Fraggle Rock Turns 30

The Jim Henson Company's television series "Fraggle Rock" is celebrating its 30th anniversary with new licenses.

My Little Pony Goes Plush

Hasbro is partnering with Aurora World to create a line of 18 My Little Pony plushes. Twelve of the ponies will be smaller with a personal carrying purse and six of the plushes will be 10 inches tall, with a price range from $15 to $20. "We are thrilled to work with Hasbro again and just as excited to introduce our My Little Pony plush toys to multi-generational fans and collectors," says Michael Kessler, SVP of sales and marketing at Aurora. "The line is designed to appeal to all ages that embrace the My Little Pony brand." 

Carter's Recalls Infant Apparel

Childrenswear company Carter's has recalled 218,000 pieces of clothing due to a choking hazard. Included in the recall are eight styles of footed one-pieces in sizes 3 to 9 months. The full-length zipper on these items can detach, posing a risk to children. No injuries have been reported.

Babies 'R' Us Partners with WhatToExpect.com

Babies 'R' Us have partnered with parenting website WhatToExpect.com to offer moms-to-be access to baby-related news, advice and products through both channels. Babies 'R' Us will also feature content and information for new parents provided by Murkoff's site. Babies 'R' Us registries will be accessible through Heidi Murkoff's WhatToExpect.com, which will also include reviews and suggested products.

Euro Sales Slipped in February

Retail sales fell in February in the 17 countries that the euro is used. Eurostat, the European Unions official statistics agency reports that retail sales in February fell 0.3 percent on the month and by 1.4 percent on the year. However, German manufacturers reported an increase in orders from overseas. The stats highlight Europes weakening demand for products and consumers increasing thriftiness as unemployment rates ruse and wage growth slows.

Giggle to Launch Branded Furniture Line

Childrens retailer Giggle is set to debut a nursery collection before the end of the year with the help of product design firm Red Clay. Red Clays community of designers was invited to submit designs for cribs, dresser/change table and a rocker until the end of March. The store will now ask consumers for feedback on the design, in hopes to key into consumers wants and likes before the company delves into expensive production.

Aden + Anais Partner with Sanrio

Baby lifestyle brand Aden + Anais are teaming up with Sanrio to develop a sleeping, feeding and bathing product range for the Hello Kitty property. The line will include limited-edition blankets, snap bibs, hooded towels, washcloths and swaddling cloths. We are now seeing the Hello Kitty brand experience become generational, says Jill Koch, senior vice president of brand management and marketing at Sanrio. Moms who grew up with Hello Kitty will love our collaboration with Aden + Anais for their daughters.

Bugaboo Takes on Andy Warhol

Last Thursday, Bugaboo celebrated its new collection for Spring 13 featuring Andy Warhol designs in Manhattans SoHo neighborhood, complete with children showing off their breakdancing and DJ skills, Serendipitys famous frozen hot chocolate, and bite-size treats for the kiddies.

Strollers and High Chairs Recalled Due to Strangulation and Fall Hazard.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in cooperation with iCandy America Inc. of Brooklyn, NY, has issued a voluntary recall of about 830 of its Cherry model strollers. This recall includes the iCandy Cherry stroller only in the colors Fudge and Liquorice. The opening between the bumper bar and seat bottom of the stroller can allow an infants body to pass through and become entrapped at the neck, posing a strangulation hazard to young children when a child is not harnessed.

Nearly Half of Instagram’s 100 Million Users Are on Android

One year after photo-sharing app Instagram ended its iOS exclusive and migrated to Android, nearly half of its 100 million active monthly users come from the Google-powered operating system. Instagram revealed this statistic in a blog post on Wednesday. The Android app, which officially debuted on April 3, 2012, saw more than one million downloads in less than a day.