April 24-36.qxp - Petit Couture

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expand the merchandise offered to include apparel and ... categories of children's wear, it provides a growing list of .
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Northwest Market Association

A new listing in HUDSON'S Calendar, Tacoma, WA-based Northwest Market Association (NMA) hosts a Spring Market and a Fall Market every year in the Portland, OR area. The market attracts exhibitors and buyers from the Pacific Northwest, including Oregon, Washington, northern California, Idaho, Montana and southwest British Columbia. Established over 40 years ago as a goto source for footwear, NMA was known as Pacific Northwest Shoe Travelers before changing the name in 1996 to expand the merchandise offered to include apparel and accessories. Now,

the NMA market also features children's exhibitors. Attendance to the NMA markets is free for retailers and advance registration is appreciated. Non pre-registered attendees need only bring a business card and allow additional time for on-site registration. The NMA market continues to enjoy a fine reputation as being a one-stop shopping experience for retailers and buyers in the Pacific Northwest. Over 950 product lines of footwear, apparel and accessories are represented by over 240 sales representatives at each

market. More than 300 retail stores attend each market, with the Fall 2009 show drawing 340 retail stores. Retailers enjoy meeting with representatives at the market in an atmosphere where the retailer can devote all of their attention to buying without having to multi-task with interruptions at their stores and offices. View the exhibitor specials available to buyers and take a look at the exhibitor ads at NorthwestMarket.org. Once you have attended a market, you are added to the mailing list and receive a preregistration mailer and show directory prior to each market.

According to show producer MMPI, Kidz at Stylemax returns after its successful début in January. As a new show for all categories of children's wear, it provides a growing list of lines, resources and children's brands in one friendly, convenient and concentrated area of Stylemax for buyers in the Midwest. The next show is in August. Check HUDSON'S Calendar for more. KidzAtStylemax.com.

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N Y C Baby & Kids Fair The success of the first ever NYC Baby & Kids Fair at 7 W New York Winter Gift and Home Textiles Market Week kicked off the new year. The two shows attracted an increased attendance of 25 percent. "The launch of our Baby and Kids Fair exceeded all expectations and will be a great addition to this market week going forward," says Chris Collins, vice president and general manager, 7 W New York. Over 50 exhibitors unveiled their diverse and unique offerings to a steady flow of show-goers. "When CSN heard about the new Baby and Kids Fair, they booked my ticket right away," says Jon Ivers, children's buyer for CSN stores. "I saw a lot of new and innovative product at 7 W that I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else." "The intimate setting has made us more accessible to buyers and even other exhibitors who we can network with," says exhibitor Nick Plagge of Creative Baby Inc.

"We were looking for an upscale feel that would attract good business." Adds Rosalie Rodd of Stephan Baby "It's great to get all these new accounts. I've written a lot of orders so far and I just met with a Neiman Marcus buyer." Attendees to the market enjoyed lively and informative Kid's Keynote presentations, including a panel of savvy moms who dished on their favorite products and consumer habits, all right on trend were the ladies' inclinations toward online shopping, green products and baby rooms that aren't too "babyish." 7WNewYork.com. HCR

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up close

Change Sparks Improvement As the song goes, it's a new dawn and a new day, and many children's footwear companies are approaching it with inspired innovation, a very positive outlook on business – and they're feeling fine. "We are up substantially Spring '10 versus Spring '09," says Christer Berg, co-founder and president of Vincent Shoes of Raleigh, NC, the exclusive master distributor and franchiser of the Vincent™ brand of children's shoes in North America, "and I think we'll see continued strong growth throughout the rest of the year and beyond."

interesting leather surfaces." The "Manuel" and "Moritz" styles are examples. Introducing more than 60 new styles for Spring/Summer 2010 is pediped® footwear of Henderson, NV, what the company calls their most exciting collection to date. "We were inspired to solve some of the biggest shoe problems faced by moms," says co-founder Angela Edgeworth. "How do we make shoes that always look new and smell great? How can we make a shoe so incredibly comfortable that kids will never want to take them off?" The answer: machine washable shoes. Select shoes from the pediped® Flex® styles line feature DRYZ® Technology, safe for machine washing, with special insoles that absorb moisture and resist odor development. Select sandals as well as the new ballet flat collection feature Memory Foam Technology™ (MFT), which allows the shoe to mold to a child's foot, creating a custom insole for maximum comfort. In addition, all pediped® shoes are approved by the APMA for the promotion of healthy foot development.

Vincent™

FORWARD-THINKING MARKETING, TOO The Swedish brand, designed by Thomas Elbaum and Patrick Österman in the name of Thomas' nephew (yes, there really is a Vincent), combines what Christer describes as fashion and style with practicality and comfort, all at a reasonable price point. "There are quite a few children's footwear brands that meet one or a couple of those qualities, but I think Vincent™ does a very good job of meeting all of them," he says. Instead of animated character and super hero looks, blinking LEDs and shoes that squeak, Thomas and Patrick design stylish, comfortable shoes that are all about kids. "Our true focus is on the toddler up through the lower elementary school category, where I feel Vincent™ is very strong and with a great offering," Christer says. To keep the brand fresh, Christer says they mix materials, surfaces and features while making sure the shoes wear well. "For the fall season we're introducing some new,

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One visit to pediped.com and you'll see the company employs one of the most effective marketing tools around: video. Angela explains it all – in a good way: "The use of video enables us to easily talk to parents directly and bring the many features and benefits of our shoes alive for them in a visually interesting way. Healthy foot development, comfort, style and our high quality standards are all addressed within our video. Innovative features are included as well such as the pediped® flex fit system which allows parents to extend the life of the shoe and saves them money. Video helps us to greatly personalize the pediped® brand allowing for us to enhance our relationships with our consumers by enabling them to meet, see and hear the people behind the brand." Another very hot marketing tool these days is social media. Debra J. Bishop, president and designer of Mooshu

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for Today's Footwear Trainers of Dallas, TX, responded to a request from one of her customers by creating a Facebook page for fans. "My website is designed as an informational site and for retailers, so Facebook is way for me to keep the general public up to date on news about my line," she says. Of course, fans are not the only people viewing the Mooshu page; Debra's competitors are, too. "I am really careful about what I post on the page, and what I do write about is already in production." For now, Debra takes a wait-and-see attitude. "I spend a lot more time absorbing what other people are doing rather than really participating," she says.

Mooshu Trainers

MANUFACTURING IN THE ERA OF CPSIA COMPLIANCE What Debra has aggressively pursued is compliance with the new CPSIA rules, taking the responsibility into her own hands and applying several testing procedures to her manufacturing process. "I want to be on the safe side of

compliance, so I'm having testing done in China before product is shipped. Then I test samples in the States," she says. "This way, I can back up the testing results from China." CPSIA compliance has influenced Debra's approach to new designs. "My goal is to stay with what I know, with

pediped®

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up close See Kai Run®

what's been continually tested," she says, "so I'm staying with the soles and materials that I'm using and implementing them into my new designs." Which is just fine with her customers. Debra designs shoes that adhere to three core principles: width, thickness and flexibility without compromising style. She points to her bow shoe as a customer favorite, "because any hair bow can be added to the shoe, and that makes it unique." Signature materials for the line are soft pigskin leather on the inside and flexible leather uppers. "I stay with the same Mary Jane style but you can have it four ways," she says. "There are still some shoe companies out there that are trying to squeeze a child's foot into a very stiff, rigid shoe," Debra says, but for the most part, she sees that the children's footwear industry as a whole has finally realized that little kids do not have defined feet. "I think it's taken all this time for the industry to make

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shoes like mine, that making them thicker and wider is the right thing to do." And that's quite a kudo for the five-year-old Mooshu Trainers.

INVALUABLE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK Another business celebrating five years is See Kai Run® of Seattle, WA. The company has grown to offer the See Kai Run® first walker line and the Smaller® soft-soled baby bootie line by honoring their great relationship with loyal customers, bringing them better value, footwear that meets the American Podiatric Medical Association's rigorous standards and the APMA's prestigious Seal of Acceptance. In addition, beginning with the 2010 Spring/Summer Collection, shoes are made with stronger, more durable leather. "We've paid attention to customer feedback and have responded with improvements that will make our

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shoes even better," says founder Cause Haun. "Our customers love our shoes not only for how they look but for the signature butter softness of the leather. We were able to source new leather that maintains the look and feel that our customers are used to and has twice the fiber strength. This makes our shoes longer lasting while looking and feeling great." See Kai Run® is also committed to helping children in need, supporting various charities and creating innovative cause marketing efforts. For instance, the General III is a brown, cream and navy shoe named after a little boy with his great grandfather's name. His mom bid and won the opportunity to name the shoe in an auction where proceeds went to support ill children through music therapy. Today's footwear companies are definitely stepping up to the opportunities of the current ways of doing business with style. -Janet Muniz

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CALIFORNIA MARKET CENTER SUITE A-642 213.688.8377 NOW ACCEPTING

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focal point

Value, Style Drive N I T Market What's life like in the Newborn, Infant and Toddler (NIT) market? Two manufacturers – one, tried-and-true; the other, up-and-coming - discuss the latest market trends and how each company is differentiating itself in the NIT marketplace. New York, NY-based Robar Inc. has "value-driven merchandise that offers a lot for your money," says Kim Power, vice president of sales and merchandising. "People have always wanted value-driven merchandise, but it's been highlighted more since last year's recession." President Peter Dunbar agrees. "Value-driven products are what the consumer is focused on," he says. "Offering sets helps the retailer because it increases sale per square inch."

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Babyworks by Robar Inc. is a diverse collection of multipiece sets that feature various textures and fabrications all within the same set. Peter explains that the reputation Robar's sets have in the children's apparel industry is what put the company top-of-mind with buyers. "We work with different fabrics, so we combine wovens with knits to add value to the mix and match," he says. "Playettes can be a combination of knits, wovens and French terry. The variation of fabrication makes them so interesting." Kim agrees, adding, "For the newborn, customers can get a complete layette: creeper, coverall, hat, blanket and bib – all in one set." Pinks, purples and aquas are popular colors for girls. For boys, spring heralds in fun colors such as blues, browns,

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Robar Inc.

SHIPPING PRODUCT Th a t ' s S a fe r Th a n E v e r B e fo re In August 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) went into effect. Among its many regulations is one of child safety: it involves stringent screening and testing of children's apparel for lead and other potential hazards. Peter Dunbar, president Robar Inc., says, "The Act requires additional testing for phosphates and lead in every facet of the product. It has been costly to us, but we've done what we've needed to do to make sure the product is certified and meets the requirements of the federal government. We're shipping products to the retailer that are safer than ever before."

oranges and bright pops of green. In fall, popular boys' prints are eggplants, navies, charcoals and browns with pops of bright colors. Purple and gray combinations for boys and girls are making a Robar début this fall. Popular fabrications for newborns, infants and toddlers include mesh and tulle and mixed screen prints combined with embroideries. For babies, anything soft is in demand, such as ribs, pointelles, thermals, baby French terry and velour and very soft jerseys. "Customers want everything for babies to be soft and comfortable, but still on trend," Kim says.

"We have high quality-control standards and meet the CPSIA guidelines, which say that embellishments shouldn't contain lead," Rebecca Kaykas-Wolff, founder and president of Petit Couture, says. She adds that the guidelines also require that no safety pins are on hangtags, but ribbons could be used instead. "When manufacturing in the U.S., it is easier to meet these requirements and implement quality control,” she says. Petit Couture in-sources its products. "My customers are socially minded and want to feel good about socially minded business practices," Rebecca says. "I in-source because I want to control quality; I care about how my products are being made and want people making the garments to be treated well. My labor costs are premium, but I'm willing to sacrifice margin to make sure my business is a responsible business." -BLG

CATERING TO MOM 2.0 Rebecca Kaykas-Wolff, founder and president of Portland, OR-based Petit Couture, describes the rich color palette and textures that lend a sophisticated aesthetic to her collection. "We have an interlocked basics line, including blacks, blues and browns," adding that quality details are important. "We use fabric trim, rather than lace with sharper edges. The crystals we use in our buttons are not princess crystals and we screen print leggings to make them look more like leather."

Petit Couture

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focal point

Petit Couture

Rebecca's brand new collection caters to moms who shop at high-end stores. "The modern mom is looking for richer textures and fabrics and a more modern design aesthetic," she says. "It's called 'Mom 2.0' – which refers to highly mobile, highly connected women who are in businesses, as well as highly connected stay-at-home moms." These women are activists, Rebecca adds; when it comes to clothes, they pay attention to detail. "Parents don't want their kids looking like everyone else's kids. For them, fashion is a statement." She recently partnered with Grand Avenue Baby in Los Angeles' California Market Center to launch Petit Couture on the west coast. In Rebecca's experience, major retailers are looking for differentiation to bring new brands to market, and "Petit Couture's sophisticated aesthetic is a new trend." She concurs that people are purchasing more sets than

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separates. "What I'm seeing is an emergence, over the last year or so, of this selling strategy - not only on the apparel side but on the gift side of the market," she says. "Mix and match sets are great gift categories." Many baby brands are moving into the gift category. "Toddler clothing is more fashion-derived, so lines with multiple assortments are created. Clothing for infants is more of a gift item because of the variation of sizing." Petit Couture has a three-week production cycle due to insourcing rather than outsourcing labor to other countries. "What's new this year is that more and more buyers are looking for lines that can provide them with the immediate ability to buy and that's more easily managed by companies that have a fast production cycle," Rebecca says. -written by Beth L. Gainer

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facts & stats

A Consumer's V irtual

Shopper

Consumers depend on search engines more than other resources to help them shop online. It is essential for retailers to understand how consumers in their space shop online, in order to effectively retain and acquire customers. Retailers should understand their particular customer niche and

develop strategies unique to them. 80 million Consumers use shopping comparison sites every month 3 out of 5 Shoppers almost always use search engines when shopping online 20 million Shoppers use sites like Cnet, Bizrate & Yahoo! Shopping 1 out of 10 Apparel shoppers uses a search

What are consumers looking for? Instant Price Comparisons First Hand Consumer Reviews Video Demonstrations Online Shoe Shoppers use sales assistants more than any other shoppers.

engine for their last online purchase. To learn about products, they rely on retailer emails and catalogs. Consumers are more likely to purchase from apparel retailers they have purchased from in the past and are less likely to discover new retailers.

Source: The Compete Online Shopper Intelligence study, ARAnet, February 2010

Young and Highly Educated Consumers are influenced by: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Online information sources Personal advice from friends or family members TV broadcasts Search engines

Out of all Consumers 25 to 34: 50% express a strong preference for Search Engines 39% for Online Articles 32% for Emails from Retailers or Manufacturers 30% for Online Ads 31% for Social Media "The eyes of young people 18 to 34... (as well as)... highly educated Americans are looking online to search engines, online articles, online ads, email offers and social media to a degree that is head and shoulders above the average citizen." -Scott Severson, president of ARAnet

Source: Correlative study regarding information sources by Opinion Research Corporation and sponsored by ARAnet.

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