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Jan 7 2014
Keep ‘Em Coming
Customer retention is key to long-term success, but it’s not always easy. Industry experts share their tips on how you can keep shoppers coming back for more. By Lyndsay McGregor Running a successful store isn’t always about pushing product. At Angelique Kids in New Orleans, LA, it’s also about becoming a part of the community […]
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Dec 4 2013
Time to Buy
Chock-full of must-see reasons to attend, the 2014 trade show circuit features a full slate of seminars, exhibitors and events. From Atlanta and Miami to New York and Europe, here’s what to keep in mind as you make your travel plans. By Lyndsay McGregor It’s that time of year again: Holiday sales are ending, and […]
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Oct 21 2013
Hasbro Expands Fashion Assortment
Hasbro will ramp up its fashion merchandise this spring by teaming with The Benetton Group to create collections featuring My Little Pony and Transformers. The lines will include footwear, apparel and accessories for kids and newborns, and will be sold at United Colours of Benetton stores in 42 countries beginning in Spring ’14. Hasbro has […]
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Oct 3 2013
Hot Mama
As Millennials enter motherhood, and big box stores shrink their maternity selection, it’s a bright time for children’s retailers to discover their motherly fashion instincts. By Angela Velasquez You can talk CPSIA regulations in your sleep and might know the differences between Bugaboo’s Bee and Chameleon strollers, but the world of maternity fashion, with its […]
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Sep 30 2013
NPD Reports Strong Sales in Activewear and Athletic Footwear
Global information company NPD Group reports U.S sports market sales increased 4 percent from January to August 2013, compared to the same period in 2012. According to NPD Group’s Consumer Tracking Service, total U.S. sales for athletic footwear and activewear reached $36 billion in August. Activewear sales increased more than the general apparel market, growing […]
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Sep 16 2013
Stride Rite Stars Curious George
Stride Rite has partnered with Universal Partnerships & Licensing for a new shoe featuring Curious George, which will be available in toddler sizes at Stride Rite retail stores, and online. The shoe features a Curious George image on the upper with Velcro straps designed to look like the monkey’s arms. Stride Rite is also a […]
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Jul 1 2013
Pediped Opens Three Retail Boutiques
Children’s footwear brand, Pediped, is expanding its reach with three new stores in Las Vegas, Shanghai and Brno, Czech Republic. The largest location, at 700-square-feet, opened inside the Town Square shopping center in Las Vegas on May 17. A store in the Nanfang Friendship Shopping Center in Shanghai, China also opened on May 17. Pediped […]
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Jun 14 2013
Monsters, Inc. Characters Morph Into Etnies Sneakers
Shoe brand Etnies is launching a kids’ collection featuring famous monsters Mike and Sulley from Disney-Pixar’s upcoming film Monsters University. The sneakers feature images of the characters on the tongue and are adorned in the vibrant green and blue colors the characters display. There is also a girls shoe featuring two of the Pinks cheerleaders […]
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Jun 3 2013
U.S. Retailers to Forge New Safety Plans for Bangladeshi Apparel Factories
The National Retail Federation, the American Apparel and Footwear Association and several U.S. retailers, including Gap, J.C. Penney, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart, are seeking to develop a new plan to promote safety in Bangladeshi factories. This effort, to be spearheaded by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., was announced Thursday, one […]
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May 31 2013
Sole Provider
Wee Soles offers L.A. parents an option to outfit their offspring in footwear as stylish as their own. By Lyndsay McGregor When Tamsin Carlson found five stray kittens near her home in August 2011, she had a light bulb moment. She collected the wildlings, had them neutered and vaccinated and hosted an adoption drive at […]
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May 31 2013
Once Upon a Patent Leather Mary Jane…
Finding the right shoes for little feet is a fairy tale come true. Blame it on Cinderella. When a prince comes calling with a perfect glass slipper in tow, what girl wouldn’t swoon? How can we be blamed for a lifetime obsession with shoes when our earliest introduction to fine footwear is so tempting? It’s […]
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May 31 2013
On a Roll
On the heels of adding Heelys to the BBC Int’l. portfolio, Tracey McLeod, president of worldwide sales and marketing, discusses the conglomerate’s global brand strategy in kids’. By Greg Dutter To say BBC Int’l. has just about cornered the kids’ footwear business would not be so far off. A one-stop kids’ resource that features a […]
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Apr 30 2013
Jace – Age 2
STYLIST: Jace AGE: 2 HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, NY As the son of shoemakers, our stylist Jace put his best foot fashionably forward selecting a mix of cool downtown, hipster tees and denim. The colorful looks were complemented by his impressive shoe collection, which is about to multiply massively. Mom and dad Olga and Jay Artola are […]
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Apr 30 2013
Shear Bliss
The case for cold feet is dwindling as this season’s bundle of cozy and cuddly booties are guaranteed to keep tiny toes toasty on the street and in slumber. The slipper shoe hybrids bulk up on warmth with shearling trimmings and cable knit uppers, and entice little trendsetters with buttery soft leathers and sequin embellishments. […]
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Apr 29 2013
Boo Takes on New Licensees
Boo, the cutest dog on Facebook, is adding new categories through its licensing agent Knockout Licensing, including swimwear, apparel and gift. Boys’ and girls’ swimwear will be produced by Bentex Group; Department 56 will develop holiday ornaments, mugs, water globes and figurines featuring the canine; Enterplay LLC is making Boo Collectible Fun Packs, which comprises […]
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Apr 15 2013
Fraggle Rock Turns 30
The Jim Henson Company’s television series “Fraggle Rock” is celebrating its 30th anniversary with new licenses. Partners include: FAO Schwarz, which will host a Fraggle Rock shop at the Manhattan flagship; Heydey Footwear is developing a limited-edition line of Super Shift Gobo shoes; Threadless is sponsoring a T-shirt design contest; Cupcake Digital is creating a […]
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Jan 8 2013
Mirror Mirror
No shoes are too big for little girls to fill with styles straight from their mothers’ own closets. From resort-ready sandals and cozy mocs to technical sneakers, footwear brands are turning shoe shopping into a family affair with mommy-and-me designs.—AV
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Nov 27 2012
Winner’s Circle
From cool shades and 3-D footwear designs to ruffled swimwear and relaxed denim, we’re proud to announce the 2012 Earnie Award winners. The top brands, voted on by their peers, celebrated at the ENK Children’s Club as our fashion models worked the runway wearing their looks. By Angela Velasquez, Maria Bouselli and Lyndsay McGregor Photography […]
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Nov 27 2012
In Play
Sports brand Under Armour adds new twists to appeal to both mom and kid. First available at retail in 2007, Under Armour’s active wear line for children has become a go-to sports brand for kids, and has been the fastest growing branch of the company, increasing more than 30 percent each year. Adrienne Lofton Shaw, […]
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Oct 29 2012
Macy’s Launches New Brands
The department store is developing new brands that target customers ages 13 to 30 as a part of its Millennial strategy to keep and gain consumers in that age range. The initiative contains two new departments at Macy’s: mstylelab for 13- to 22-year-olds and Impulse for 19- to 30-year-olds. “We have identified Millennials as a […]