Creating a Safety Products Section in Your Store
Thirty years ago, do you remember seeing any child in a car seat or riding a bike with a helmet? No; but these days the new reality is no parent would allow their small child to ride in a car without a special seat or to forego a helmet and risk possible serious head injuries while cycling. Once these safety measures came along, there was no going back. That's exactly what is going on now inside the home. The average home is getting larger and the average child is spending a lot more time inside. No new parent should be without the basic safeguards to prevent household injuries. If you haven't created a comprehensive safety department in your store, you are falling behind in sales, market share, and profits.
There has been an explosion of consumer awareness in the "childproof home" market. Millions of parents were enlightened by a recent segment on ABC's Good Morning America, featuring home-improvement expert Ron Hazelton demonstrating products and ideas to new mom Cindy Crawford. These concerns reach far beyond the traditional crib, car seat, and stroller arenas. Manufacturers are meeting these issues with an array of products for every room of the home. The good news is that these products generally have large margins, require little square footage, and many can be easily placed in POP locations.
A quick walk through your own home, with a child's perspective, will give you an idea of all the hazards lurking in the average home and all the products available to create a complete safety section for your store.
The kitchen and bathrooms are by far the most dangerous places for children. Products for the kitchen include everything from stove guards and knob covers for burn prevention, to safety locks for cabinets, drawers, and even refrigerators. Safe bathrooms include items that lock toilet lids to prevent drowning and unwanted objects; rails for safe bath tub entries and exits; devices to protect scalding and from bumps on water faucets.
Family rooms can be safer with products that keep electrical cords away from curious hands; furniture from falling if being climbed; fireplaces guarded and gas valves covered; as well as sharp edges covered. The child's room and the rest of the home can benefit from special nightlights, electric outlet covers, gates, doorknob covers, window guards, devices to wind up blind cords, and even special first aid and medicine cabinets.
Independent stores have tremendous opportunities to gain market share and customer loyalty by becoming the local expert in home safety products just as they have in the crib and car seat areas. These products are easy, common sense items to sell, especially when you include a little free advice like reminding new parents to get in the habit of leaving small sharp objects like keys and utensils in high places where baby can't find them.
Online and catalog providers, local retailers can gain the edge by outfitting their stores with a complete inventory of safety products and by marketing their expertise in the field of childproofing. By offering customers the convenience of finding everything to create a safe environment in one stop and backing it up with expert advice, you not only provide the community with a valuable service, but you also gain customer loyalty and satisfaction (which means word-of-mouth advertising) and higher profits.
September is the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association sponsored Baby Safety Month and an excellent time to run special promotions on your safety division. Seminars for childproofing new parents' homes and discounts on safety products are ideas JPMA suggests employing to draw customers in and solidify your position as the community expert. JPMA offers other ideas such as demonstrations, display tips, and brochures to handout. Sending press releases and inviting your local media to events will create even more excitement and publicity for your promotions. You should also contact your local hospital and parenting organizations to offer a supply of literature and coupons to new parents throughout the year.
Parents' new reality is safeguarding their child in the home, and your new reality is providing the products and know-how to your community. There is no turning back from this phenomenon, so take the lead (and the profits) and make the most of it.