-
Oct 2 2009
Kiwi Industries Under New Ownership
Eco-friendly children’s label Kiwi Industries of Albuquerque, N.M., which was founded six years ago by Rebecca Grebosky, has been turned over to Faith Begay-Holtrop and Laura McIndoo. Begay-Holtrop, a small retail business owner, will head the company’s sales, marketing and operations, while McIndoo, who has been designing the brand’s collections for the past three years, […]
-
Oct 2 2009
Jamari Opens New Dallas Showroom
Jamari International announces the new location of its Dallas showroom. Beginning with the October market, it can be found in Suite #8048 in the Dallas Market Center. The showroom is stocked with the spring/summer collections of Cakewalk, Jottum, Alphabet, Marese, Miniman, Isabel Garreton, Laranjinha and Scotch Shrunk. To schedule an appointment, call (212) 695-1733. In […]
-
Oct 2 2009
M3 Girl Designs, Barley & Birch Land on Inc.’s 30 Under 30 List
This month’s issue of Inc. magazine turns the spotlight toward young business pioneers, and two of the children’s industry’s own have made this year’s 30 Under 30 list. Kyle Smitley, the 24-year-old founder of Barley & Birch, an organic kids’ apparel brand based in Oceanside, Calif., told the magazine her success is largely due to […]
-
Oct 2 2009
Petunia Pickle Bottom Donates Bags to Moms in Need
Diaper bag company Petunia Pickle Bottom recently participated in “A is for Apple,” a baby shower hosted by Operation Shower and the March of Dimes. Held Sept. 20 at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Va., the event intended to help out moms and moms-to-be who would likely not have a baby shower of their […]
-
Oct 2 2009
Rep Announcements: Ambajam, Adooka Organics, KidCuteTure
Denver-based baby and toddler accessories company Ambajam has tapped industry veteran Susan Wallace as its Mid-Atlantic sales rep. She will cover New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia. Call (201) 773-3122 or e-mail susankids@gmail.com. Adooka Organics of Columbus, Ohio, announces three new showrooms and reps: • Erika Zeigler of the Bebop […]
-
Sep 24 2009
Children’s Businesses Make Inc 500 List
Several companies from the children’s industry have popped up on Inc. Magazine’s 2009 Inc 500 list, a compilation of the nation’s fastest growing privately held companies based on percentage revenue growth from 2005 to 2008. “These are the most dynamic, fast-growth companies in the nation, the ones finding innovative solutions to problems, creating smart systems […]
-
Sep 24 2009
New Dates for NYC Baby & Kids Fair
The dates for the launch of 7 W. New York’s new children’s show, the NYC Baby & Kids Fair, have been changed to Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, 2010. The show, which will feature kids’ apparel, accessories, gifts, textiles and home furnishings, will coincide with the first three days of the 7 W. Gift and Home […]
-
Sep 24 2009
Canada Reports Boost in Back-to-School Apparel Spending
Canadian children headed back to school in style this year, according to reports from Moneris Solutions, the country’s largest processor of debit, credit and gift card payments. The firm’s data on consumer spending showed people spent more money on clothing and books during the three weeks leading up to Labor Day this year, choosing to […]
-
Sep 24 2009
New Survey Proves Moms Are Social Media, Blog Aficionados
When Moms aren’t busy parenting, there’s a good chance you’ll find them linked in—and retailers looking to win their dollars should take note. According to the new Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) survey conducted by BIGresearch, women with kids in the home are 60.3 percent more likely to use Facebook, 42.4 percent more likely […]
-
Sep 22 2009
Tell-All
Oh boy did our "Confessions of a Boutique Owner" story in the September issue stir up conversation. It seems lots of you could relate to the unexpected aspects of your chosen careers. One reader Twittered, "Finally, a story I can relate to," while another tweeted about her experiences with shady returns and all types of […]
-
Sep 22 2009
Dual Personalities
One of the interesting things about this industry is the relationships behind the companies. Whether it’s parent and child, siblings, best friends or husbands and wives, lots of businesses on both the retail and manufacturing side are run by people who have long histories together. While an arrangement like this might be scary for some, […]
-
Sep 21 2009
HUB International Offers Lead Recall Insurance, Free Webinar
HUB International Northeast has developed an insurance package called the Children’s Apparel Recall Expense (C.A.R.E.) program to protect children’s apparel and footwear importers, distributors and wholesalers from incurring costs associated with lead recalls. C.A.R.E. covers expenses such as shipping costs, additional labor costs, warehousing, repair of recalled product and replacement of recalled product if items […]
-
Sep 21 2009
K.I.D.S. Receives Grant from ABC Expo
For the fourth year in a row, ABC Kids Expo has donated funds to the Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) charity in an effort to aid military families and others in need. In addition to the $150,000 grant, ABC also assists K.I.D.S. in collecting inventory left by exhibitors at the end of the show, which […]
-
Sep 21 2009
New Children’s Shows to Launch with New York, Vegas Gift/Home Markets
Two markets recently unveiled plans to launch children’s product shows that will coincide with existing home, gift and textile markets. In February, 7 W. New York will launch the NYC Baby & Kids Fair, an initiative to bring together showrooms of baby and children’s apparel, accessories, gifts, textiles and furnishings to reach more buyers. The […]
-
Sep 21 2009
Essentials Brands Acquires BabyPlanet
Consumer products manufacturer Essentials Brands of New York recently signed an agreement in which it will acquire certain assets of Baby Planet LLC, a manufacturer and distributor of infant and juvenile products. Essentials Brands plans to add BabyPlanet to its core selection of brands. Leslie Newton, Essential Brands’ chief creative officer and founder of the […]
-
Sep 21 2009
CoCaLo Introduces Two New Labels
CoCaLo, an infant and children’s bedding and room décor manufacturer based in Costa Mesa, Calif., launched two new brands at this month’s ABC Expo in Las Vegas. CoCaLo Kids, an extension of the company’s core infant bedding and décor offering, includes twin and full bedding ensembles that coordinate with the vendor’s best-selling nursery collections, so […]
-
Sep 21 2009
Company Updates: New Jammies, Vincent
• New Jammies of Aspen, Colo., maker of organic, educational children’s pajamas, has tapped Christine McCarthy of CMSM, LLC, a children’s wear sales and management consultant, to serve as its national sales manager. The company has also secured representation by The Dressing Room, a showroom in the California Market Center (call 213-623-4773 or e-mail thedressingroom@aol.com), […]
-
Sep 11 2009
Earnshaw’s Hosts Its Annual Design Award Competition
The Earnie Awards are Earnshaw’s magazine’s annual honor recognizing design excellence in children’s wear. For more than 30 years, the magazine has celebrated retailers’ picks for the best kids’ fashions. “In this tough retail environment, excellent design is more important than ever,” stated Caletha Crawford, publisher of Earnshaw’s magazine. “These awards give retailers the opportunity […]
-
Sep 11 2009
Lobbying Continues to Amend the CPSIA
Prompted by the House Subcommittee hearing last Thursday regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), members of several industries that produce goods for children have stepped up their grassroots efforts to secure changes in the law and its enforcement. The concern about the hearing, which was entitled “Consumer Product Safety Commission Oversight: Current Issues […]
-
Sep 11 2009
Lone Star Baby & Kids Acquires USA Baby
Lone Star Baby & Kids has just acquired the intellectual property and certain assets of USA Baby, Inc. through an asset purchase agreement with Commerce Capital L.P. (CCLP), which acquired the company through a foreclosure sale following its involuntary bankruptcy filing last year. “We are extremely pleased with the outcome today and look forward to […]
The No. 1 Magazine for Childrenswear Professionals
The No. 1 Magazine for Childrenswear Professionals
