Editor's notes
Jane Kitchen, Editor -- Kids Today, 5/1/2005 12:00:00 AM
We've got an enormous issue this month, packed chock-full of new products from both last month's High Point furniture market and this month's Juvenile Products Manufacturers Assn. show. These two important shows cover a wide range of products in our industry, from infant gear and feeding products to youth bunk beds and accessories.
Everyone seems to be waiting to see what the JPMA's move to Orlando will bring, and we'll soon find out. Both exhibitor and retailer attendance seems to be up, with some of the wood manufacturers returning again, and many East Coast stores finding the trip to Florida a bit easier to manage. The move to Mickey's hometown may be exactly what JPMA needs.
Yvette and Larry Muller, on our cover this month, may look familiar to some of you. It was exactly three years ago, in May 2002, that the Mullers first graced our cover and former editor Sheila Long O'Mara shared their story of growth with you. Yvette grew the business from an at-home gig selling Jenny Lind cribs to a three-store Houston operation.
This is the first time we have featured a retailer on the cover more than once, and the Mullers are deserving of additional coverage. In the past three years, their business has grown and changed dramatically, with a name change and a new 22,000-square-foot store, and we wanted to share that story with you.
At a time when many independent specialty stores are having trouble with competition from big-box specialists, mainline furniture stores, the Internet and lifestyle specialty stores, Baby and Kids 1st Furniture is growing by leaps and bounds. Read on pages 36 – 38 to find out how much they've accomplished in the past three years.
We'll look at additional independent specialty stores that are thriving in today's competitive marketplace at our fifth annual Kids Today Conference next month. The idea is to bring some of these conversations live to you, so you can ask questions, learn more about successful business practices and take home a few new ideas yourself.
We'll also honor our Retail Merchandising Award winner at the conference; Kids Today has just narrowed down our pool of entries to the top five finalists — retailers who come from different segments of the juvenile industry, and each of whom has contributed to making this industry what it is today. Check out the complete story on page 30 for a list of the finalists. We won't announce the winner until Thursday night's banquet dinner, so be sure to be in attendance to share in the excitement. And if you do business with any of the finalists, be sure to offer them your congratulations — each and every one of them is an individual worthy of recognition and praise.
We would love your feedback!
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