Earnshaw's

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unanimously voted May 10 to approve publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) in the Federal Register to create a federal safety standard for strollers. The proposal incorporates the existing standard, ASTM F833-13, with one modification: Manufacturers will be required to address entrapment, shearing and pinching hazards associated with folding or foldable strollers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in association with Zulily, Inc., of Seattle, WA, has issued a voluntary recall of about 560 Deezo branded boys and girls zip-up hoodies. The sweatshirts have drawstrings through the hood that pose a strangulation hazard to young children. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The hoodies were sold on www.zulily.com from August 2012 to March 2013. 

New graduates can expect to be gifted with gift cards, apparel and electronics this graduation season. According to the National Retail Federation's latest graduation survey conducted by BIGinsight, families and friends will mark with occasion by spending on average $49 per recipient. Last year, the average gift ringed in at $51. The survey also found that most gift-givers are purchasing items for up to two graduates. Total spending on graduation gifts - mostly for high school and college students - will reach $4.6 billion this year. More than half of gift-givers will give cash.

DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products are partnering with Target for an exclusive summer collection featuring the Justice League. The line is co-created by both the retailer and studio, and its designs center on new comic book series DC Comics-The New 52, which features updated versions of favorite superheroes Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, The Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Superman.

Sony Pictures Consumers Products announced several licensees for the upcoming Smurfs sequel. Licensed products will range from toys, plushes and playsets from Jakks Pacific, a Monopoly game from USAopoly, a plush from the Build-A-Bear Workshop (complete with accessories), stationery and party goods from Trends and books from Bendon Publishing and Simon & Schuster. Junk Food will produce apparel, including classic tees and accessories, and Thursday Friday will develop high-end handbags, scarves and totes inspired by the girlie Smurfette.

Total retail sales for April increased by 0.1 percent from March, according to figures released last week by the U.S. Commerce Department. In fact, total retail sales for April exceeded the .3 percent drop economists predicted in a Bloomberg survey, and were a marked improvement from a .5 percent decline in March. Clothing and clothing accessories stores' sales were up by 1.2 percent over the previous month, and up 3.5 percent over last April's sales figures.

Ottavio Missoni, co-founder of the family-run fashion dynasty, died Thursday at home in Italy. He was 92. Missoni and his wife, Rosita, founded the company, known for its chevron-patterned knitwear, in 1953. It has since expanded into a lifestyle empire encompassing apparel, home and hotel design goods, fragrances, shoes, and more. A release issued by the family gave no cause of death for the patriarch, saying only that Missoni had "passed away serenely."

Toys based on the popular Disney character Doc McStuffins are flying off the shelves across the U.S. and the U.K. The property's supplier in the U.K., Flair, is working closely with its U.S. counterpart Just Play to ensure they have Doc McStuffins items in stock. "Doc is really selling well and is a great hit in our portfolio with fantastic results that have echoed the launch success in the U.S.," says Nic Aldridge, marketing director of Flair.

Sesame Workshop is partnering with Ape Entertainment to develop the first comic book based on the beloved preschool series. The Sesame Street comic books will include educational content for its young readers. The books will also feature five interlocking covers that form a scene with all the Sesame Street characters when placed next to each other. The first comic book in the series hit retail shelves on May 4 to celebrate Free Comic Book Day.