Sleeping toddler bed category wakes up JPMA show - Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association

Discount Store News, Nov 15, 1993

DALLAS -- The major news at this year's Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association show, held here last month, was the continuing explosion of the 2-year-old toddler bed category and the mass merchandise roll-out of Warner Bros. Looney Tunes license. As a whole, the show was the most successful in memory.

From a sleepy display of assorted strollers, car seats and bedding products just a few years ago, the show now consists of hundreds of vendors of everything from toys to electronics to talking spoons--and much more. The show was extremely well-attended by major retailers, with Toys "R" Us, JCPenney, Wal-Mart, Ames, Kmart the new LiL' Things, and literally dozens of others spotted in the various showrooms.

Additionally, there was a huger foreign contingent on hand, with buyers from dozens of countries, including Mexico, Sweden, Argentina, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Brazil. Virtually every showroom was buzzing, although the layout of the Dallas Merchandise Mart is, at best, highly confusing and difficult to cover.

The heart of the market remains the juvenile standbys--strollers, car seats, cribs, bedding, high chairs, and so on. But even in these well-established categories, there were abundant new looks and products. Aesthetically, all of these products are far brighter and more fashionable than in recent years. Bright primaries have supplanted the almost omnipresent pastels of the past half-decade, and new tropical brights and ethnic looks are just as hot.

In new products, Evenflo (among others) showed a high chair that grows (or rather, shrinks) with the child, becoming a youth chair, then a play chair. More important, Evenflo introduced a new product, the Exersaucer, that replaces the walker, which has been involved in several highly publicized stair accidents in recent years. The Exersaucer resembles a walker, but is installed on a rocking saucer that lets the child spin around, rock and bounce, but won't tip over. The child cannot move it around the floor. The product also includes snap-down legs for stability at mealtimes.

Evenflo also introduced and improvement on the standard infant carrier, with an ergonomic handle that lets a parent carry the child to the side without dislocating a shoulder. It also doubles as an infant car seat. Soft carriers have been improved with a stiff head support for the child and construction that allows the child to be inserted first before the parent buckles up. A backpack, Hike n Roll, doubles as a child carrier and a short-range stroller. And the molded plastic Princess Bed (available with canopy) for toddlers appear to be a winner at a modest price point of well under $100.

Playskool featured the Barney and Lambchop licenses, as well as its own Kids of Color line. Products include squeeze bottles, bibs, gift sets, squeeze toys and dolls. A new Barney umbrella stroller features a seat belt fashioned to resemble the dinosaur's hands so that kids can get a "hug" from Barney everytime they go out for a walk.

Playskool also showed a high chair that serves as a newboarn recliner and a toddler chair, featuring a noslip bar to prevent younger babies from slipping under the tray--an idea so simple, one wonders why no one thought of it before.

In toys, the company introduced Firstronics, a line of safe electronic toys (like a baby TV remote) with the batteries locked in, and a line of dishwasher-safe plastic and plush toys.

Safety First, which almost single-handedly invented the child safety accessory business, has expanded its line so extensively that it's difficult to isolate high points. However, a few standouts inlcuded a step stool th at flips open to reveal a child's scalee, a travel feeder cup with a top that includes a spoon, a baby view mirror for the rear windshield of minivans (similar to those used in airport buses), a voice-activated crib lamp, a Suds Pal inflatable hat that exposes the hair for shampoo time, and an extensive line of infant bottles with licensed Perrier, Motts, V8 and Welch's logos.

One of the most interesting new products came from Fun Designs, which showed a line of sandwich bags adorned with Looney Tunes, Barbie and seasonal designs. The company also featured 3-D juice boxes beverage coolers, sport bottles, and Booster seats with flip-up storage compartments.

In media, two major exhibitors were Disney Records and Discovery Records. In addition to its movie soundtracks (including the hit "Aladdin") and the Disney's greatest hits series, Disney has introduced a full line of Sound & Story Theather packages; each contains a pop-up stage, action figures and a full soundtrack of the movie for playalong fun. The company will be expanding its Winnie the Pooh collection as well.

Discovery has concentrated on developing its own artists, particularly Joanie Bartels, who presents traditional and pop songs in a manner that attracts kids without alienating their parent. The company has developed cross-merchandising agreements with Playskool's Rockin' Robot tape player, Playtex (a sampler of music for the very young is included with nursing bras), and Gund, which includes a sampler with its plush animals. Discovery's catalog has generally been available in specialty and gift stores up to now, but the company is moving into the mass market.