became a way into a live fan experience, and gave shoppers a reason to visit the store with a purpose.
What travels to other IP and brands
First, choose retail partners by audience, not only by footprint. The right store is the one your fans already walk into.
Second, treat placement as part of the product plan. Decide early how a range will be seen from the aisle, browsed on the floor and picked up at the till.
Third, connect retail to moments such as events, launches and new series, so the shelf is part of a bigger story rather than a standalone transaction.
Bringing characters into the real world is what BAMU Commerce does. If you have a brand or IP ready for Vietnamese retail, we would be glad to talk.