Kids today - January 1, 2006

State pride and tradition are huge in this neck of the country, and Laura Caldwell has made sure to incorporate that heritage into her independent juvenile specialty store here. Caldwell opened Texas Kid Co. in June 2004 in this southeastern Texas city of about 200,000 people. But her involvement in the juvenile business goes back before that.

• By the Numbers
• Infant furniture sales hit $1.2 billion

• Departments
• Editor's Notes
• Editor's notes
• Industry Scorecard
• Vendor results mixed in third quarter
• Market Pulse
• Retailers optimistic for 2006

• Licensing
• Ireland writes, narrates children's book
• Playmates picks up toy license for Little Robots
• International Playthings, Taggies to develop infant toys
• RJM Licensing to represent Spot property

• News Watch
• BabyGund nursery debuts
• Catherine Willey joins Berg Furniture
• Sunset Trading introduces cribs
• Small World distributing Star Electronics
• New supplier P'Kolino makes debut
• Amy Coe to open first retail store in Conn.
• Design Within Reach creates division for kids products
• Clinton attends celebration marking K.I.D.S.' anniversary
• Dorel Juvenile CEO leaves company
• Simmons opens new Wisconsin plant for kids division

• Products on Parade
• Products on Parade

• Recalls
• Steve & Barry's University Children's Outerwear with Drawstring Strangulation Hazard
• Mizuno USA, Inc. Recalls "Gamer" Baseball Gloves Due to Chance of Infection in At-Risk Consumers
• Syntace USA Bicycle Handlebar Stems
• Fisher-Price Infant Musical Toy Chair Posing Strangulation Hazard
• Hurley International Boy's Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings

• Show Biz
• Gift Markets Show
• One-of-a-kind finds
• Las Vegas
• Transitional looks, bright colors meet in Vegas

• Up Close
• Upscale nurseries look to the past