Editor's Letter
Finding Opportunity
In the beginning of May, I attended the ABC Spring Conference and Trade Show in Louisville, KY. The folks at ABC explained to me that they created the show as a venue for specialty retailers to have more face time with manufacturers and to attend business-building seminars without sacrificing time on the show floor. This opportunity, everyone agreed, was invaluable and attendees, myself included, left the show excited and more optimistic than when they arrived.
It’s important, more now than ever before, to create your own opportunities. Juvenile buyers have an unparalleled amount of resources to pull from. Whether it’s sourcing new products at trade shows you’ve never been to (check out our Market Preview on page 10 to plan) or adding new product categories, if you re-examine what you’re doing you will most likely find room to grow.
When I’m attending shows, I’m always amazed how many book, layette and décor manufacturers are in the juvenile market, but aren’t promoting themselves that way. The gift industry is a perfect example. Charming layette caps or friendly plush animals may be categorized as giftware, but they are most certainly for children, and the gift packaging makes the products natural additions to a specialty children’s store. Use the New Product Guide on page 12 to find gift products and other merchandise you might not find at children’s apparel or toy shows.
While researching this issue, I had the opportunity to speak with Jane Seifert for our retailer profile (you can read that on page 17). While we were discussing her store and building a brand, she said something that stayed with me as this issue came to fruition. “Inventory is an investment.” I couldn’t agree more. Investing capital in stocking products, marketing and training staff are the basic building blocks, but investing time and dedication to shopping the shows and sorting through catalogs will ultimately determine your success.
Now is the time to look ahead and take stock, literally. What will you add to your shelves? Baby & Kids is adding it our shelves, so to speak. You’ll notice three new names on the masthead. At the end of May, Barb Wujcik, Stephanie Hunsberger and Ashley Trent joined the editorial staff to lend their expertise to our expanding coverage. Just like you, we want our final product to be the best there is and our new editors will do just that.
Mary Gerlach
Associate Editor
