Kids' arts and crafts on the grow

Drug Store News, Nov 17, 1997 by Alene Symons

Kids' arts and crafts is brighter than ever, say many drug chain buyers. "This segment is growing without question. We're seeing a larger population of young kids entering school than in previous years and creating a great opportunity," said Walgreens' spokesperson Yvette Anne Venable.

At long Drug Stores, most of the art supplies set is dedicated to children's product, and that's where the category's growth is coming from. Category manager Mike Deimling noted, "You get a nice bump in children's art supplies at Easter."

This segment (which is not directly scan tracked, although the School and Home Office Products Association/ACNielsen does track the larger category of arts and crafts) is blossoming with new products and ways for kids to express themselves.

What's more, the kids' craft/activity segment offers learning enhancement for kids with an increasing number of products targeted to parents and grandparents who want their kids to be smart and creative, not just television junkies or computer zombies.

Steven Jacober, SHOPA's president, agrees: "Art supplies and crafts continue to grow. This ties into the baby boomer generation, the way they are raising their children and making everything a learning experience. Schoolwork is not just related to the classroom--everything becomes an opportunity to learn and to learn in a fun way. We continue to see home schooling as a trend, so there are a lot of different factors, and the demographics support continuing growth of the marketplace."

Not just crayons and construction paper

As Cathy Moore, marketing manager of the consumer products division for Binney & Smith, manufacturer of Crayola, pointed out, another growth driver is novelty: "Kids are looking for variety and things such as special effect," she said.

Sometimes this means a new twist on old favorites. An example is the new Lisa Frank Finger Painting set, which comes with wearable finger tips for kids to use as paint tools (SRP $9.99). Also new is the Lisa Frank Paint Kix, which comes with tools for painting different kinds of shapes using a splatter-screen technique (SRP $9.79).

New products from Binney & Smith include Crayola Pearl Brites (to use on dark paper), Crayola Kids First Washable Markers for kids under age four and, for slightly older kids, there are new items such as Crayola Project Paints, Crayola No Mess Sponge Painting and Paint-by-Number for ages 7 and up.

A different angle is the Pentech Color Club line, which includes themed marker/activity sets (dinosaurs, endangered species, endangered seas) and the Color Club Washable Marker and Jewel Set, which comes with stick-on jewels. Like its name implies, Pentech really does have a color club. Kids (or their parents) can join using an in-pack form (for three proofs of purchase and $2.95) to get a kit with art supplies and a subscription to the club newsletter.

When it comes to growing a kids' arts and crafts department, here's how one chain is handling it:

Buyer Randy Seney at Lewis Drug expanded the kids' arts and crafts category in recent months. Before that, Lewis carried just basics--sketch pads, markers, glue and crayons--in a 6-foot set that included construction paper and poster board. This was expanded to include another 8 feet, although the total varies by store. Crafts are targeted to a younger family with kids 14 years of age and under. Seney brought in more items, including art rollers and sponges. He brought in crafts for kids from Lisa Frank and Rose Art, including bead, sand-art and glitter-art kits priced less than $12.

Make learning fun

Moore of Binney & Smith noted that since children achieve fine motor skill development as they get older, age-grading different art kits helps assure that the child has a successful experience.

Age-grading is also important in the increasing number of new educational craft or activity kits coming on the market for kids.

Manco recently announced a new line of Kids-Craft Clean Erase Activities (SRP $4.99). Marketed toward children ages 3 years old to 8 years old, the Clean Erase line includes reusable (damp-wipe erasable) products featuring different educational themes to build learning skills. Each packet offers multiple, open-ended activities and is color-coded by age and skill level.

Learning Horizons also color codes its products by age. This subsidiary of American Greetings, which made its debut at the SHOPA show last year, is an extensive educational product line for kids from preschool through sixth grade, now sold in 1,200 stores around the country. It offers workbooks and other products including science kits, flash cards, hands-on math kits, posters, audio cassettes and puzzles.

At this year's SHOPA show, Learning Horizons will introduce new display options including end-caps, power wings and super trays (seamed corrugated shippers for outpost or inline display) for back-to-school and Christmas. Learning Horizons will also introduce a line of laminated posters, which kids can write on and then wipe off. Learning Horizons also offers six science kits priced under $10, such as Prehistoric Dig (where a child can create a fossil and uncover it), Protector Planet (on the theme of recycling) or Spy on Science (detective work, such as fingerprinting and identification). Each science kit has six related experimental activities.