Editor's notes
Jane Kitchen, Editor -- Kids Today, 3/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
Whenever I ask retailers what they're looking for at a trade show, the answer I inevitably get is "something new and exciting." Sure, everybody wants to be the first to carry the next hottest product — the thing that sends consumers scrambling into your store. And manufacturers all want to be the ones to produce it. But do we always recognize what that product is?
When I think back to the JPMA show several years ago when Bugaboo made its U.S. debut, I remember the chatter in the halls. "Yeah, it's really cool," everyone said, "but it's a hefty price tag — will it sell?"
Today, we of course all know the answer to that question, as Bugaboo has revolutionized the stroller business. But it takes a company like Bugaboo to get out there and do things differently. In an industry where designs are copied faster than they're put out, it's important to have a healthy dose of companies out there who will shake things up.
Our cover story this month takes a look at Miami-based Genius Jones (see page 20), a leader in the world of high-design children's products, and one of the first U.S. retailers to carry lines like Bugaboo and Netto Collection. Owners Daniel Kron and Geane Brito didn't look to others in the juvenile industry for their business model — they saw a niche waiting to be filled, and they filled it. Today, they've just opened a second store and are growing by leaps and bounds.
In our Up Close section, (see page 26), we take a closer look at carseats, including the revolutionary new Orbit model that's brought high-design to the most practical of baby items. Although the No. 1 priority in buying a carseat is making sure baby is safe, manufacturers have started to realize that there's no reason a carseat can't be safe and fashionable.
And in a special report on page 24, we look at the latest trends in juvenile mattresses, and what manufacturers are doing to educate consumers, as well as bring a sense of emotion into the decision-making process.
This, I believe, is a challenge across all fields in the juvenile products industry; it is a key component to how moms shop these days. While safety, value and quality all still rank high in what moms look for, there is another underlying component, one that's less tangible. It's an emotional connection that makes her choose one product over another, or a feeling she gets when she walks in a store that makes her want to take a piece of that store home with her.
There are niches still left to be filled in this marketplace, both for manufacturers and retailers. Let's see who shakes things up next.
We would love your feedback!
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