Show Biz: ABC Kids Expo expands
By Karyn M. Peterson -- Gifts and Dec, 10/1/2007 2:07:00 PM
(A shorter version of this story appeared in the Oct 2007 issue of Playthings magazine.)
After the string of recalls this summer that has continued to rattle consumers, the safety of toys and children’s products was definitely on everyone’s mind—and lips—at the All Baby & Child Expo (ABC Kids), held Sept. 7-10 at the Las Vegas convention center. Manufacturers were also buzzing about the seeming lack of foot traffic at times, and expressed concerns that the show’s record 750,000 square feet of exhibition space this year, a jump of about 31 percent over last year, might have made the experience a bit overwhelming for buyers.
Although this year’s ABC Kids Expo was the largest show ever in its four-year history—with 12,857 total attendees, a record 1,012 exhibitors in 3,035 booth locations and nearly 5,100 buyers representing over 2,100 stores—the expansive, bi-level halls did seem a bit quiet, attendees told Playthings. Yet their enthusiasm for the industry remained undaunted, with some suggesting that the situation was quite unusual this year, and only because of big changes to the trade show arena.
This year’s other industry trade show, sponsored by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) in April, was the organization’s last annual show, following an agreement this February that, beginning in 2008, the industry would produce just one combined show, known as ABC Kids Expo. Previously, the Expo had been known as the show for specialty buyers, while mass-market retailers and manufacturers typically focused their efforts on JPMA.
In light of this, show organizers this year kept the first two days of the Expo open exclusively to independently-owned specialty stores, with buyers for larger chains and mass-market retailers prevented from entering the show floor until Sunday. That may have been a contributing factor in the show’s subdued start this year, attendees said. Also, new exhibitors included both larger and smaller manufacturers alike, who had come to preview what next year’s event might be like.
Safety first
For Streetsboro, Ohio-based Step2, “Our biggest concern right now is our consumers, and answering any questions or concerns they may have,” Dotti Foltz, marketing communications manager, told Playthings about the climate in the industry following the recent recalls. The company, which is the largest rotational plastics molder in the country, creates a large percentage of its products in the U.S., and is extremely careful to test those toys (such as its new Mainstreet Village line of playsets) which it out-sources from China. “That’s our biggest push, checking again and again, before, during and after on those items we source,” Foltz said.
The company is proud to be a major U.S. toy producer “and always has been,” added Bill McCallum, vice president of sales and marketing. “The main advantages are our people are very passionate about what they do.” Since the recent recalls began, the company has seen a 300 percent increase in Google searches for U.S.-made toys, and McCallum’s first order of the day at the show was from Sears Canada. “They had shelf space they wanted to fill,” he said. And what new product was generating the most excitement at the show? A prototype of new firefighter-themed bed, set to debut in fall 2008; McCallum predicts it will follow in the footsteps of the company’s bestselling convertible Stock Car Bed. “That’s our biggest item now,” he said.
At Alpharetta, Ga.-based Kids II, safety was also a watchword, especially for its flagship Bright Starts line at the show, senior brand manager Claudia Blake told Playthings. “We’ve been concerned about it,” she noted of the recent recall situation. “You need to be proactive. We don’t want to have the issues that [other companies] have had, because it’s a nightmare. We hold our vendors to high standards. Nothing that’s teethable has phthalates, for example. Our swings all have five-point harnesses. We’re very careful how we design our products.”
Bright Starts is being re-launched this year with a focus on consumer advertising and rebranding, Blake noted, adding, “We are getting into bigger categories and larger platforms. Reinvention is the focus.” Top and new products on dis-play were the company’s Around We Go Activity Station, which has just been redesigned, as well as the Bounce Bounce Baby Activity Zone and the Baby’s PlayPlace soft activity gym. In addition, the company revealed a new rocking infant seat, set to debut by April 2008, that’s the perfect height for moms to use while sitting down.
Kids II also handles licensing for Bobby products as well as the Baby Einstein brand; especially for the latter, the company is committed to “keeping it authentic as it relates to a toy” in all future products, Blake said. Also on the horizon for the company is a possible line of fashionable, sophisticated high-end baby products for the specialty market, Blake said.
At North Hills, Calif.-based Munchkin’s booth, baby and mommy gear spanned all categories from pacifiers to bath toys, and safety is paramount, vice president of marketing Doug Gillespie told Playthings. “We are very much in the teether business, and there’s been a surge of interest, with consumers calling to ask,” he said. “But we use PVC and no phthalates. Gillespie was excited to show off the company’s latest license, DC Super Friends, for which it is producing sippy cups and other products. “It’s just the tip of the iceberg for us with toys,” he said. The company was also showcasing an expanded line of bath toys, which are among its top sellers, Gillespie said. “We have a huge presence in bath, and a lot of it is being refreshed. We’ve spent time building up that brand.” The company will also be expanding into the preschool realm.
Over at Oak Brook, Ill.-based RC2/Learning Curve, the company was also sensitive to recall concerns—following its announcement in June that it was voluntarily recalling 1.5 million Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys because surface paints on the recalled products contain lead. However, those issues had little to no negative impact on buyers at the show, spokesman Andrew Sroufe told Playthings. At this point, “Nothing is getting by without getting double and triple checked” and the company’s retail consumers are aware of that, he said.
Expansive selection
RC2/Learning Curve was at the show to showcase its various baby and toddler brands, including Lamaze, First Years, Thomas the Tank Engine and its new Play Town line, which at retail has “been doing really well, especially the pirate ship,” Sroufe said. The extensive line includes a non-branded series of toddler playsets as well as some Nickelodeon licensed characters, and, in the fourth quarter, Winnie the Pooh licensed products will debut, Sroufe said. The company also had a large display of strollers, baby carriers, car seats and other gear available for buyers due to its recent acquisition of the Compass brand. “It was the one gap missing in making [Learning Curve] a one-stop brand for ages 0 to 6,” Sroufe said.
Lancaster, Pa.-based Chicco USA had a massive booth of toys as well as its strollers, walkers, and other gear on display. The focus of its toy selection was the introduction of the new Chicco Smart Colors line, which incorporates bright contemporary design and happy-faced animal characters into interactive toys for babies and toddlers, such as the soft Sleep ‘N’ Play Musical Puppy for newborns and the Sing With Me electronic books, available in Puppy or Kitty versions for ages 6 months and up. For ages 9 months and up, the Fun & Music Bag and the Adventure Backpack offer toddlers mini activity centers ideal for mimicking mom and dad. And the bilingual Talking Garden Activity Table for kids 12 months and up, which will be available early next year, teaches nursery rhymes, letters and numbers in both English and Spanish. Chicco also debuted The Rodeo, its latest (and pony-shaped) ride-on for kids 18 months and up.
For East Aurora, N.Y.-based Fisher-Price, most of its new infant products were initially revealed at JPMA, including its new bouncers and the Friendly Firsts line from Europe, now coming to the U.S. The company’s Rainforest line remains the most popular theme in all its gear, both new and old, Juliette Reashor, senior manager of public relations, told Playthings, noting that the Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym in the Rainforest theme “is at the highest price point yet it is selling the best” of all the company’s gyms. In fact, the theme is so popular that it is being licensed for baby bedding, apparel and footwear, Reashor said. Fisher-Price was also excited to display a new themed baby gear collection designed to debut at specialty stores next spring, although details are being kept under wraps for another few months, Reashor noted.
Garden Grove, Calif.-based Tiny Love showcased its new soft developmental toys, including its new ActiviTot Tropic Isle (a baby gym for up to 12 months), the Symphony Light & Motion Mobile, Follow-Me Fred (a crawling companion for 6 months and up) and a new Touch & Discover Book (a soft interactive book for 6 to 18 months), all at available at retail now. Items debuting in the coming months include a new lion-shaped crawling toy and the Tiny Choo-Choo Train, company spokesperson Erica Barnett told Playthings. “And we’ll have over a dozen new toys at Toy Fair,” she added. “You’ll be very surprised!”
Eyes on specialty
Although manufacturers who supply mass-market retailers took up quite a bit of floor space in both halls at the show, hundreds of tinier companies were also on hand with their newest specialty items. St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Wee Gallery, creator of contemporary baby flash cards, wall graphics, mobiles and other art products, showcased its new art canvases in Savannah, Undersea, Farmyard, Garden and Jungle themes, while Lake Barrington, Ill.-based Aeromax Toys, maker of the Get Real Gear line of costumes as well as fantasy dress-up clothes and accessories, offered up new princess dresses and matching hats in pink, purple and white versions. Shreveport, La.-based Little Partners, inventors of the Learning Tower, introduced three new versions (Rich Ebony, Soft White, Dark Cherry) as well as a new Playhouse kit, which turns the tower into a puppet theater, doll house, lemonade stand, or drive-thru.
Chicago-based Little Laureate was at the show to re-launch its unique of developmental DVDs for babies that features famous works of art and classical music, while Torrance, Calif.-based Cloud B, makers of the popular Twilight Turtle soft nightlight, debuted its new Cuddle Cub (pictured), a soft bear who thumps with a human heartbeat, plus an on-the-go version of its Sleep Sheep soother. “We’re opting to stay in the soothing-the-senses area, everything that revolves around sleep” president Nader Hamda told Playthings, noting that the company will not be producing toys that stimulate or excite kids. However, partnerships with zoos, museums and parks to put its soft sound technology into animal plush or other toys, “or lullabies, perhaps” was definitely on the horizon. “We’ve set the bar for ourselves. We’re about quality, not quantity,” he said.
For Grand Haven, Mich.-based, School Zone, the show was a chance to show specialty buyers its new learning products designed especially for babies, a new direction for the company best known for its learning workbooks and flashcards for older kids that typically sell well at mass-market retailers. Its new Clever Baby Cards (6 months and up) are a set of fun-to-touch textured cards that improve upon (and deconstruct) the concept of a board book, making it easier for baby to pick up and discover each “page.” A new series of Infant Mirror Cards and a magnetic Peek-A-Boo Bunny Game (9 months and up) work on the same concept, while Preschool Peg Puzzles (3 and up) bring additional 3-D fun to kids. All of the new baby products contain parent guides.
“Every retailer counts for us,” CEO Jonathan Hoffman told Playthings. “And I’m the first to admit that we’ve been mass-centric.” That’s something the company hopes to change with its new lines (pictured right) and continued expansion in the consumer/gift arena, managing director Barbara Peacock confirmed. “We are going into the developmental ages,” she noted. “Baby School Zone will bridge the gap.” Up next in this vein for will be new licensed products from the United Kingdom. Products featuring new characters Bamboo (panda), Velvet (zebra) and Beak (puffin), based on a popular line of books by Felicia Law and Nicola Evans, will hit retail next year. “We’ll take it 3-D, with software, DVDs, workbooks and our preschool line,” Hoffman said.
Toronto-based Comfy, creator of the Easy PC Learning System, is also focused on specialty, according to vice president Gali Bar-Ziv. Comfy set out to captivate all young passers-by at the show (and succeeded) by setting up its system within its car-shaped demo unit, a popular point-of-service option for its specialty retailers. Up next for the company is a brand new hardware product debuting early next year, the Easy Call Learning System, a PC-phone system (bundled with software) that lets toddlers interact with on-screen characters by talking into the receiver.
KidsGive, makers of the international Karito Kids line of dolls (pictured) and books—of which a percentage of the sales price is donated to Plan USA, a worldwide children’s charity— that debuted this year and have just begun to hit retail, also drew fans at the show. “We’ve had reorders already,” CEO and president Laura Rangel told Playthings, with the company having to focus on filling orders for those stores who had purchased the initial run of dolls and who are core customers, and then filling orders this fall for new customers. The dolls have been popular not just with toy stores, but also kids’ boutiques and baby stores, where they are an ideal gift for a sister getting a new baby in the family, Rangel noted. The company was also at the show to debut a new line of outfits for the original dolls; of which 3 percent of sales will also be donated.
The company was also excited to announce that it will be partnering with Smashing Ideas, a Flash design firm that works with such clients as Disney, to design talking avatars for the online versions of the doll characters. The company hopes to greatly expand its online presence, Rangel said. Plan is also helping the company put together options online for kids to sponsor kids in other countries, even collaborating as a group. And on the safety side, Rangel noted, “Our manufacturer does everything in house. We work with a testing house in Switzerland that’s ASTM approved, taking samples of our line to ensure they are phthalate free.”
For Skaneateles, N.Y.-based HABA USA, the company is committed exclusively to independent specialty stores,” vice president of sales and marketing Lea Culliton (pictured in tent) told Playthings. “We’re too young of a company in the U.S. to make that jump. It would be too greedy!” Business has been especially booming since the recalls, the most recent of which occurred while HABA was attending another show, Culliton said. She noted that buyers like that the company’s wooden toys are crafted in Germany and decorated with water-based stains that allows the wood grain to show through the pigment. Specialty buyers—including new customers that are looking to fill their shelves with product—have been stocking up by the hundreds, she said. ABC Kids is “a big show for us,” Culliton said. “It’s becoming as big for us as Toy Fair. We have gift reps and toy reps, but no one is calling on the juvenile market. They don’t see us if we’re not here!”
Next year’s combined ABC Kids Expo will also take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Sept. 7-11, 2008); notably, show organizers have extended the show to five days from the usual four, and moved it to the middle of the week, when it previously straddled the weekend. Show organizers have also announced that advanced booth sales for the show, as of Sept. 21, 2007, are already at 83 percent of the venue’s total capacity.
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