Impact on children

Merchandising and marketing to kids has become one of the hottest areas of interest for today's consumer packaged goods marketers. Why is it happening? How is it being done? Is it going to escalate and what might be its effects?

Each child wants to have a good toy. With the children’s apparel market expected to hit the $20 billion mark by 2011 in the US, kids are big business, and retailers in general are very aware of the expanding market. Kids preferences change as they grow up. Parents are the main buyers for children (ages 0 to 1). But once kids turn 2, they have developed their own opinions of what they like or don’t like. And once they hit their peers they have much more influence than their parents.

Knowing what motivates kids to buy, gives the retailer a better understanding of how to buy, present and sell toys. Kids under the age of 1-2 should still follow the lead of their parents. That doesn’t mean they don’t have very definite opinions about what they want to have, but they cannot understand what they need. But elder children understand their preferences and desires so professional merchandisers are trying to get their attention by window tips.

An example of toys display

There are some rules how to draw children’s attention by window displays:

• Keep windows simple.

• Create a focal point and build the display around it.

• Create depth by placing some products in the front, others in the rear.

• Light displays with track lighting at the front and rear of the window.

• Use bright colors to attract attention. There are some colors which are the most attractive for children (see Сhart 2)

1. The Red color: Red is most appealing to children. It is the color of joy and fun. It is suitable for restless children. Boys and girls prefer this color because of its brightness.

2. The Yellow color: This color reminds of the sun. Children often choose this color, because it is a very light and attractive color.

3. The Orange color: This is a very bright, rich and juicy color. Boys choose it more often than girls, but in the children's stores orange color can often be found.

4. The Green color: Green is the color of confidence and peace of mind. It is used for girls and for boys.

5. The Dark blue color: This is a very deep color. It is chosen by the smart children. Just as the green it calms. The blue color is the color of the nobleness.

Chart 2: the most attractive colors for children

But there are other rules to interest kids to buy something.

1. Let Them Play. Nine of 38 retailers advocate taking toys out of the box to let customers experience them. “The more they can touch, the more you can sell”.

2. Take It to the Front. Thirteen percent of retailers commented on a product’s increased ability to fly out the door once placed at the front counter.

3. Find the Right Spot. A product’s failure to sell doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a poor product; it may just not be in the best place in your store. Sometimes a toy’s hot spot is the least expected.

4. Keep Store Clean and Organized. It's important to have things together as it is easier to find them.

5. Be Enthusiastic, But Not Fake, because children feel it.

Where’s the Best Place to Put a Kid’s Area? It makes sense to place a kid’s area next to the women’s apparel area since women buy 80% of all household goods.