news!

35 Years of Hello Kitty

2009-04-13T15:17:00.002-04:00

Hello Kitty, the creation of parent company, Sanrio, Co. Ltd, is kicking off her 35th anniversary with a full slate of activities, festivities and even more product launches.

The worldwide theme for this 35th Anniversary is "Hello Kitty Colors" which conveys the essence of Hello Kitty that has kept her relevant and appealing to devotees for so long: red for friendship, pink for cute, yellow for heartful, green for wish and lavender for sweet. The message of each color will be reflected on her trademark bow.

"Hello Kitty colors the world and captures the hearts and imaginations of so many people," said Janet Hsu, President of Sanrio Global Consumer Products. "The theme of Hello Kitty's Anniversary is inspired by her legacy and the loving qualities that have resonated with fans from around the world for the past 35 years."

The celebration is indeed a global endeavor, reflecting the brand's universal appeal. Stores around the world, from France to China, will carry her 35th anniversary-themed merchandise beginning in September - and continue with celebrations in select stores throughout the end of the year. Ms. Hsu said hundreds of products affiliated with the milestone will roll out this year, spanning a cross-section of categories from apparel to jewelry to limited edition collectibles. Hello Kitty enthusiasts worldwide can visit the official website, hosted by Sanrio Japan, for the global Hello Kitty 35th anniversary celebration at http://www.kitty35.com/. A U.S. website for the 35th anniversary will be introduced in June 2009 and will provide up-to-date information on product launches, activities and events.

Closer to the exact anniversary date of November 1, SANRIO Inc. will host a bi-coastal gallery exhibition, featuring Hello Kitty products of the past, present and future, along with artist interpretations of the icon. Plans are also in the works to tie in the celebrations with national and local charities to support SANRIO's philosophy of "Small Gift, Big Smile."

hello kitty maternity hospital

2008-12-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

Hello baby! Hello Kitty welcomes Taiwan newborns
reuters.com

YUANLIN, Taiwan (Reuters Life!) - Mommy, daddy -- and Hello Kitty -- welcome newborns at a cat-themed Taiwan maternity hospital that hopes the Japanese cartoon icon will ease the stress of childbirth as well as boost business.

The 30-bed Hau Sheng Hospital in Yuanlin in central Taiwan claims to be the only institution of its kind authorized by the popular cartoon cat's parent company Sanrio Co Ltd.

Newborns get everything Hello Kitty but a set of whiskers, including pink or blue receiving blankets, nurses dressed in pink uniforms with cat-themed aprons, cot linen and room decor.

In the lobby, a Hello Kitty statue in a doctor's uniform greets patients, and twice a year people in feline costumes visit mothers and children.

The cat's likeness even shows up on birth certificate covers.

Director Tsai Tsung-chi said he hopes the white, mouthless cat that is one of the world's most recognizable characters will ease the pain and fear associated with childbirth and being admitted into hospital.

"I wish that everyone who comes here, mothers who suffer while giving birth and children who suffer from an illness, can get medical care while seeing these kitties and bring a smile to their faces, helping forget about discomfort and recover faster," he told Reuters.

Tsai opened the hospital with T$100 million ($3 million) in his hometown of 126,000 because his mother, wife and daughter all like the cartoon cat.

"Unlike traditional hospitals that are mostly white, I feel this one is pretty good," said Chen Shing-chiu, 38, mother of a newborn baby boy. "I like Hello Kitty very much myself."

Hello Kitty has a loyal following in Japan and elsewhere, mainly of young females who consider her the epitome of cuteness. The podgy feline has even been featured in the Japanese issue of fashion magazine Vogue this year.

(Reporting by Christine Lu and Ben Tai; writing by Ralph Jennings, editing by Miral Fahmy)

hello world album

2008-10-10T18:44:00.002-04:00

HELLO WORLD is the first-ever full-length Sanrio album available in the USA! HELLO WORLD offers 10 superfun original tracks inspired by Hello Kitty (and 1 by Chococat!).

The first single "Come On, Come On", by actress, singer and Hello Kitty fan Keke Palmer has already hit the airwaves.

HELLO WORLD is currently available on iTunes and exclusively at Wal*Mart stores from October 7th. The album will be widely available, including Sanrio.com and Sanrio Boutiques, in January 2009.

You can also hear and share the poptastic tunes right here! Click the buttons next to each song to listen. To take the Hello World downloadable widget with you and share on your favorite blogs and websites, just click on the arrows in the widget and copy and paste the code onto your page!

sanrio.com

Hello Kitty MMORPG accepting players for closed beta now!

2008-02-13T08:01:00.003-05:00

Hong Kong February 13, 2008: Sanrio Digital (www.sanriodigital.com) today announced the closed beta launch of "Hello Kitty Online" a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) based on the famous Sanrio characters. Hello Kitty Online allows players to explore and adventure in Sanrio¡¦s fantasy world, a magical land that has recently fallen under the influence of a mysterious and malevolent power.

Players for the closed beta version are invited to apply at the official game site (www.hellokittyonline.com) or community site (www.sanriotown.com) and experience Hello Kitty Online in advance of the game release expected in the second half of 2008. Targeting female players from their pre-teens to twenties, Hello Kitty Online is the first installable MMORPG to set its sights on this demographic profile.

Hello Kitty Online is fully integrated with official Sanrio portal Sanriotown.com, which utilizes blogs, email, video sharing, Sanrio merchandise sales and more to create a digital and social experience accessible at any time. Players of Hello Kitty Online can extend their game experience on Sanriotown.com by interacting with other players, purchasing upgrades for their in-game characters, etc.

In addition to the standard MMORPG features such as customizable avatars, guilds, skill systems, and player economy, some of the outstanding Hello Kitty Online features include:

- Unique game world: a persistent, beautifully designed environment where thousands of players and NPCs live, explore and quest in a magical world with real and imaginary zones such as the Flower Kingdom, Tokyo, Paris, Moscow, and more. Real world locations offer players the ability to learn about those places.

- Unique NPCs:players will encounter and interact with popular Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, My Melody, Keroppi, and many others, all animated with a variety of contextual facial _expressions.

- Free to play: Hello Kitty Online is downloaded and played free of charge. There are no subscription fees.

- Character upgrades: the Item Mall allows players to use real money to purchase special items and upgrades for characters.

- Player housing: players can build and customize their own houses after acquiring the necessary licenses and materials. Houses depreciate over time and need to be maintained properly or will fall in disuse. A homeowner can invite someone to visit by making an in-game telephone call, and the player called will automatically be transported to the house if she agrees.

- Crafting system: Hello Kitty Online has an extensive crafting system with output such as tools & weapons, farming implements & furniture, a wide variety of cooked dishes, and clothing for decorative and stat-modifying items. Raw materials include wood, minerals and metals, and crops.

- Farming: players can run their own farms, which offer extra storage room and have the potential to produce important raw materials. The farming system incorporates a number of variables such as fertility, pest infestations, and crop characteristics.

A different focus: although it has a sophisticated combat system, unlike other MMORPGs combat need not be a primary objective for players of Hello Kitty Online. There are many puzzles to be solved, mini-games to compete in, story lines to follow, and adventures to experience.
For more information and screenshots please visit the Hello Kitty Online Website

hello kitty has a mouth?

2008-01-25T22:21:00.001-05:00

sanrio japan now has some items featuring hello kitty with a mouth.

here is a translation that does not make much sense...

Kitty PUCHITAORU type face and the back of the leg is to be unique magnet wire mascot, Kitty charm with a three-point set of rubber hair. どれもにっこりフェイスで揃えたよ。 None smiled揃えたface.

(notice that hello kitty with a mouth is missing one nose!)

technorati tags: hello+kitty, sanrio, japan

Hello Kitty chases young men

2007-12-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

Japan's Sanrio says its 'Hello Kitty' character, traditionally popular with girls and young women, will soon appear on items targeted at young men.

December 28 2007: 9:06 AM EST

TOKYO (AP) -- Hello Kitty is no sexist.

The cute cuddly white cat from Japan's Sanrio, usually seen on toys and jewelry for girls and young women, will soon don T-shirts, bags, watches and other products targeting young men, company spokesman Kazuo Tohmatsu said Friday.

"We think Hello Kitty is accepted by young men as a design statement in fashion," he said.

The feline for-men products will go on sale in Japan next month, and will be sold soon in the U.S. and other Asian nations, according to Sanrio.

The usual bubble-headed shape of Hello Kitty was slightly changed for a more rugged, cool look to appeal to men in their teens and early 20s.

For example, a picture of the cat on a $36 black T-shirt has the words, "hello kitty," instead of the usual dots for the eyes and nose.

Hello Kitty is one of mascot-obsessed Japan's biggest "character" hits, decorating everything from a humble $1 eraser to a $48,000 diamond necklace.
5 hot fashion trends for '08

The planned products mark the first time Sanrio is developing Hello Kitty items especially for males, Tohmatsu said.

But Sanrio had tried a "limited edition" collaboration in men's clothing with designers in Tokyo's chic Harajuku section earlier this year, and they proved popular, he said.

"Young men these days grew up with character goods," said Tohmatsu. "That generation feels no embarrassment about wearing Hello Kitty."

via cnn

technorati tags: hello+kitty, sanrio

Hello Kitty at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

2007-11-25T09:57:00.000-05:00

Hello Kitty made her debut at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. The balloon is called "Supercute Hello Kitty" and Sanrio explains, "Hello Kitty will be ready for action, dressed in her Supercute superhero outfit complete with cape and tiara to complement her favorite red bow! Standing at 33.6 feet tall, 34.8 feet wide and 45 feet long, Hello Kitty will soar over the Big Apple accompanied by approximately 80 balloon handlers."

technorati tags: hello+kitty, parade, thanksgivng, macy's, balloon

hello kitty to star in thanksgiving parade!

2007-09-02T19:24:00.000-04:00

For the first time, the Sanrio character will debut as a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on Nov. 22. To mark the occasion, Sanrio will produce a "Hello Kitty Super Cute" plush available in select stores and at www.sanrio.com.

via brandweek.com

technorati tags: hello+kitty, macy's, thanksgiving, parade

just when you thought it was vaporware... the hello kitty MMOG is "upcoming" ?

2007-08-30T22:34:00.000-04:00

@ SanrioTown Europe Launch at the Leipzig Games Convention...

The SanrioTown booth, which was designed to look like a beach tower, also had a computer where people can register at SanrioTown on the spot for free. There was also a screen that played the trailer of the upcoming Hello Kitty MMOG. A team of friendly SanrioTown personnel assisted the visitors of the booth, helping them out in exploring SanrioTown and handing out giveaways.

from the sanriotown official blog

this game was described as "coming soon" back in 2004. but perhaps there is still hope!

(va-por-ware
-noun
Computer Slang. a product, esp. software, that is promoted or marketed while it is still in development and that may never be produced. from dictionary.com)

technorati tags: hello+kitty, sanrio, game, MMO, MMOG

hello kitty disciplines police in bangkok?

2007-08-05T21:35:00.000-04:00

A pink ''Hello Kitty'' armband wrapped around a khaki-clad arm is shouting for attention at the police Crime Suppression Division. It is a new disciplinary measure introduced especially for police investigators who refuse to play by the rules...

...Pol Gen Pongpat said 10 armbands were available. In addition to wearing it, a first-time offender must accompany the officer rostered as deputy chief of the day. That means walking to all parts of the CSD office, and being seen wearing the armband...

...Offences liable to earn an officer the pink Kitty include failing to report for duty, parking in a prohibited area, fighting, or being the subject of a complaint about poor service...

via bangkokpost.com

technorati tags: hello+kitty, police, bangkok

$66,0000 hello kitty doll

2007-07-28T07:13:00.000-04:00

Hello Kitty is back in the news again in a big way with the the opening of a "Hello Kitty Selection" event at Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo. The centerpiece of the even is an 8-million yen Hello Kitty doll made of 62,000 Swarovski crystals.

The Hello Kitty figure is modeled after a maneki neko, which seems to be beckoning only those with plenty of money to the Mitukoshi store.

via japundit.com

technorati tags: hello+kitty, tokyo, swarovski

hello kitty chokes small children

2007-07-22T15:47:00.000-04:00

first cancer, now this...

Payless Expands Recall Of Toddler Clogs
Shoes Pose Choking Hazard

About 270,000 pairs of the toddler shoes are being recalled because the plastic rivets that attach the strap to the shoe can detach and cause choking if swallowed.

The recalled clogs, which were manufactured in China, include the following styles: Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants, Hello Kitty, Coasters Lighted Car Compel and Cambridge Mary-Jane.

click2houston.com

technorati tags: hello+kitty, shoes, payless

Hello Kitty ready for Beijing Olympics

2007-06-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

TOKYO (AFP) - Ahead of next year's Summer Games, Japan's iconic cat will merge with China's most popular animal in a new design depicting Hello Kitty in a panda-like black and white outfit.

"The Olympics are coming up. That is what we have in mind," said Kazuo Tomatsu, a spokesman for Hello Kitty maker Sanrio Co.

The company has yet to unveil the exact products for the Olympic tie-in.

Sawf News

technorati tags: hello+kitty, sanrio, china, olympics, panda

tokidoki hello kitty line coming soon

2007-06-03T19:29:00.000-04:00

tokidoki produces apparel and other items using the art and of Simone Legno. here are some examples:

this picture appears undeer the collaboration section of tokidoki's site:

technorati tags: hello+kitty, sanrio, tokidoki, kawaii

microsoft buys hello kitty!

2007-04-01T13:24:00.001-04:00

SAN FRANCISCO, April 1 - Microsoft Corp. said today it has agreed to acquire Tokyo based Sanrio Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Shintaro Tsuji) including all rights to the famous Sanrio branded character Hello Kitty(R).

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Microsoft was negotiating to pay up to $7 billion for Sanrio Co., Ltd., The Wall Street Journal reported today. Microsoft said the deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2007.

...In the late 1990s, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates offered Shintaro Tsuji $5.6 billion for the rights to Hello Kitty.

...happy april fools day!

technorati tags: bill+gates, microsoft, hello+kitty, sanrio

hello kitty happy meals

2007-03-22T21:14:00.000-04:00

new at mcdonald's!

Four exclusive lifestyle accessories will be a "must have" for every Hello Kitty Fan - a beautiful pocket-sized notebook, a cool Hello Kitty pink bag, a pink pencil case which includes a pencil, gel pen and notepad and a great Hello Kitty purse.

via The Malta Independent Online

technorati tags: hello+kitty, sanrio, mcdonald's, happy+meal

hello kitty and Ayumi Hamasaki

2007-03-09T20:37:00.000-05:00

A miniature of Hamasaki with the mouthless cat will go on sale during the 28-year-old singer's tour of Asia, which starts Saturday.

"I'm really happy to collaborate with Kitty, which I've loved since childhood," said Hamasaki, arguably the best-known face in Japanese pop.

yahoo news

technorati tags: hello+kitty, Ayumi+Hamasaki

eva air wins award for hello kitty plane

2007-02-28T18:39:00.000-05:00

EVA Air, the Taiwanese airline has been awarded "Best Livery" in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2007, for its quirky Hello Kitty jet. The Awards, featured in the February issue of the magazine, were announced at a party on January 10, 2007 and decided by a panel from the editorial team at the style bible.

Travel editor at Wallpaper* Jeroen Bergmans explained the decision: "Although airlines do try to be innovative in terms of design and luxury, often their first class lounges end up looking bland, corporate and at best like a modern furniture showroom. The food in first and business class may be Michelin-starred, the service of a very high standards and the seats my convert into flatbeds, but it is rare to come across a product that is fun and quirky. The EVA Air Hello Kitty Jet is camp, crazy and quintessentially Asian and will also keep those wailing children entertained throughout the flight!"

EVA Air's two Hello Kitty jets have proved amazingly popular on routes from Taiwan to Japan, with flights booked up for months in advance and a huge demand for EVA Air, Hello Kitty memorabilia.

KW Nieh, EVA Air's spokesperson commented: “We are of course delighted to be honoured by such a prestigious and influential title. Our customers love the EVA Air Hello Kitty Jet and it is gratifying to be recognised internationally as an innovative airline.”

The new Kitty Jet 2, themed inside and out, entertains passengers on special flights from Taipei to Nagoya, Osaka and Sendai and was introduced in October 2006. The second jet complements EVA's established, successful Kitty Jet services to Fukuoka and Tokyo.

from easier travel

see previous post: hello kitty airplane to make debut for 2006 chinese lunar new year

technorati tags: hello+kitty, plane, airline, sanrio

hello kitty dream wedding

2007-02-25T09:11:00.000-05:00

took place 2/16/07 at mtr hong kong station.

via sanriotown

technorati tags: sanrio, hello+kitty, dear+daniel, wedding, video

so hello kitty causes cancer...

2007-02-10T02:25:00.001-05:00

"Some shampoos and other bath products still contain traces of a cancer-causing petrochemical that federal health officials have expressed concerns about for more than 20 years, according to test results announced Thursday by environmental activists...

According to the environmental group, the highest concentrations, 23 parts per million, were detected in Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers Shampoo and Olay Complete Body Wash With Vitamins, both made by Procter & Gamble. The highest in a children's product was 12 ppm, in Hello Kitty Bubble Bath, sold by Kid Care, a division of Cosmetic Essence Inc."

Testing finds traces of carcinogen in bath products - LA Times.com

Gwen Stefani or Fergie could be a good representation of Hello Kitty ?

2007-01-21T18:58:00.001-05:00

Sanrio deal takes band/brand links to next phase
Reuters.com

By Michael Paoletta

NEW YORK (Billboard) - In coming months, Hello Kitty and other globally branded characters in parent company Sanrio's product line will be singing a new tune. Billboard has learned that Sanrio has entered a multiyear, joint-venture deal with Cherry Lane Music Publishing.

Cherry Lane will exclusively create all original music associated with Hello Kitty and Sanrio's other major U.S. properties, including Chococat and My Melody. The publishing company also will administer the joint venture, which will be announced Tuesday (January 23) at the New York Palace Hotel during a Sanrio-hosted breakfast.

This business arrangement follows on the heels of other partnerships under which artists deliver newly recorded music to specific brands. In recent months, Bo Bice updated "Time Has Come Today" for Hasbro's Monopoly Here and Now board game, while the Black Eyed Peas concocted fresh tunes for Snickers' online destination, InstantDef.com.

The union between Sanrio and Cherry Lane bypasses one-off deals like these in favor of a longer-lasting relationship. Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, a tweens and teens marketing and communications agency in New York, said this is the next phase in alliances between band and brand.

Sanrio will look to Cherry Lane and its songwriters to create and produce sounds, songs and themes for their main characters. Though the deal is still being fine-tuned, with no commitments from anyone yet, Cherry Lane acts like Will.i.am, John Legend and Wolfmother could, for example, find themselves creating theme songs for Hello Kitty and other characters.

The music has the potential to be heard in various mediums, including physical CDs, digital tracks, ringtones, TV shows and premiums with other licensees (Hello Kitty dolls with music, perhaps).

For Sanrio president/COO Mas Imai, the partnership is a way for brands like Hello Kitty to strengthen and deepen their connections with consumers. "Having a musical relationship with Cherry Lane is ideal for us," Imai said. "They understand our brand essence."

Cherry Lane also understands the music industry, which was key for Sanrio, Imai noted. And Sanrio offers Cherry Lane a worldwide billion-dollar presence, encompassing products, retail shops and more than 120 U.S. licensees.

While Cherry Lane will tap its own artist/songwriter roster first, outside writers will not be ruled out. "Fergie could be a good representation of Hello Kitty," Cherry Lane VP of advertising and catalog development Dan Rosenbaum said. "Gwen Stefani also comes to mind."

Cherry Lane's deal with Sanrio is similar to its business arrangement with NASCAR in that the music publisher is responsible for creating music for the organization and the music assets are held in a joint venture.

Cherry Lane has business relationships with other brands as well, including NFL Films and World Wrestling Entertainment. In these arrangements, the music publisher administers and promotes existing music.

Reuters/Billboard

the new sanriotown!

2006-11-21T20:20:00.000-05:00

Sanrio Digital, a joint venture between Typhoon Games and Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co. Ltd. has completely renovated the official online presence for Hello Kitty and friends, Sanriotown ( sanriotown.com ), with new flash games, blog, photo, video and online shopping features embracing the social web.

The two most prominent of the newly introduced features are Kitty Shop and Dream Studio, while other features on the site like blogs, chat, message boards and avatars inject more fun into the social networking environment for users.

Dream Studio is an advanced web technology that enables users to create and direct their own flash movies by simply uploading video, photos and MP3 music. With this new feature, users are able to indulge themselves with the latest online trends and embed their videos on their own website, blogs, or other community portals, creating an online networking community that is
unique to Sanriotown.

In addition to the above, there will be other advanced and innovative entertainment products released. For example, a massive multiplayer Hello Kitty online game is currently in the final stages of development, bringing mature Hello Kitty fans and online gamers higher levels of difficulty, excitement and interaction.

For more details, please visit sanriotown.com or
sanriodigital.com

view complete article here

technorati tags: hello+kitty, sanrio, typhoon+games

Blue's Clues and Hello Kitty join paws

2006-10-18T23:40:00.000-04:00

America's favorite puzzle-solving dog, Blue, is getting together with Hello Kitty, Japan's most famous cat, in a partnership announced Wednesday.

Toys, clothes and stationery decorated with the floppy-eared blue canine and the bubble-headed mouthless white kitten will arrive in stores here next spring under a licensing deal between Sanrio Co. and U.S. licensing business Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products, the companies said in a statement.

Under the deal, NVCP has granted Sanrio the master license for the character that won fame as the star of "Blue's Clues," an animated educational series.

NVCP President Leigh Anne Brodsky said this is the first time her company has joined one of its icons with a counterpart from another firm.

"It's a very exciting idea to have this creative collaboration, kind of East meets West, dog meets cat," she said in a telephone interview during a trip to Tokyo to announce the partnership.

Creators from both sides will work together on products targeting young Japanese women, with an eye to later exporting goods to the rest of Asia and perhaps to Europe and the U.S., she said.

Although tying together mascot characters isn't without its risks, the artistic styles of "Blue's Clues" and Hello Kitty blend well because Blue's creator was influenced by Hello Kitty, Brodsky said.

"Hello Kitty was a tremendous inspiration in the creation of 'Blue's Clues' and has been one of my favorite characters since childhood," said Blue co-creator Traci Paige Johnson.

"Blue's Clues" has ranked continuously among the top five preschool commercial TV series in the U.S. over the last decade. It has generated $ 3.6 billion in retail sales since 1998 and sold more than 35 million books.

Hello Kitty, invented by Sanrio in 1974, adorns everything from diamond-studded jewelry, Fender guitars and digital cameras to lunchboxes, T-shirts and stationery.

Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Mariah Carey have been spotted with Hello Kitty gear.

Earlier this year, NVCP began selling products in Japan with SpongeBob SquarePants, a yellow square-shaped cartoon character popular in the U.S.

The Japan Times
(C) All rights reserved

technorati tags: Blues+Clues, Hello+Kitty, Sanrio, Nickelodeon, Viacom,

hello kitty recall

2006-10-03T23:04:00.000-04:00

Takara is being forced to recall specific Hello Kitty dolls which featured a heatable disc that could be warmed and stuffed within the lining to keep kids toasty while resting. Apparently the microwavable pad housed a chemical substance (manufactured by ADEKA) not quite stable enough to handle the heat, sparking a lengthy list of of cases where the liquid erupted from its container and provided an uncomfortable surprise to the poor soul embracing the creature's volcanic warmth.

(via engadget)

technorati tags: hello+kitty, takara, recall

Sanrio to Launch New e-Commerce Shopping Site This Holiday Season

2006-09-05T19:42:00.000-04:00

PRWeb

Wobrun, MA (PRWEB) September 5, 2006 -- Demandware (www.demandware.com) announced today that Sanrio, Inc. will launch a new online shopping site with enhanced merchandising features using Demandware’s e-commerce platform. The site is part of a strategic company-wide effort to enrich the brand experience of international icon Hello Kitty and a cast of other popular Sanrio characters. It is scheduled to launch this coming 2006 holiday season and will target customers in North America.

Sanrio, Inc. is the North American subsidiary of the $1B worldwide group of Sanrio companies that develop, distribute and license over 50,000 gift, stationery, accessory and fashion items for girls and women of all ages. Its products are sold in more than 120 Sanrio boutiques and Momoberry stores as well as leading specialty, department and national chain stores, including Target, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and others.

Sanrio will use Demandware’s on-demand e-commerce technology to create an online venue for its merchandise and to introduce new items and specialty products such as Fender Hello Kitty guitars.

“In order to accommodate the growing demand of Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters, we wanted to ensure that our customers had better accessibility to our products through a more robust on-line program,” said Mas Imai, President and COO of Sanrio, Inc. “Our goal is to continue the delivery of the ‘Sanrio experience’ for our customers to enjoy anytime and anywhere they shop.”

Demandware’s unique e-commerce solution was designed with merchants in mind. Delivered as a true on-demand service, Demandware technology provides e-commerce retailers like Sanrio an array of core merchandising tools such as guided search, promotions management and simplified A/B testing that help drive customer transactions and higher order values. In addition, Demandware’s on-demand service allows customers to receive software upgrades automatically without additional cost, eliminating the need to worry about being stranded on an outdated software version.

“More and more retailers are realizing the power of true on-demand e-commerce as a means to cost-effectively build and maintain a strong brand,” said Stephan Schambach, president and CEO of Demandware. “Hello Kitty has enjoyed tremendous worldwide success, and we look forward to assisting Sanrio expand its online presence and continue this momentum.”

Tags: hello+kitty sanrio e-commerce