Hudson`s Magazine

industry news
Banz Ski Goggles
Looking for Inspiration?
It's in Here!
Utah-based Tiny Ducky was founded in
2009 to offer parents comfortable and
stylish, green clothing options for their
infants, made from organic cotton and
colored with natural dyes. Single mother
Jennifer Buckallew is an expert on
organic foods and baby goods, and is
available to help parents navigate the
minefield of harmful chemicals that are
often used in the manufacture of food,
baby bottles, clothing and toys - and that
can find their way into babies' bodies.
Described as chic, soft, easy to wear,
durable and eco-friendly, the line is
available at TinyDuck.com in sizes
preemie to 2T. Tiny Ducky is a member
of the Organic Trade Association and a
portion of profits are donated to 1% For
The Planet and Women, Children and
Family Service Charities of America
(WCFS).
Folkmanis – "the most award-winning
specialty puppet company in the world"
– now has their puppets starring on The
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
on CBS. For more than a year, the show
has been using an array of Folkmanis
Puppets in comedy skits, and in
December, to celebrate the 1,000th
episode, specially created puppets and
old favorites took over the entire show. "I
am personally such a huge fan of Craig
Ferguson, so I was quite honored that
he chose Folkmanis Puppets as an
extension to his wonderful comedy,"
says creator/founder Judy Folkmanis.
The company has been making
specialty puppets since 1976, available
at specialty toy and gift stores,
nationwide and in more than 15
countries around the world.
Folkmanis.com.
Baby Banz celebrates 10 years in
2010, expanding from its headquarters
in Australia to Africa, North and South
America, Asia, Europe … and now to
the U.S. Sarah Walker joins the company
as sales manager, USA Team, focusing
on account development in the U.S.
Sarah, an Air Force wife and mom, is
currently completing her BA in business
administration. New product Banz Ski
Goggles for outdoor enthusiasts from
ages four to 10 years offer valuable eye
protection for every winter activity from
skiing to sledding to the occasional snow
ball fight. These professional-grade ski
goggles offer 100% UV Protection, are
helmet compatible for hitting the slopes
safely, have anti-fog polycarbonate
orange-tinted lenses and include their
own carrying case that doubles as a
cleaning cloth. Happy Birthday, Baby
Banz!
N o w p res e n tin g
th e n ew o u ts tan d ing
ATLANTA #13N 101A AMERICASMART
DALLAS #8101 WTC
LA MART #A651
525 7th Ave #906 • New York, NY 10018
212.695.1733 • www.jamariltd.com
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During the
recent holiday
season, Baby
Dry Goods had
their products
featured on the
Style File
segment of the Emmy-award winning
Good Day L.A., on FOX Los Angeles.
Celebrity hostess Jillian Barberie
Reynolds has personally selected Baby
Dry Goods as some of her favorite baby
must-haves. BabyDrayGoods.com.
FAO Schwarz presents Kids Preferred
with its second annual Vendor of the
Year Award, recognizing the plush
toymaker for its well-designed, superior
quality, creative products and as a
valued partner with FAO in all of its retail
ventures including the New York and
Las Vegas stores, catalog and online
sales. "The world-famous FAO Schwarz
Fifth Avenue store is one of the most
renowned stores in the world," says Kids
Preferred president Louis Premselaar.
"We are delighted to add to their
unparalleled mix of children's toys and
keepsakes."
Fashion upstart Bina Apparel launches
their first original line of dresses,
separates and outerwear for girls. "Our
line reintroduces the classic, clean lines
and fine workmanship that little girls'
clothing is sorely missing in today's
market," says founder and CEO Maria
Urdinarrain. Inspired from a vintage
style, the line adapts warm tones,
exceptional fabrics and detail such as
pin tucking, appliqué embroidery,
pockets and pleats. Color combinations
intentionally bring to mind a sense of
tradition and polished taste,
with a smart, feminine
vibe. Dresses are 100%
cotton sateen and
separates are 95%/5%
cotton/lycra blend for
machine-wash and
wear cleaning. The
outerwear coats are
high-quality wool blend
tweed with 100%
cotton flannel lining.
Available for delivery
in-store starting in
August, the
company is
supporting wholesale distribution, but
will maintain small online retail
availability for areas where distribution
is not available. BinaApparel.com.
With a playful and colorful sense of
aesthetics, Quebec label Deux par
Deux introduced its European style
style to the children's ready-to-wear
market in 1986. With its three annual
collections, Deux par Deux creates
fashion from sizes 0 to 36 months,
from two to 14 years. Now available
at over 1,000 sales outlets throughout
the world, covering Europe, Russia
and Saudi Arabia, the company
recently debuted the Spring/Summer
2010 collection, getting inspiration
from seaside beaches of the
American east coast, specifically
Cape Cod. "We were surrounded by
the ocean and beaches as well as
architecture dating back to the 20th
century. And the shops with their
fifties-retro feel – what wasn't there to
love?" explains president Claude
Diwan. DeuxParDeux.com.
Australian baby protection products
company Snazzy Baby™ recently hired
United States sales reps. Covering
Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma,
Missouri, Louisiana, Arkansas and
Mississippi is Julie Anne Glidewall,
based in Dallas, TX. Covering Georgia,
Alabama, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and New
York is Vickey Renz, based in Atlanta,
GA. SnazzyBaby.us.
MaryLenore Arsenault and her team at
BopStarBaby welcomes the newest
BabyMakes3 exclusive participants:
SASSY® - the industry's leader in
developmental toys, and new baby
carrier participant Bellala Baby.
Celebrity baby baskets were delivered in
December to Gisele Bundchen and Tom
Brady, Judy Reyes (Scrubs) and
George Valencia, and HUDSON'S writer
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industry news
Beth Gainer and daughter Arielle, whom she adopted from
China last summer, among others. All were treated to a lovely
box full of product from exclusive participants including
BabyLegs® leggings, tights and socks, Bellala Baby baby
carrier, The Dropper Stopper™, No Slippy Hair Clippy® hair
accessories, Patricia Ann Designs travel silkies, Pregnancy
Magazine, Rashti & Rashti® blankets, SASSY® developmental
toys, the Boppy Company® comfort and support pillows and
Pedoodles footwear. Too cute! In addition No Slippy Hair
Clippy® has opened the new No Slippy®, Bowtique at their
headquarters in Vacaville, CA. "This is a way for us to share
what we do with moms here in this wonderful community,"
says president and CEO Annie Salyer. BopStarBaby.com.
Northbrook,
IL-based
Funky
Junque was founded in 2001 and is one of the fastest
growing fashion accessory companies. The company recently
signed a two year lease for permanent space on the 13th
floor, room 232 at the Dallas Market Center (DMC). "We
decided to add the showroom based on the many great
relationships developed from the Dallas shows," says
president Linda Wolff. "We will now be able to show all of our
products plus be open more days than we were as a temp.
We hope this will result in more sales to our current customers
and expand our customer base." Funky-Junque.com.
Big Idea enters into a licensing deal with Enesco to develop
and distribute a new line of products based on VeggieTales
characters available this fall.
Boutique PR and marketing firm
Grand Avenue PR offers
established and emerging mom
and baby brands a unique
opportunity on the West Coast.
The only public relations firm in
the juvenile products category
offering this service, the Grand
Avenue Baby showroom is
located on Kids on 6 at the
California Market Center (CMC)
and provides emerging
companies an opportunity to benefit from Grand Avenue PR's
media and influencer relationships and offers established
children's lines additional exposure to trend-setting West Coast
retailers. The brick and mortar and online showrooms feature a
unique, hand-picked mix of quality brands. Online visitors gain
access to product information as well as Grand Avenue Baby
blog posts on industry trends and highlights, products, topics
and expert commentary and opinions. Visitors to the
showroom in the CMC have the opportunity to “touch and feel”
product and see it showcased in a retail environment. Grand
Avenue PR founders Karie Reynolds and Barbie Dávalos
boast more than 25 years of combined experience developing
and executing public relations and marketing strategies for
both boutique businesses and large agency clients. They
opened the Grand Avenue Baby showroom with established
sales representative Michael Gonzales of Metropolitan Kids.
GrandAvenueBaby.com.
Sears Holdings Corp. unveils Marketplace at Sears.com,
an online marketplace that allows third-party vendors to sell
goods - more than 10 million products, including furniture, art,
cosmetics, appliances, sporting goods and shoes.
Geared For Imagination is the new
company name for All New Materials,
which strives to offer exceptional
service and to bring the most unique
and imaginative products to the
marketplace, but with a renewed vision
for the future. They have big plans to
diversify our product offering in 2010 driven by design, powered by play.
GearedForImagination.com.
Big Tent Entertainment inks new North American Domo
property agreements with Nancy Sales Company for
amusement plush, sport and novelty, A&A Global for vending
machine novelty and Bell Sports for sporting goods and
accessories. Concept One expands its relationship to include
men's board shorts and beach towels, with Hot Properties
Merchandising, Inc. renewing their existing relationship for
accessories.
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Twentieth Century Fox Licensing &
Merchandising (Fox Licensing)
unveils its merchandising campaign to
support the release of James
Cameron's Avatar. Naturally, this covers
every conceivable type of product.
Happy Heinys, one of the largest
manufacturers of modern reusable cloth
diapers, is a recipient of the Honoree
Awards for the San Diego Family
Owned and
Closely Held
Business
Awards given
by the San
Diego Business
Journal. The
award honors those with familial ties as
well as those having three or less
individuals who own more than 50% of
the business. HappyHeinys.com.
Lisa Marks Associates (LMA) now
represents USA Sevens Rugby and is
creating a domestic rugby licensing
program, to include apparel,
accessories, sporting goods, publishing,
home furnishings, video games among
other product categories. USA Sevens
Rugby conducts the major rugby
tournament in the U.S. The International
Olympic Committee recently selected
the 7 on 7 version of rugby to be played
at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de
Janeiro. Rugby Sevens will also be
showcased at the 2011 Pan American
Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Congratulations go out to our very
own production and art director,
Patricia Anaya! She's just launched
brainywoman.com, a new virtual
community dedicated to improving selfesteem. People from all walks of life can
find useful and informative articles, blog
posts and activities exploring everything
from how to bring peace into your work
day to learning about the mind-body
connection to dating tips, parenting
stories and more. The site offers an
exclusive online magazine plus the bw
Store, offering unique clothing. Plans
are in the works for a special line of t-
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shirts for little girls. "I have a request
from my daughter, who already has a lot
of phrases for t-shirts, like, 'I'm as sweet
as a cupcake'," Patricia says. There's
even an opportunity for all of you
budding writers to publish your own
articles. brainywoman.com.
Cynthia Modders hangs out a shingle
for her new Firefly Brand Management,
which focuses on creating worldwide
consumer products programs. Clients
currently include NBC Universal's
Monster franchise, DHX Licensing's
FEBRUARY 2010
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industry news
Disney XD series Kid vs. Kat, VIZ Media
and anime/manga brands Shippuden,
Vampire Knight, Bleach and Inuyasha,
Hormel's Spam brand, and IP and toy
creator Volcano, among others.
Trendy pajama
company Hip On
Sunset teams up
with The Ryan
Gibson
Foundation,
donating 20% of all
online sales to the
foundation. "We
wanted to give
people an opportunity
to purchase really
cool pajamas or
tees for their kids,
and give back to an amazing
organization that's leading the crusade
to find a cure for leukemia." On February
11, Hip On Sunset creators Amy
Stecklein and Jennifer Wallace are
hosting a trunk show to showcase their
rocker and tattoo-inspired sleepwear in
Dallas, TX. HipOnSunset.com
Kid Brands, Inc. (F/K/A Russ Berrie
and Company) names David Sabin as
president/Kids Line, a subsidiary of Kid
Brands. A 30-year industry veteran,
David most recently was president,
Greystone Brands.
In Play
Showroom,
known for
being on the
forefront of
children's
fashion, takes
on new
category:
modern furniture, with the addition of
Mini Boom by Boom Design. Little
couches including a sleek sectional, a
standalone measuring book shelf and
accessories for today's hip family - or
for retailers to use as décor, to put in
store windows or play areas, too.
InPlayShowroom.com.
For businesses looking to cut costs
Melissa Data's Presort Object, which
reduces postage costs by up to 35
percent, has received a USPS PAVE
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FEBRUARY 2010
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Gold certification for PAVE Cycle K.
Gold certification ensures a higher level
of compliance with postal regulations
because the software has passed an
extra round of tests above and beyond
the standard PAVE protocol.
MelissaData.com.
Lucky Jade débuts a new bamboo
collection for Spring '10 of floral fluttersleeve tees, monkey coveralls, giving
tree blankets and more. Composed of
65% bamboo and 35% cotton, it's a
great pick for eco-conscious parents.
Lucky Jade's higher end cotton/cashmere
collection is 90% cotton and 10%
cashmere and includes hoodies, coveralls
and blankets, all machine washable.
Lucky Jade is sold online and at fine
retailers nationwide, including Barneys
New York. LuckyJadeProducts.com.
Lucky Jade
During this past holiday season, inventory
control, coupled with last-minute shopping
and post-holiday bargain hunting, drove
U.S. retailers' best monthly sales in
more than 20 months. In December,
sales rose 3%, better than analysts'
already-raised 1.8% increase and the
best growth performance since April
2008, data compiled by Retail Metrics
showed. About 75% of retailers beat
Wall Street expectations and 21% fell
short, according to Thomson Reuters.
The National Retail Federation's
Associate Member Advisory Council
has elected Jay Heavilon, president
and co-founder of ARS Interactive, as
committee chairman. Lindsay Parker,
chief marketing officer and director,
Global Retail Solutions for Cisco Systems,
Inc. is vice chair. Anne Brouer, senior
partner, McMillan Doolittle, Joseph
Coradino, president, Pennsylvania Real
Estate Investment Trust, Frank Riso,
retail executive, Industry Solutions Group,
Motorola and Adel Sayegh, president
and CEO, Universal Surveillance
Systems are new members.
Magnificent Baby is a brand
new infant's wear line with a
patent pending magneticfastening closure system. The
"no pull-over-the-head" designs
enable busy parents to dress
infants in seconds. All clothes
are baby safe, lead free,
independently safety tested
and washer/dryer safe. For
ages newborn to nine months,
made of 100% combed cotton
interlock and featuring French-designed prints.
MagnificentBaby.com includes an easy to use online ordering
system for buyers, a catalog for consumers, an illustrated
"how it works" section and blog. Débuts in stores this fall.
Soon you may not have to be an A-list celeb, departmentstore buyer or magazine editor to get a front-row seat at a
fashion show. As the luxury and fashion industries continue
to struggle with sagging retail sales and consumers'
diminishing interest in $2,000 It bags, designers are looking for
alternative ways to show their wares. And more and more of
them are turning to the Internet for a bigger audience and to
shrink their overhead. The result is that many designerinitiated brands are rethinking the traditional fashion show.
This fall the British designer Alexander McQueen made a
splash by live-streaming his Paris show on his website. The
season before, Louis Vuitton live-streamed its show on
Facebook. And Ralph Lauren is the mastermind behind a new
initiative to present his company's brands in virtual fashion
shows as opposed to have-to-be-there runway extravaganzas.
JCPenney partners with Mango, a Spanish fashion brand, to
become the exclusive department store retailer in the U.S. for
the MNG by Mango brand, launching in up to 75 stores and
on jcp.com this fall, with plans to expand to approximately 600
stores by fall 2011.
Mom by Michele Baratta is a
collection of accessories perfect
for any new mom, girlfriend or
grandmother, personalized at
reasonable prices: picture frames,
stylized pieces made of pearls,
semi-precious stones, pendants
and more. Michele also gives 15%
of sales on certain product to
benefit moms and families of The
National Military Families
Association. ShopMichele.com
Payless ShoeSource partners with JBFCS New York to
provide free shoes to children, donating 200 $15 gift coupons
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industry news
for distribution to the children they serve at their Hawthorne
Cedar Knolls residential treatment center in Westchester
County.
For over 20
years, Stone
Mountain, GAbased Mud
Pie has been
winning
awards as an
international
gift company
that offers
products in
three
collections:
Mud Pie
Mud Pie
Baby, Mud
Pie Pet and
Mud Pie Gift/Home. Inspired by the favorite children's
song "Old McDonald Had a Farm," their gender-neutral
farm animal clothing features multi-layered dimensional
details and is machine washable. The company also offers
fleece jackets for infants, rain boots, leather shoes, green
cotton t-shirts, creative gift sets and more. Mud-Pie.com.
Macy's shutters five underperforming locations: Downtown
Boise, ID; Summit Place Mall, Waterford, MI; Northwest Plaza,
St. Ann, MO; Downtown Missoula, MT and Burlington Center
Mall, Burlington, NJ.
The Network of
Executive Women,
Consumer
Products and
Retail Industry,
kicks off its national
conference calendar
with the new
Multicultural Workforce Conference 2010, March 16 to
18 at the W Victory Hotel in Dallas, TX, just one of the
events planned for 2010. The conference, "Real Change:
Embedding Diversity and Inclusion into Your Business
DNA," focuses on managing multicultural and
multigenerational work teams, changing corporate culture
and diversifying leadership ranks. The third annual event
includes executive keynotes, best practice sharing, peer
discussions, a CEO roundtable and advanced,
intermediate and beginner workshops. Founded in 2001,
the Network of Executive Women, Consumer Products and
Retail Industry, has more than 2,000 members from more
than 400 companies and 58 corporate sponsors in 15
regions nationwide. NEWOnline.org.
Disney Store is setting up shop in New York's Times
Square with a state-of-the-art, interactive retail destination
set to open in fall 2010. The retailer is incorporating
technologically advanced displays including an interactive
Disney Princess castle to serve as one of many magical
centerpieces and an all-new children's theater featuring the
latest Disney entertainment and classic animation.
Ouchies is the brainchild of a
dad who was looking for a cool
alternative to the boring beige
bandages that boring adults use.
The company offers kids an
array of adhesive bandages that
allow them to show their style
and personality.
OuchiesOnline.com
Ouchies
Kohl's is moving its New York
design office from 1359
Broadway to 1400 Broadway
and is scheduled to open in June. Designed to support the
growth of Kohl’s exclusive brands, the new location is
more than double the size of the previous office, according
to the company.
Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. names Jane Elfers as
president and chief executive, and to the board of directors.
She replaces Chuck Crovitz, who has served as interim CEO
since September 2007 and as a director since 2004. He will
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stay on the board. Ms. Elfers most recently served as
president and CEO of Lord and Taylor for the past nine years.
She began her retail career at Macy's Inc.
New Age Baby. Saurette is also sold through Thread
Showroom on the East Coast, ABSpoon on the West Coast
and Hope's Chest in the South. Saurette.net.
Portland, OR-based Petit
Couture is a new brand
of infant and toddler
separates featuring
sophisticated, whimsical
and artisan influences.
The Signature Basics
collection in sizes 0-3 to
6T is sourced and Made
in the USA of premium
interlock cotton and
cotton blends. Petit
Couture's signature owl creates the main visual interest on
each garment with other signature details like grosgrain ribbon
and rhinestone embellishments meeting CPSIA requirement.
"Our end desire is that our garments balance the elegance
and beauty of an item you may see in a letterpress card shop
with the fun urban-influence of rock n' roll styling," says
founder and president Rebecca Kaykas-Wolff.
PetitCouture.com.
P'kolino (pee-ko-leeno), a company
offering innovative
products sold globally
through juvenile, toy
and décor boutiques,
partners with Spanish
company Jovi to
become the exclusive
distributor to retail
boutiques in the U.S. Jovi, sold in over 80 countries, creates
products that foster and develop children's artistic education.
Pkolino.com.
New York-based contemporary girls label Saurette is now
partnering with Midwest sales rep Theresa Intravartolo of
Karl-Johan Persson, in his new role as chief executive of
H&M (Hennes & Mauritz), his family's business based in
Sweden, staged a fantastical event at the Grand Palais in
Paris to announce the latest H & M designer collaboration with
the French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel. The world's thirdlargest fashion chain, after Gap Inc. and Spain's Inditex, H&M
has become a leader in fast fashion - or what Mr. Persson
likes to call "fashion and quality at the best price." This
business strategy of keeping fashion fresh, as if it were a
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FEBRUARY 2010
17
industry news
perishable good, has served the brand
well. It has helped H & M see continual
growth, and the company now has more
than 1,900 stores across 35 countries,
with plans to reach 2,000 by the end of
2010. "His leadership style is very
inspiring," says Marcus Ostlundh, who
started European Network with Mr.
Persson. "He is not a control freak, and
he is very present and shows that he
cares."
Treehouse Showroom
The latest buzz at California-based
Treehouse Showroom is Budzie,
trendy clothing for girls ages two thru 10
featuring bold colors, animal prints and
neon flair. Another is Kreate Baby, with
inspired style created from one-of-akind, hand-painted art printed on organic
cotton using 100% water-based inks.
TheTreehouseShowroom.com.
Award-winning toy company Cloud B®
opens a permanent showroom
location in the Dallas Market Center's
Kids World Studio #8701 on the eighth
floor of the World Trade Center. All
products, including the popular Twilight
Turtle™ and Sleep Sheep™, are
developed in consultation with an
advisory board of pediatricians and
specialists. CloudB.com.
Their experience
comes from six
generations
dedicated to the
world of textile. In
1860, José Mataix
founded a textile
industry in Alcoy,
Spain. Almost 140
years later, Tutto
Piccolo has
retained all the knowledge of the trade;
and although modern technology has
made it more productive, it cannot make
it better. It is the human factor which has
always given them the competitive
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FEBRUARY 2010
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advantage. In each collection, the Tutto
Piccolo brand evolves. The company's
first shop was opened eight years ago,
clothing for infants of exceptional
quality. Now Tutto Piccolo is immersed
in a continuous and ambitious expansion
plan to establish the collections in more
foreign markets season after season.
TuttoPiccolo.es.
Susu & John introduces reversible
diaper covers that match their classic,
wearable baby bonnets and bucket hats.
Beaufort Button Britches are machine
washable and have an original, tailored
design with button in front. "We're so
excited about the diaper covers because
they add to the functionality of our line
and give buyers something extra to go
with the bonnets and hats," says coowner Janie McQueen. All products are
handmade in Beaufort, SC with corporate
offices in Atlanta. After joining the Larry
Lucas Showroom at Children's World
in AmericasMart Atlanta in October, the
line has been embraced by the finest gift
stores and children's boutiques, including
the Lilly Pulitzer signature store The
Joggling Board. Actress Blythe
Danner, a Beaufort, SC regular since
making several films there, is one of
Susu & John's early enthusiasts.
SusuAndJohn.com.
Since the Consumer Product Safety
Improvement Act (CPSIA) became
law in 2008, YKK has been diligently
working to ensure its products meet,
and even exceed, all U.S. legal
standards. YKK is a global fastening
products organization founded in
1934 and its headquarters are located
in Tokyo, Japan. Now, most products
will have no more than 90 ppm lead in
either the surface coating or the
substrate. These levels are
significantly less than the current lead
level standards required under the
CPSIA, well in advance of the 2011
standard. The company boasts an
integrated manufacturing process and
robust internal testing and inspection
procedures, testing its products
internally using EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray
Fluorescence Spectrometer) technology to ensure these
lead levels.YKK brand fasteners are used in such
prominent manufacturers' products and clothing as
Carter's, Osh Kosh B'Gosh, Gymboree, The Children's
Place and Lands' End.
Last year was a year of unprecedented growth for Zoobies!,
growing distribution to 60 countries and winning 45
industry awards, including these three: TheBabyPlanners.com
gave the seal of approval to Lilly the Ladybug; WTS Toy
review gave their 5-star rating to Bing the Bumblebee
and Baby To Be TV gave Zoobies their "5 rattle" rating.
Zoobies.com.
Carolina Baby Company partners with Four Peas, Noodle
Head, Pacimals, Snuggingo and Squish, to start 2010 on a
roll. The company has a permanent showroom in Atlanta,
where more than 30 children's gift and gear lines can be
viewed at more than seven shows annually.
CarolinaBabyCo.com.
sales and marketing. Previously, Mark was general manager
and vice president of sales and marketing for Boeri USA,
manufacturer of Italian crafted helmets. He brings over 20
years of outdoor sporting industry sales and marketing
experience to Darn Tough, and has held similar positions at
Dalbello Sports, SportRack/Thule, and Reusch Gloves.
DarnTough.com.
Rhode Island-based FGX International (FGXI) offers a
portfolio of established, highly recognized eyewear brands
including Foster Grant®, Magnivision®, Angel ™ , Gargoyles®,
Anarchy®, SolarShield® and PolarEyes reading glasses and
sunglasses. FGXI also holds licenses for brands such as
Ironman, Levi Strauss, Body Glove and C9 by Champion. The
company acquires Corinne McCormack, Inc. (CMI), a
privately held company which becomes a stand-alone division
of FGX remaining in New York, NY. Leading CMI retailer
partners include Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor and
Lenscrafters.
Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) and the National
Basketball Association (NBA) renews and expands their cobranding partnership between the NBA and the network's boytargeted property, Ben 10: Alien Force, co-branding youth
apparel line from Overstuff and a line of basketballs from
Spalding.
Footwear company pediped® recently hosted a Purchases
with Purpose fundraiser. Select styles of both Originals and
Flex shoes were marked down as much as 40 percent. Half of
the sales from this promotion was donated to the Make-AWish Foundation to help grant the wishes of children with
life-threatening medical conditions. Pediped.com.
Jennifer Mills and her husband recently acquired Slick
Sugar, a children's clothing website inspired by music, the arts
and retro vintage classic causal looks and prints from past
generations. The clothing is made of the softest, high quality
cotton and the detail work is custom and hand sewn so each
piece is individual just like the children that wear it. Find RockA-Bye music CD's, too. SlickSugar.com.
Wallcandy Arts introduces new
Volkswagen-styled Vroom Van,
Monster Patrol and Blossoms
wall stickers. In addition, doodlers
will love the new flat pack White
Boards, which work with
whiteboard markers and are
perfect for the office or home. WallcandyArts.com.
Darn Tough Vermont, manufacturer of premium all weather
performance socks, names Mark Comcowich director of
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FEBRUARY 2010
19
industry news
It was the Fashion by
Design Runway Gala in
Colorado. The evening
started with a Red Carpet
Reception and a Silent
Auction benefiting the
Fashion Group
International's scholarship
and educational outreach
programs. Gourmet hors
d-oeuvres were offered
up from Occasions By
Sandy, caterer to the
stars. Cynthia Petrus of Saks Fifth Avenue coordinated a
Fashion Week worthy runway event. And Holli Gibson of
LamanBlu won the Rising Star Award. LamanBlu is ecofriendly designer clothing for children created for families who
want something uniquely fashionable, heirloom-quality and
comfortable. The LamanBlu customer loves the American
lifestyle of easy to care, easy to wear clothing, yet appreciates
the European sensibility for the finer things in life and attention
to detail. Check out Holli's Fall/Winter 2010 trends at
LamanBlu.com.
Lucasfilm Ltd. enters into a licensing deal with apparel
company Mad Engine to manufacture a range of products
featuring Star Wars, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and LEGO
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FEBRUARY 2010
Star Wars in kid and adult sizes and include t-shirts, thermal
tops and hoodies.
Playmates Toys partners with Bravado, a music
merchandising company, to create a new line of collectible
figures and dolls based on Michael Jackson, set to launch
this year.
Mattel is going to the mat with its new line of World Wrestling
Entertainment (WWE) products with scale and very detailed
figures, belts, among other products. The WWE figures were
developed so that kids can play with them and make them do
the moves they see on TV using something Mattel calls "flex
force."
Mandi DanaPanzer,
president and
founder of infant
footwear line
Sweet Shoes,
announces a
new limited
edition, metallic
Sweet Jane, adorned with hearts in red and pink for the
Valentine season. Each unique, handcrafted pair features an
extra layer of foam to provide extra shock-absorption for baby's
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growing feet. Also available is a new slipon with a heart pattern. SweetShoes.net.
Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams,
picks up the rights to publish The Wimpy
Kid Movie Diary, a new book by
author/illustrator Jeff Kinney. The book
offers a look at how Kinney's Diary of a
Wimpy Kid, the first book in his series,
was adapted for the big screen, including
movie stills, storyboards and early
concept drawings and casting, table
reads etc. Fox is set to release the
family-targeted Diary of a Wimpy Kid
movie nationwide on April 2.
Scholastic Storybook Treasures
commemorates Black History Month and
Martin Luther King, Jr. with the release of
the new DVD, March On! The Day My
Brother Martin Changed the World ...
and More Stories About African
American History. The release also
includes three other stories based on Mr.
King's life, each adapted from the kid's
books: Martin's Big Words (adapted from
the book by Doreen Rapport, illustrated
by Michael Collier); Rosa
(written/narrated by Nikki Giovanni,
illustrations by Michael Sporn); Henry's
Freedom Box: A True Story from the
Underground Railroad (based on the
book by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir
Nelson). The DVD also includes
narration by actors Lynn Whitfield and
Michael Clark Duncan among others.
Activision Publishing and GameMill
Publishing partner with Cepia, LLC to
develop and publish video games based
on the new popular hamster toy Zhu Zhu
Pets, set for release this spring. The
game is currently in development with
Black Lantern Studios.
that," Brett says. Key to the company's
success is a willingness to offer
discounted items to compete with the big
box stores, branching out into movies
and video games plus listening to and
catering to the tastes of his customers by
satisfying the specialist requirements of
just one individual.
In late 2009, Melissa Nash, founder and
CEO of Knuckleheads Clothing
established Little Threads Foundation
to provide clothing, shoes, blankets and
stuffed animals to children in distress who
are placed into foster care. "Foster
families don't get reimbursed for the items
they purchase for the children, and this
really shocked me. I realized the
importance of helping these foster
parents get access to new clothing," she
says. The Foundation also provides
essentials to foster families themselves.
Retail clothing stores, outlets or
wholesale businesses that donate new
articles of children's clothing or other
items may be entitled to a charitable
contribution deduction that exceeds the
cost of inventory Email
[email protected].
Swedish children's shoe brand Vincent
announces the Fall '10 collection,
featuring a wide range of stylish,
comfortable shoes and boots for babies
up through elementary school age. See
the new collection at the Children's Great
Event Shoe Show, the MAX Children's
Shoe Shows, the BSTA Northeast Shoe
Expo in Manchester, NH and ENK
Children's Club. Check HUDSON'S
calendar for show details. Contact sales
manager Kristie Sawyer at 919.747.8592
for more.
Times are tough enough for retailers, but
what if you're an independent record
store trying to stay afloat, while fending
off competition from big box stores, digital
downloads and file-sharing websites?
Brett Wickard, founder and president of
Maine-based music retailer Bull Moose
sees opportunity in the economic
downturn. "Real estate's a lot less
expensive, we already have fantastic staff
members, so really what the economy is
telling us, is 'it's time to get aggressive
and grow,' and we're going to be doing
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FEBRUARY 2010
21
industry news
Especially for
Tweens and Teens
"After finding myself unemployed for the first time at the age of
42, I went searching for a piece of jewelry to remind me to be
grateful regardless of my situation. When I was unable to find
anything that spoke to me, we decided to create our own
products that inspire and express our gratitude," says Cheryl
Nordyke, CEO of Waves of Gratitude. She and co-founder
Kim Wierman built the company to offer products that inspire
people to remember the importance of expressing gratitude.
WavesofGratitude.com sells a product line called Inspired
Jewelry, a collaboration with jewelry designer Jessica Fields
to develop the ‘Branches of Hope' pendant, the flagship of the
Inspired Jewelry line. Inspired Apparel is a line of 19
signature tops that feature the new company monogram.
Recently launched is Expressions of Gratitude, an exclusive
award given to one lucky individual nominated for expressing
their gratitude with extraordinary personal style. In the spirit of
giving back, Waves of Gratitude donated $3 from every
purchase of the signature Large Branches of Hope necklace
to The Get In Touch Foundation. The Get In Touch Girls'
Program & Daisy Wheel© teaches girls in grades five thru 12
the importance of, and how to
do a breast self-exam for life
through lectures in open
community settings that
facilitate comfort and
discussion. If this isn't enough,
the company declared 2010
the Year of Gratitude,
launching their new blog,
Inspired Thoughts, with 365
days of uninterrupted blogging
about – what else? –
gratitude.
Introducing M&M Headwear,
Waves of Gratitude
unique hats and headbands
for toddlers and infants as well as an exclusive line of
headbands for tweens, teens and young adults.
MandMHeadwear.com.
Director Nick Cannon teams with Simon & Schuster
Children's Publishing Division to produce a new multimedia
book series to coincide with his TV movie, School Gyrls,
which follows the adventures of three girls at an exclusive, allgirls boarding school. Imprint Simon Spotlight launches a
movie novelization and a movie tie-in scrapbook. Aladdin
Books, another imprint, is publishing six original novels based
on the three members of the real teen music group, who also
star in the movie. The group goes out on a 10-week nationwide
tour this spring 2010 to coincide with the release of their debut
album by Island Records. A second movie is also being
planned, as well as a possible TV series.
American Girl encourages
kids to get outside to play and
interact with nature with the
introduction of Lanie, the
2010 Girl of the Year.
Available for one year, the 18inch doll that is debuting with a
range of accessories and two
books, Lanie and Lanie's Real
Adventures, both written by
Jane Kurtz. American Girl
also launches a partnership
with the National Wildlife
Federation (NWF) and its Be
Out There campaign, Lanie's Backyard Photo contest and free
classroom curriculum materials. AmericanGirl.com/girloftheyear.
LG Electronics MobileComm USA expands its teen and
parent-targeted program, LG Text Education, which
addresses the issues of safe and responsible mobile phone
use. The program takes on issues such as tween/teen s*xting,
managing kid's phone use and underlining the importance of
self-esteem in an ever growing wireless world, as well as the
potentially harmful/hurtful cell phone behavior and concerns of
parents and kids. The LG Advisory Council for Parents
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FEBRUARY 2010
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includes tween/teen experts creating monthly online content to
help parents identify problematic behavior and implement
solutions. The Texting and Driving Simulator (Don't Text &
Drive) shows the dangers of what happens if you do. The
simulator lets users will drive along a virtual highway where
they'll be evaluated on how safely they drive without and with
texting. The Give it a Ponder program for Teens is a
multimedia viral campaign targeted to teens and encourages
them to think before texting and consider the real
consequences of their actions, particularly texts with
inappropriate and/or hurtful content.
PricewaterhouseCoopers' consumer research on the youth
market has found that today's teens want and expect the
ability to connect with others and access the most current
content whenever and wherever they want. As such, the
Internet and mobile devices and products hold enormous
sway over their purchasing decisions, particularly for media,
content and technology, influencing everything from the
gadgets they buy to the content they download. In the U.S.
alone, teens wield more than $176 billion in spending power
through their own purchases and their significant influence
over the spending decisions of friends and family, according to
the 2009 Global Teen Edition of the TRU Study. Deborah
Bothun, principal in the Advisory practice in the Los Angeles
office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, says that by appealing to
teens' desires to be mobile and remain connected, marketers
can tap into a powerful demographic. She says reaching
today's youth can be challenging -- but it's not impossible.
"Talk their talk. Know what they know. Understand what
pushes their buttons. And embrace the fast-paced, electronic,
mobile environment preferred by this new consumer
generation to achieve notable results," she says.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products inks a new licensing deal
for Tweety products in EMEA and Asia Pacific. Triumph is
creating an exclusive new line of casual home wear apparel
for young women's brand Miss Triumph, including shorts, tshirts and Capri pants, available beginning spring/summer
2010.
GirlMogul.com, a
tween girl targeted
online magazine and
blog, launches a free
book club featuring
books specifically
selected for their tween
girl strength themes.
The Girl Power Book
Club offers reading
guides, author related
items, interactive chats and prices. Hosted by the sites four
characters, Rose, Daisy, Poppy and Lily, a new book is
chosen each month.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) releases its new
booklet Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being
Online, designed as a guide to help parents as they educate
their kids about navigating the internet.
Reggie Bradford is founder
and CEO of Vitrue, a
company that provides Fortune
1,000 brands a comprehensive
social media marketing
approach. Here's what he says
about why fashion brands
need social media: Teens create their identities by defining
and redefining who they are - a constant creative and
collaborative process by seeking friends' input and, ultimately,
their endorsements. Fashion is one of the key outlets teens
have for self expression as well as assimilation. Marketers
need to consider a new marketing channel like social media
as a legitimate messaging opportunity, leveraging the fact that
their "fans" have opted in to hear from the brands they love
and associate with. If approached strategically, social media
should be anchored to meet goals and answer business
objectives, from driving acquisition, to incenting trial, to
redeeming offers, to building loyalty and awareness and,
ultimately, market share. Marketers need to treat social media
as a true marketing medium with traditional thinking of
segmentation and dayparting. They also need tools to know
what is resonating with their existing fan base and what is
driving viral growth most.
Everyone's
"Favorite"
T-shirt!
Available in
Tween and
Junior Sizes
(310) 393-5377
WWW.HUDSONSCR.COM
www.jktees.com
FEBRUARY 2010
23
industry news
Video: Powerful Business Marketing Tool
What's the fastest way to capture
customer attention? Video.
What's a new powerful tool to arm
your sales team with to help
differentiate you from your
competitors? Video.
What can you do to reduce turnover,
instill fun and increase loyalty of your
workers? Video.
Every day, companies are upgrading
marketing campaigns by incorporating
video to show their unique culture, fun
manufacturing processes, ways to
serve the customer, testimonials,
examples of success stories or to
promote an upcoming event. And by
using your own employees in the
videos, they'll share the videos and
send links to everybody they know,
driving future sales and reducing
turnover.
Through the power of video, you can
stay in your customers' minds. This
gives your sales team time to ask
more questions, retain the customer's
attention and generate more sales.
You will be seen as cutting-edge, fun,
innovative, and personable because
of your willingness to put faces behind
what you build or serve.
Here are some key reasons to create
corporate video to market your
company:
The cost to produce a fiveminute video is comparable to print
costs for brochures and other
company literature. Plus video
could be longer lasting.
Video testimonials from your
customers build credibility and
retain customers.
Boost employee morale and
reduce turnover by creating a work
team of "company celebrities."
Create a unique calling card for
the sales team to deliver and share
your message.
Professional services providers
show a professional and confident
presence and command of the
subject matter.
Value-added features of your
product or service can be shown
fast and effectively.
You can track views.
Educate - video is worth a million
words when showing how to use,
assembleor fix something.
Tangible - make DVD copies to
distribute on sales calls, direct mail,
parties, events, trade shows.
Source: Russ Riendeau, Ph.D. is an
executive search professional and frequent
speaker on talent management and sales
strategies. EastwingSearchGroup.com.
Adrian Dinu is a co-founder of Post Meridian
Productions, a video/audio company in
Schaumburg, IL, specializing in corporate
videos. PostMeridian.tv. HCR
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