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Minorities equal major biz

Diverse clientele prompts both mass and specialty retailers to tailor their product selection accordingly

By Lauri Kellachan -- Gifts and Dec, 5/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

The melting pot of American culture is as diverse today as ever, with one in three of the nation's children belonging to a minority group. The immigrant population has shifted substantially into cities and regions across the country from Montgomery, Ala., to Sacramento, Calif. In any language, that translates into significant retail dollars. These are just two trends reported in Kaleidscope Kids, published by PLAYTHINGS, that focuses on the growing diversity in the U.S. kid population.

Minority groups, whose combined buying power eclipsed $1.3 trillion in 2001, is a tremendous merchandising opportunity. But perhaps more importantly, these same retailers are answering the needs of the growing number of Hispanic Americans and immigrants from Asia, Mexico and Latin America who are looking for culturally-specific product in the infant, preschool and toy markets.

Wal-Mart strives to be a "store of the community," says spokeswoman Karen A. Burk, "where the products in each store reflect what the customers in that community are requesting. One of the more popular toy categories that we work closely with our suppliers in developing is ethnic dolls."

In addition, Burk says each store is tweaked based on the feedback from sales associates who are trained to listen to the clientele in their communities.

Doll Corner owner Caroline Whitmire is also impacted by the diverse population near her Greenwood, S.C., store; the area plays home to a Fuji Film facility that employs a large Japanese population. Whitmire caters quite heavily to these families with toys such as Madame Alexander, Corolle and Manhattan Toy Groovy Girl Asian dolls; assorted ethnic dolls from Ashton Drake and African American and Oriental puppets from Folkmanis. For every 10 dolls, she sells one African American and Asian doll, along with Adora dolls with varied skin tones that appeal to the area's Mexican community and children of Indian and Muslim heritages.

There's a conscious effort by Marjorie Riddle of Kids Stuff Ltd. in New Orleans, La., toward ethnicity in toys, with a particular emphasis on Chinese, Japanese and Asian dolls and paper dolls. A spike in parental demands for their children to be bi- and trilingual has Riddle stocking language-speaking dolls and toys, particularly school-taught French and Spanish.

Merchandise with multi-cultural components is an increasing presence at Turtle's Nest in Johnson City, Tenn., a homogenous area where cultural diversity is increasingly apparent, says owner Barbara McVeigh. An influx of infant adoptions from China has altered the store's toy mix, as adoptive parents make specific requests for items their children can relate to—and the parents can learn from.

Local adoption agencies contact Kenneth White, owner of The Toys N' More Store in Clifton Park, N.Y., for help in steering new parents of Asian children toward culturally-specific toys. "As we see customer diversification, we have learned to respond with toys that stay to a close standard with the child's best interest in mind. Helping minority groups is in keeping with the store's "N' More'" philosophy."

Puppet Partners' selection of puppets with varied skin tones are a personal favorite for White. He says that, while realizing the cost factor on the manufacturing side may skew higher to alter a doll or puppet's facial features, he would like to see more quality pieces available for varied ethnic groups.

"Public awareness has been steadily building over the past few years even in the preschools that address multi-cultural requirements," says McVeigh of Turtle's Nest. "Teachers buy floor puzzles, dolls, posters and games that meet guidelines in the core curriculum and for hands-on play."

JaZams in Princeton, N.J., is located in a multi-cultural hotspot where 55 native languages are spoken, says store owner Joanne Farrugia. However, the store gives equal billling to product and no real sales are dictated by ethnicity.

"When it comes down to it, a kid is a kid is a kid," she says. "The child of a different background has the same wants and needs as his peers. A parental purchase may be based more on the cultural or ethnic aspects, but a kid spending his own money still wants the Game Boy Advance."

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