Arts and crafts supplies not just for Back-to-School - Brief Article

DSN Retailing Today, April 2, 2001 by Jennifer Libbin

Few times in the history of children's stationery products has there been as much excitement as there is with today's emerging product lines. In this growing category--once hampered by its strong reliance on Back-to-School--new concepts from new manufacturers in areas such as markers, crayons, glues and learning aids are rekindling the innovative spirit and ratcheting up competition.

While Crayola has long dominated the children's products category, many other companies insist on getting a share of the shelf space as well. Smaller companies such as P&M, maker of Blopens, along with larger companies such as RoseArt and Elmer's, are going head-to-head with Crayola to make consumers aware of the various products they have to offer.

While students need new supplies at the beginning of each school year and replacements throughout the year, children also desired supplies for everyday projects at home. Crayola has launched a product line geared toward specific holidays to emphasize this year-round desire. The line, aimed at encouraging sales for Easter baskets as well as Halloween treats, will launch early in the fourth quarter this year. According to Stacy Gabrielle, spokeswoman for Crayola products, "Part of our business strategy is to sell beyond the Back-to-School season, even though it is our biggest selling season."

Innovations are also taking place, and Crayola is right on top of these new ideas. It's no news that Crayola's Color Wonder line is a hit with kids and parents alike. Color Wonder, according to the company, is a unique ink developed to show only on special paper to help prevent children from accidentally coloring walls, clothes and skin. A coloring book or pad of the special paper, along with six markers, retails for $6.99. Refill notepads cost around $3. The Color Wonder products also come in various kits. In addition to the traditional items, Crayola also has out a deck of laminated playing cards that children can color. The cards, along with four crayons, retail for $2.99.

But Crayola isn't the only company developing new products to make parents lives a little easier. P&M introduced Blopens a while back. Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target, as well as the office supply stores, carry these devices that children can color with by blowing into. Most recently, P&M's Color Workshop has introduced its new Kaps Off markers. Alicia Sheerin, spokeswoman for P&M, said the secret to P&M's success is in its virtually indestructible product line. The company maintains that its Kaps Off markers will remain in useable condition for 60 days. A ten-pack of Kaps Off retails for around $2.

To keep up with everyone else, Elmer's introduced a new line of children's arts and crafts products. According to Mitchell Kon, vp of marketing for Elmer's, "We've spent the last 50 years building on our reputation as the maker of America's most trusted adhesive products. Now, we're building on this tradition by expanding our palette of products to include a variety of items to spark creativity and imagination."

The new lineup includes improved-upon 3-D washable paint pens along with metallic and scented paint pens. The metallic and scented paint pens retail for $2.99 and include five different colors in each pack.

Crayons, markers and paints aren't the only things happening in children's stationery. American Greetings and RoseArt both have a selection of learning aids. RoseArt, best known for its competition against Crayola, has a line of flash cards and learning puzzles all at affordable prices.

American Greetings' wholly-owned subsidiary Learning Horizons has partnered with Parents Magazine to create educational activity workbooks, scheduled to launch this July. According to an American Greetings spokeswoman, the line will consist of workbooks, family game cards and related products focusing on math, phonics, letters and sounds, numbers and counting, and reading. In addition, Learning Horizons has increased its Know-It-Alls book line with an early science series.

Though coloring and art products take up most room on the shelves, stores such as OfficeMax and Staples offer a larger selection of learning aids than Target, Wal-Mart and Kmart.

In an Orlando-area OfficeMax, a 32-ft. row was dedicated to children's products. The presentation consisted of two angled shelves at the bottom of the gondola for larger kits. Stickers, flashcards, puzzle maps and alphabet kits were pegged on the aisle along with the markers, colored pencils and glues. No promotional displays were placed in the store, though children's products were placed across from drafting supplies and an 8-ft. section of art supplies.

A Big Kmart store in Brandon, Fla., displayed eight feet of markers, colored pencils and paints in the 20-ft. row. A selection of various glues and scissors took up another four feet, while the remaining eight feet were left for a selection of Crayola and RoseArt dry-erase products and Color Wonder, along with Lisa Frank and Pokemon products and poster board and construction paper.