Licensed products bolster B-T-S sales. (back-to-school supplies)

NEW YORK - The chain drug back-to-school (B-T-S) product mix relies heavily on products featuring licensed characters, and that's a trend that shows staying power into the future. Licensed products account for up to a quarter of total sales in B-T-S and home office supplies, according to The Licensing Letter, an industry newsletter. And licensed products are projected to generate up to $7.5 billion in total category volume next year.

The concept of licensing in B-T-S supplies has expanded to include marketing partnerships between school supplies manufacturers and the originators of some popular licensed properties. For example, Stuart Hall Co., a unit of Newell Co., is …