Safety, ease of use rule at JPMA - Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association

Discount Store News, Nov 8, 1999 by Debbie Howell

DALLAS -- Keeping baby safe and stylish while at the same time making care easier for parents are the factors influencing new juvenile products.

More than 420 companies in the industry showed off their newest products Oct. 23 to 26 at the show sponsored by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA).

This year, the International Juvenile Products Show at the International Apparel Mart in Dallas was run in conjunction with Kidshow '99, a first-time companion show for buyers of children's apparel and gifts.

With an estimated 4 million babies born annually in the United States, the juvenile products industry is booming. Retail sales of juvenile products rose 10% in 1998 to $4.86 billion, according to JPMA.

But with low margins on products such as infant toys, strollers, car seats and safety devices, many manufacturers are trying to move upscale in their products with nontraditional designs such as the Eddie Bauer line from Cosco that includes strollers, car seats and play yards using faux suede.

"I think everyone is gravitating toward launching new products at higher prices," said Paul Berney, vp of marketing for Cosco, a Dorel Company. "For us, it's [about] moving our image upscale. We have been pigeon-holed as a traditionally low-price-point company."

Besides the Eddie Bauer license, which has been expanded since its launch last year, Cosco is also gambling on racing fever with a line of NASCAR licensed strollers and car seats.

While navy blue prints and plaids dominate stroller styles, a deviation from the norm could be found at the show--Combi has tangerine orange and lime-green strollers, while Hauck's newest products under a Disney license are a very colorful collection of strollers tied to the upcoming "Tigger" movie next year. Jungle prints popped up sporadically in bedding, car seats and strollers at other companies.

Another predominant theme of products at the show was multiple uses--getting the most out of a product for the longest period of time. Examples included the Ultimate crib from Stork Craft that converts to a day bed, child's desk and twin-size headboard and Fisher-Price's Swing 'n Meals, a swing that converts to a full-sized high chair and booster seat without any tools. "Parents are really looking for value," said Susan Jelinek, a spokeswoman for Fisher-Price. "Does it do more than one thing?"

Other entries from Fisher-Price included a booster seat that doubles as a storage compartment, a floor gym that plays classical music and later converts to a toddler keyboard, and a nursery monitor that becomes a tracker for a roaming toddler.

Ease of use and parent-help features were also important at the show. Strollers and play yards that set up easily, operate with one hand and have baby-soothing vibrating bases were common. Remote control was also quite popular in products such as crib mobiles and swings, while The First Years touted the industry's first hands-free security gate that operates by a foot pedal.

Safety continues as a top focus in infant products, ranging from the Angelcare infant sound and movement monitor by Safety 1st to a new line of basic child safety products launched by home security product manufacturer MAG Security.

In infant furniture, natural woods and sleigh styles are the biggest sellers. For those choosing something a little more unique, Stork Craft offers a new multi-colored Candy Line crib furniture set of orange, lime green and yellow.

Baby toys have shifted toward more interactivity, incorporating touch, smell, sight and sound. And products to develop a smarter baby, starting from inside the womb, were abundant.

A new line called Embryonics from Munchkin included videos, classical music CDs and learning toys meant to enhance an infant's motor and mental development skills. The line starts with a product called the Womb Song Prenatal Sound System, in which a mother can listen to and record her unborn child's heartbeat, kicks and hiccups. The system also permits the mom and others to talk to the baby and play music through an amplified microphone system. Similar baby-listening or music-playing devices were also launched by Unisar and Tiny Tickers.

While bears, farm animals and licensed cartoon characters dominated toys, colorful bugs, fish and angel bears have risen in popularity. Even aromatherapy has made its way into juvenile products: Baby Boom Consumer Products launched a line of plush infant toys and mobiles called Arominals that have subtle scents, such as vanilla. Priss Prints, which has a wide range of licensed characters in stick-up, removable wall decor, debuted products called Story Stick-Ups that permit children to move characters around in a scene on the wall. Its newest licenses include Pokemon, Jeff Gordon and Hot Wheels.

Winnie the Pooh remains the most successful license in infant bedding and toys, followed closely by Baby Looney Tunes, according to an informal survey of vendors. Up-and-coming licenses at the show included Little Suzy's Zoo, Barney for Baby, Todd Parr, Precious Moments and Wee Witness, among others.