The ever-changing children’s market requires constant refreshing
 Laura Minchew, vice president and publisher, children’s books and gift books, Thomas Nelson
“Breadth of product offering is very important. It is a critical balance between frontlist and backlist titles for children.”
The children’s market changes and moves
at lightning speed. Only a few years ago we were researching sound chips
for novelty books and now we are creating applications for iPads. From
toys to television and from books to snacks, the children’s world must
be cutting edge in technology and innovation.
Our children are becoming media savvy as
preschoolers, which means we have to deliver products to meet their
ever-progressing level. Throw in the fact that the children’s market
customer has this terrible habit of growing up, leaving publishers and
booksellers with a completely new audience every five to seven years,
children’s publishers are constantly turning their wheels trying to keep
up with the ever-changing landscape.
With all that in mind, booksellers may be left to wonder if there is a future for inspirational children’s books.
Yes, there is still a strong market for kids’ product.
The good news is that with approximately 4
million children born each year, the kids’ market is large and always
fresh. In a recent survey conducted in the 2009 Book Consumer Annual Review,
37% of books given as gifts were to children, with the religion
category having solid percentage of unit sales and dollar volume.
Parents are very interested in providing
faith-based products for their children. Whether it is in the form of
books, DVDs, activity kits or toys, children’s products have a strong
place in the market.
To meet these unique needs, Thomas Nelson
has created a children’s strategy team that cross-functions between
publishing, marketing and sales. The goal of the team is to look
forward, spot trends and offer new products that align with the current
and upcoming innovations and themes for kids.
QUALITY AND INNOVATION
Parents are looking for inspirational
products that mirror or exceed the quality of what the general market is
offering, and kids want products tied to hot trends.
Everyone knows that girls love all things
fun, festive and sparkly—why can’t their Bibles look the same? We felt
that developing a girl’s Bible that is glittery and girly would
perfectly combine both needs and wants. So we created our Sequin Bibles
line—full-text Bibles in a child’s translation bound in floral fabric
and embellished with shiny sparkly sequins.
In the same way, our best-selling “God’s
Little Princess” line by Sheila Walsh was inspired from the princess
themes of movies and toys.
REFRESHED BRANDS
Another research finding is that brands
need to be refreshed and updated. In the general market even the classic
brands refine and refresh their look from time to time; think
Strawberry Shortcake or Barbie. The combination of a classic, familiar
brand and a refreshed, more modern look offers great appeal to the
parent, mixing both nostalgia and current tastes.
For us, that has meant refreshing the
successful Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends brand, which has touched
the lives of more than 5 million families since 2003. We have come up
with a new and updated look, yet are keeping the same lovable
characters, voice talents, fun storylines and the trusted teachings.
PRODUCT BREADTH
Christian stores have a tough job due to
the breadth of product they offer, endeavoring to meet a wide range of
needs in sometimes limited space. But I love my Christian bookstore
because the breadth of inspirational product offerings for children
cannot be found anywhere else.
If you go to a general market bookstore,
the breadth of general market titles is wide. Thinking of the picture
book wall, a parent knows they can find a wide array of books on every
topic. However, the inspirational section of a general store does not
often compete with that of a Christian bookstore.
Breadth of product offering is very
important. It is a critical balance between frontlist and backlist
titles for children: Imagine going to a general market bookstore and not
finding the classic Goodnight Moon. Backlist titles are critical to customers feeling that the store maintains the books they come in looking to buy.
At the same time, we’ve seen stores focus
so much on backlist that they don’t bring in enough frontlist and their
department looks stale. No parent or child wants to go to a children’s
section in a store that looks exactly the same as it did on their last
visit. Look at a toy store and you’ll find what is new and hot. Sure
backlist titles are in the store, but the frontlist is what keeps it
fresh.
The breadth of backlist gives Christian
bookstores the competitive edge, and the new releases featured make it
feel fresh and fun.
Designating a children’s specialist—a
staff person passionate about children’s products—really makes a
difference in the ability to keep a children’s department looking fresh.
A children’s specialist is likely to know what is hot in a child’s
world, and will help buy and merchandise accordingly.
CROSS-MERCHANDISING
With crammed schedules and little time to
shop, parents are relieved to discover products from authors they know
and trust. Christian bookstores have a unique ability to make this
cross-promotion easy and to increase the total sale by merchandising
various product genres together.
A mom who is an Andy Andrews fan and purchases The Butterfly Effect will still be an Andy fan if she sees the kid’s version of that message for her child in The Boy Who Changed the World.
And if the books are side by side, you’ve just doubled the purchase.
But if the children’s book is in the kid’s section and the adult book is
on an endcap or in the trade book section, then your shopper may not
even notice that Andy has a children’s book.
Instead of relying on customers to do the
legwork to know these books exist, cross-promotion via merchandising
and placement impacts sales.
If multi-genre merchandising is impossible, include signage near the trade book that says, “If you like The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews, look for his book The Boy who Changed the World in our children’s department.”
THE CHILDREN’S PURCHASER
At first glance you would think the
children’s department should target only the child, but remember the
actual buyer of products in the children’s section is likely a mom or
grandmom.
We want children to feel safe and
comfortable in our children’s departments, but when it comes to signage,
it is good to address the felt need that the parents feel for the
child, such as “A great book to inspire children to help” next to Max
Lucado’s One Hand Two Hands. And every shopper in the children’s section has the goal in mind of helping grow a child’s faith.
No doubt we will continue to see a
variety of changes all around the children’s market, but one thing is
for certain. As long as there are parents (and grandparents), there will
be a market for children’s products to help kids develop a rich and
strong love for God.
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The digital revolution requires dramatic changes by publishers and retailers alike
It’s important to listen for God’s whispers above the noisy winds of change
Many of us in the Christian retail world have viewed the advent of digital publishing as just another pressure to add to the competition from the general market—but it could turn out to offer us an unlikely opportunity.
Mark D. Taylor, President/CEO, Tyndale House Publishers
Industry Issues
