Editor's notes
Lisa Casinger, Editor -- Kids Today, 10/1/2006
Last month I wrote an editorial about the attendance policy at the ABC Kids Expo and it sparked a discussion on whether the show should remain exclusive to independent retailers. I received emails and comments on my blog on our Web site, www.kidstodayonline.com, and I invite you to share your thoughts there as well. It's my understanding that this isn't the first time the subject has been broached, but it probably is the first time we've written about it in Kids Today.
I was impressed with the fact that the ABC board holds a Town Hall meeting where attendees can voice their concerns and talk about issues. I've been to lots of trade shows and have never seen an organization solicit feedback that way; my hat's off to the board members.
We noticed a few trends at the show, like the emergence of orange on everything from bedding to gear, and of course the move toward more modern, sophisticated looks in infant and youth furniture. See our wrap up on pages 40–51.
We also have previews of High Point Market debuts and will follow that up next month with more coverage of the show. The big news coming out of High Point is the launch of the Build-A-Bear Workshop Home collection from Pulaski, see page 10 for that story.
Pulaski worked with kids to develop the line, much like Creations worked with retailers to develop the collections it rolled out at ABC. I think we may be seeing this more and more from companies as they realize getting input from their customers during product conception may be a better way to go than the 'if you build it they will come' theory.
The Kind + Jugend show in Cologne, Germany, was a huge success this year and we have coverage from that as well. If you want some retail insight on that show, visit my blog where you'll find a link to Magic Beans' Sheri Gurock's blog about her adventures there.
Looking ahead to our last issue of the year, we've got a few special features for you. Our By the Numbers next month is focused on Retail Innovators - those who find better, more creative ways of doing business.
We're also working on a feature focused on philanthropy in the juvenile industry. We'll tell you about retailers, manufacturers and others who are going out of their way to make a difference. If you have a story to share, email me at lcasinger@reedbusiness.com.
