Editor's notes
Lisa Casinger, Editor -- Kids Today, 4/1/2007
By now you know this marks the last JPMA show and the industry is moving to one juvenile/youth show starting in 2008. What does this mean for you as a retailer or a manufacturer? We asked members of our Retail Advisory board their opinions, see page 18, and we'd like to hear what you have to say as well. E-mail me or visit our Web site to post comments.
This month we have By the Numbers exclusive research on consumer buying trends for youth/other adult bedroom. About 5.3 million households bought youth or other adult bedroom furniture, spending $5.1 billion on the category in 2006.
Interestingly enough, though 36% of buyers purchased their furniture from a furniture store, the largest ticket sales are at kids' specialty stores where consumers spent a median of $750, compared with a median of $550 at furniture stores.
What does this mean for you? If you're a mainstream furniture store, your challenge is to increase your ticket sales, possibly by adding accessories or higher ticket items. If you're a specialty store, your challenge is bringing more customers in the door, possibly with more targeted advertising or in-store events.
Research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project says that 93% of households with incomes of $75,000 or more are online. Generation X, which represents the largest portion of buyers for youth/other bedroom furniture, certainly are plugged in to the Internet and most likely are a large majority of your target audience.
Wouldn't it make sense to build an online relationship with these shoppers, either with online advertising, an engaging Web site, informative blog or e-mail newsletters?
This year at the 7th annual Kids Today conference, June 20–22, Bonita Springs, Fla., Jacquelyn White, the online marketing manager for our parent company, Reed Business Information, will talk about how to reach customers (retail and wholesale) using the Internet.
Our conference theme is The Power of Change and we have an agenda packed with panels on everything from safety and uncommon retailing to speakers who'll talk about taking your business to the next level, how to market to women and much, much more. You can register online at www.kidstodayonline.com or call Meg Goldsby at (336) 605-1066.
We'll see you in Florida!
