Kmart, Wal-Mart boost decor for the diaper set - Housewares - Brief Article

DSN Retailing Today, Oct 7, 2002 by Mike Duff

Martha Stewart Omnimedia and Kmart have relaunched the Martha Stewart Everyday infant and toddler collection, giving the mass market another initiative in the children's home goods arena. Increasingly, discounters and other retailers in the middle of the market are more thoughtfully coordinating home goods initiatives for children of all ages, from babies to teens.

A trend toward more interest in children's domestics took off a few years ago, originally aimed at a department store segment that was losing ground elsewhere to mass retailers. But mass marketers got in on the business quickly, in part because of an ability to gain trade-up sales based on who was doing the buying. Rather than parents, who tend to be realistic about the outlook for the things they buy for their kids, the purchasers often were grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends who didn't mind spending a few extra bucks for better goods.

The MSE Baby Baby initiative has been characterized as a relaunch in its fourth year of availability because of a top-down revisit. This year, in addition to new designs and products, the line is getting a fresh packaging treatment, said spokeswoman Nicole Dowswell. "The packaging is probably the biggest change," she said. "With the new packaging, it's easier for moms to say, 'Hey, here are accessories,' for instance, so you can coordinate the nursery with all the basics we have."

The Baby Baby assortment also has been expanded on the decor side. While a single lamp was previously available for nursery, Baby Baby now includes two additional lamps, a picture frame, a night light and a set of decorative pillows available in blue, pink and green. All are designed to coordinate with open-stock bedding products. Bedding comes in three themes and five themed crib sets are available. An assortment dubbed Essentials offers such items as a two-pack of fitted crib sheets, waterproof lap and crib pads, crib sheets, and waterproof mattress pads and covers.

Price points in the Baby Baby line run from $3.99 for a three-pack of cotton, waterproof flannel lap pads to $39.99 for a three-piece crib bedding set.

In adding new labels, Target has infused new home goods lines with kid appeal. Todd Oldham's line, which Target promotes as college dormitory fashion, has appeal to older kids with collegiate aspirations. At a Greatland store in College Point, N.Y., the Todd Oldham label enjoyed placement in half of a 24-foot aisle facing towels.

On the opposite end of the domestics section was a dedicated 24-foot aisle of kid's items. Half of the aisle was set with Room Gear private-label products, including quilts, sheet sets, throw rugs and throw pillows. The opposite gondola was half devoted to private-label Chatroom's 200-count bed in a bag. The rest went to licensed products. Price points ranged from $79.99 for Chatroom's full-sized quilts to $3.99 for a licensed goods pillowcase.

Across the racetrack aisle from kids were two facing 20-foot displays of Carter's Baby Tyke items. One was divided about equally between toys and domestics. Product ranged in price from $39.99 for three-piece crib sets to $4.99 for a three-pack of lap pads.

Wal-Mart's approach is somewhat different from its main rivals. Although children's domestics are critical, the company hasn't established the segment as its own department. Rather, it counts on the ingenuity of store managers to keep children's domestics fresh, said spokesman Tom Williams.

"That whole area has been emphasized," Williams said. "We're concentrating on good merchandising, making it easy to find and shop. Our store managers are always into that. The merchandise profile becomes, if you will, a little higher, in part because it is brighter and brightens up the section."

In a new discount store in East Meadow, N.Y., Wal-Mart scatters kids domestics throughout the main assortment, but, as Williams noted, provides high-profile merchandising to signal its presence.

For example, 40 feet of space on the power aisle includes private-label product and a number of items from Springs Industries under the label The Linen Closet. Bright colors, graphics and patterns in everything from pillowcases to comforters provide a little fun. The display also includes "room tattoos," decorative graphics such as more smiley faces and yin & yang symbols. Price points ranged from $7.96 for a set of room tattoos to $59.96 for a Linen Closet twin comforter.

Within domestics, kids-oriented product was placed on a number of endcaps. Coca-Cola-licensed oversized pillows were found on two endcaps, while two endcaps displayed licensed twin-sized comforters featuring Dora the Explorer, Scooby-Doo and Nascar for $29.46.