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What goes into making
a good...
High Chair
By Carol Dingledy, Manager of Corporate Communications at Cosco, Inc.
Fifty years ago, one company introduced its first juvenile product, the
first all-metal high chair. It had a "Chromium finish, with choice of
red, yellow, blue or green upholstery and trim to harmonize with any kitchen
color scheme." It featured a leather safety strap, weighed 25 pounds and
didn't fold in any way, shape or form.
Wow! What a difference a half-century makes! Now plastic is in and high
chairs are loaded with features: they fold, recline, adjust in height,
have one-hand tray adjustment, fasten on tables and sport fashionable
colors and designs. They're multi-use, anti-tip and totally progressive.
Of course, there has been and continues to be a growing number of discerning
buyers who appreciate vintage, traditional hardwood heirloom high chairs
that are created to be passes down from generation to generation.
So how do you market such a diverse line of items? Well, first and foremost,
make sure that all the high chairs you carry meet JPMA certification standards.
Approved high chairs have locks to prevent folding, pass tests to make
sure the tray doesn't disengage too easily, meet drop test criteria, have
certain restraint systems, include particular warnings on labels and in
the instructions, and much more.
(You can contact JPMA for a brochure outlining the requirements for
high chairs and other products.)
Next, if you don't already, you should carry a selection of high chairs
that will accommodate a wide range of ages; the high chair category today
covers a broader range than ever before. For example, high chairs have
for years converted for use at the table by older children. This was taken
to the next step with the introduction of the hook-on chair for older
tots (plus they were portable!). More recent features are a reclining
seat for infants and adaptation into a youth chair for use at tables and
desks. In order to meet your shoppers' needs, it's important to carry
all these types; features won't matter if you don't carry a product that
will fit their child.
The latest trends in high chairs include the use of more plastic and
less steel for a lighter-weight product that has a cleaner look; larger
trays that are dishwasher-safe; fashionable materials; casters; and multi-use
products that convert to separate play tables. What else do parents look
for? A sturdy high chair that is easy to clean, has a tray that operates
with one hand and is attractive.
But don't forget grandparents. They might not need a fancy high chair;
many are looking for something simple they can fold and store easily between
visits. Extra features such as multi-utility, a one-hand fold and height-adjustable
recline cost more; grandparents (and sometimes parents) may not feel that
the extra expense is justified. So not only do you need to cover a wide
age range, you need to include high chairs from simple to full-featured
in order to accommodate all your customers.
Since a high chair isn't something parents necessarily need right away
(like a crib or car seat), one marketing technique is to start a registry
for expectant moms, then mail congratulations and information on appropriate
products (such as high chairs and playards) just after the baby is born.
You may want to include a coupon to encourage them to return to your store
for their post-natal needs. Or you could offer free or reduced-cost assembly
where appropriate.
Holding classes is another approach. A class on feeding could include
recipes for making baby food, tips on how not to get upset when baby won't
eat, and information on high chairs as well as other feeding items such
as bibs, bowls and training cups.
Consider tie-ins; offer a free bib if the parent buys a certain high
chair or a complete feeding set if the parent buys a more deluxe high
chair. Promote high chair covers and under-chair mats along with the high
chairs. Contact manufacturers for any promotions or tie-ins they may have.
Display high chairs where parents can test them-they want to try out
the one-hand tray and the recline, test the sturdiness, examine the restraint
system. Post JPMA requirements where parents can read them; encourage
them to compare any second-hand high chair they may be considering to
today's standards. Train store personnel on the features and operation
of the models you carry, or post phone numbers and websites of the manufacturers
for customers to contact.
The high chair category is one that has shown strong growth in the past
year, especially among the more deluxe models. It's a natural for cross-marketing
and can be a good growth category for your store.
Nursery Monitor
By Ann Marie Barnard, Product Line Manager at Evenflo.
As you already know, monitors are one of the most important aspects of
a nursery, allowing parents the freedom to get chores done around the
house, take a nap or simply relax in another room with the comfort that
their baby is sleeping peacefully. To be able to fully understand how
monitors work-and explain it to your customers-it is important to grasp
the basics of nursery monitors.
The easiest way to explain how a nursery monitor works is to draw upon
an example from everyday life: for instance, a radio station and your
car radio. A radio station transmits a signal through the airwaves and
you tune in that signal on your radio. There are a few important differences
between the radio station and nursery monitor. Most importantly, the nursery
transmitter (baby's unit) has much less power; the transmitter and receiver
(parent's unit) are already tuned in to one another; and the available
frequency range for nursery monitors to transmit through the airwaves
is much smaller than that available for radio broadcast transmission.
So, what does this mean to someone who owns a monitor? First (due to the
low power regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, FCC) the
range of transmitted signal is much less than the radio station, usually
300 feet. This is in an attempt to keep the broadcast within the confines
of the property. Secondly, customers do not tune in the parent's unit-they
usually select from one of two preset channels. And lastly, the FCC permits
nursery monitors to operate in a very limited range of frequencies, which
limits the number of available channels. If different makes and models
of monitors are used near each other, they can create interference because
they may be using the same channel.
These factors, which make monitors so useful, also create potential problems.
Affecting the range of a monitor can inhibit the unit's performance. Many
external factors can affect the range, including electrical equipment,
power lines, concrete, steel studs in walls, burglar alarms, televisions
and computers.
Another problem is interference from neighboring products. Nursery monitors
interfere with one another, particularly if homes are close. Certain products,
such as portable phones, broadcast to the base unit on the same frequency
as the monitor. This results in signals being picked up by the nursery
monitor.
In addition to the basic transmission, today's monitors have a variety
of features to make them even more convenient for parents.
Almost all nursery monitors have a portable parent unit that operates
from both the base or batteries, and most provide a belt clip for attachment
to clothing. Portability is a key issue with customers, since it provides
parents some mobility and freedom. Some models have the same option on
the baby's unit as well.
Although most customers don't realize it when they're purchasing a unit,
channel selection is probably one of the most important features because
it helps eliminate nursery monitors' interference. Most monitors have
two preset channels, which is similar to having two preset channels on
your car radio. Channel selection is matched between the transmitter,
baby's unit and the receiver (parent's unit). If the user experiences
interference from within the home or from a neighbor, the unit can be
changed to an alternative channel. It is possible to have interference
on both channels, in which case the parent may want to speak to a neighbor
and ask them to change to a different channel. This is one of the primary
problems with nursery monitors being in such a narrow bandwidth.
These lights allow the parent to see, as well as hear, if the child is
making a noise. This feature is particularly useful in a noisy environment
or if the parents are watching TV and don't want to hear the background
noise of the monitor.
Most monitors operate on a continuous transmission which means the baby's
unit continuously listens and sends signals to the parent's unit. With
voice activation, the baby's unit will only transmit when it hears a sound.
This sound must meet some sort of preset criteria such as noise over a
specified decibel or loudness or a noise which lasts for a certain period
of time.
The advantage of a voice-activated unit is that you may not hear any
background noise while the child is quiet. The disadvantage is that the
parent sometimes wonders if the unit is working because if the baby is
quiet, there are no sounds to indicate the baby's unit is transmitting.
The opposite exists with the continuous transmission: when the child is
quiet, the parent's unit can pick up background noise which indicates
the unit is transmitting. This is an advantage which assures the parent
that if the child makes a noise, the parent will hear it. It is also at
times a disadvantage because if the background noise is excessive, it
can be bothersome.
An out-of-range indicator alerts the parent when he/she is out of the
baby's transmission range. Using the car radio example: as you drive further
away from a radio station, the signal becomes weak and you begin to hear
static and less of the broadcast-the same holds true for a nursery monitor.
The concern for parents is that most of the time the child may be quiet
in the nursery, and as the parent roams around the home or yard she may
be unsure she is within range, since the child is not making continuous
sounds. With an out-of-range indicator, she would know if she was too
far away from the baby.
A few monitors have integrated night lights. This added feature can help
free up an electrical socket and light up the top of the dresser or changing
table. However, some parents prefer night lights in a dimly lit corner,
as opposed to the top of a dresser.
This feature is activated when the child makes noise for a preset period
of time. After the music is activated, it plays for a half minute or so,
and then automatically turns off.
Also available in some product lines are monitors with intercoms. Basically,
this is a traditional audio monitor, with a two-way communication features.
The added feature allows parents to communicate with their child as they
get older, therefore extending the use of the monitor.
This feature is an added safety check, especially for the customer who
frequently uses the parent's unit on battery. Some units send an audible
signal when the batteries are low, others signal low batteries with the
dimming of the on/off lights. Either is effective and very useful.
There are a few final tips to help customers get the most out of their
new monitors. Both the A/C adaptor and the cord can act as an additional
antenna. If these cords are extended as much as possible-on both the parents'
and baby's units-the monitor performance can be improved. Neither unit
will work as well on a battery as on the house current, so encourage use
of the adapters if performance is an issue.
If interference seems to be a problem, moving the baby's unit to a different
location in the nursery can often eliminate static. In addition, there
are often areas of the house that have pockets of interference or poor
range. Those areas should be avoided. All monitors have a preset performance
limit regulated by the FCC, so all perform to basically the same range.
It is also very important to be sure the parent has both units set to
the same channel. This is a simple mistake that is often made.
Hopefully this article will help clear up some of the confusion about
monitors and enable you to provide your customer with the most up-to-date
monitor information.
Thermometer
By Debbie Levenson, Vice President of Care & Safety
at The First Years, Inc.
Parents and physicians depend on thermometers to provide one of the most
fundamental measurements of a child's health or illness-body temperature.
Today, just about every home medicine cabinet is equipped with at least
one thermometer. And reporting a temperature reading to the doctor is
usually a parent's first step when a child becomes ill. Interestingly,
fever itself is not an illness. Instead, it is a symptom that indicates
that the body is working to fight off an infection. Having accurate information
about how this healthy response of the immune system is working (along
with careful consideration of other symptoms) helps a doctor diagnose
the underlying illness. For many years the mercury thermometer set the
standard for home use. But gradually, new types of thermometers have been
developed to offer temperature-taking options. Some are faster, more accurate,
more comfortable for the patient, or easier to use.
There are four places on the body which have proven to be good sites
for obtaining an accurate reading of temperature-the mouth, the rectum,
the ear, and the underarm.
The Mouth: Oral readings can be obtained using either a mercury-glass
thermometer or a digital model. Positioning the thermometer under the
tongue is one of the oldest and most familiar methods of temperature-taking.
For this reason, the oral temperature reading is considered the standard,
and temperatures taken by all other methods are adjusted to their "oral
equivalent."
For parents to take accurate oral readings, children need to be old enough
to hold the thermometer under their tongues, with their mouths closed.
They must also be able to understand that they cannot bite down on the
thermometer. Most children are not ready for this oral temperature-taking
until age four or five.
The pacifier thermometer is a valid, noninvasive oral temperature taker
for children (newborn to age five) who will accept pacifiers. One pacifier
thermometer even plays a lullaby whenever fever is detected.
The Rectum: Although rectal readings involve some discomfort and
awkwardness, they are often the method of choice for taking the temperature
of an infant or young child. In fact, many pediatricians consider rectal
readings the "gold standard" of temperature-taking. Like oral models,
rectal thermometers are available in both mercury-glass and digital models.
Rectal readings are usually one degree higher than temperatures taken
orally.
The Ear: Tympanic (ear) thermometers are electronic devices which
measure the infrared radiation emanating from the eardrum. Since the eardrum
is close to the hypothalamus (often called the body's thermostat), readings
are considered accurate-but only if the device is positioned with absolute
precision.
The Underarm: The underarm is the least invasive site for temperature-taking.
Axillary (underarm) thermometers measure body temperature in the very
center of the underarm, with a high degree of accuracy. They are available
in glass-mercury, digital, and electronic/infrared models. Underarm readings
are usually one degree lower than temperatures taken orally.
The most advanced electronic models make this conversion automatically.
These sophisticated underarm thermometers employ advanced infrared technology
to take a succession of rapid readings. They then utilize an internal
computer to calculate body temperature with a level of speed and accuracy
that is unavailable with other devices. Electronic/infrared underarm thermometers
have been used in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units in hospitals
around the world and are now available for home use.
What is a "Normal" Temperature? Most of us have been taught that a normal
temperature is always 98.60F (37.00C). However, medical research has proven
that "normal" temperature varies from person to person and that in every
individual, temperature fluctuates throughout the day. And so, there is
no one single ideal "normal" temperature. In reality there is a "normal
temperature range," and each individual's pattern of "normal" will vary
slightly within that range.
In order to pinpoint the "normal" temperature range for any individual,
it's a good idea to take benchmark readings when that person is well.
In that way, if the person gets sick, it will be possible to discuss temperature
with the doctor in terms of what is typically a normal temperature range
for that individual.
Conditions such as hot weather, strenuous exercise, or excessively warm
clothing can all make a person's "normal" temperature rise. Bathing can
also affect body temperature, so it's always a good idea to wait about
half an hour after a bath or shower to take a temperature reading.
Thermometers offer significant merchandising opportunities for specialty
stores that sell products for infants and children. Because they are available
at a wide range of price points, thermometers can serve as anchor items
in a health care section, where the product mix can be customized seasonally.
Sales opportunities include major gift purchases (such as an electronic
underarm thermometer) or impulse sales (such as an inexpensive digital
infant thermometer purchased as a "just-to-have-on-hand" item).
Collateral materials, well displayed, can also serve as a resource for
parents. This kind of display can build foot traffic and create opportunities
for add-on sales. In addition, thermometers offer almost limitless opportunities
for cross-merchandising. For example, a family health care encyclopedia
or authoritative first aid book could be offered in combination with a
thermometer and other basic health care items. Or a "free" thermometer
could be offered as a premium with a major health care purchase, like
a cool- mist humidifier or vaporizer. Such a promotion could be priced
as a self- liquidator. Other packages could include thermometers sold
in combination with plush toys, play-in-bed toys, large "fun" drink cups
with straw or spout tops, or children's books-all designed to help a parent
care for, comfort, and entertain a child who's not feeling well.
Store managers can create unique product kits and promotions based on
the needs and interests of their own customer base. Or, they can look
to manufacturers for combined product opportunities. Either way, using
thermometers as a lead item for children's health care can lead to healthy
sales in health care items-and in other product areas as well.
Thank you to the following companies for
taking the time
to review and provide input for What Goes into Making a Good...
. Primo . Questech
Tender Care Products . Union City Chair Company |
