Wholesale Product News

New Product Issue of Direct Marketing Digest -- Dozens of Hot New Products to Sell

2010-08-02T15:48:00.000-06:00

If you sell on the Web, by Catalog, on TV, or through Kiosk's -- this special issue of Direct Marketing Digest is filled with new products for you to sell. Forget about finding these new products at the big wholesale shows...they're not there.

This is the first major introduction for many of these products...some exclusively found only in the pages of this special new product issue of Direct Marketing Digest.

New products are the life-blood of any direct marketing merchant...you need something new to tell your customers about all the time -- You Will Find New Products Here! And many have drop-ship options.

Download your issue at no cost today here!
http://www.nmoa.org/Products/WholesaleProductCatalog01.pdf

NPD Reports on 2009 Athletic Footwear & Sports Apparel Market

2010-03-11T08:50:00.001-06:00

Findings Show Valuable Lessons Where Growth Happened

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.--According to The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company, the athletic footwear market is starting to show signs of shifting momentum.

Overall the athletic footwear market declined less in 2009 than it did in 2008. In 2009 athletic footwear sales posted a 1.4 percent decline and in 2008 sales were down 3.2 percent.

U.S. Athletic Footwear Market
% Change based on Dollar Volume Sales

% Change % Change
2007 vs. 2008 2008 vs. 2009
Total Athletic Footwear -3.2% -1.4%
Men's 0.4% -3.0%
Women's -6.4% 0.6%
Boy's -4.6% 1.0%
Girl's -5.9% 0.6%
Infant/Toddler -13.3% -4.8%

Source: The NPD Group, Inc. /Consumer Tracking Service

Looking at the gender breakouts the women’s market finished in positive territory up 0.6 percent while the men’s market posted a 3 percent decline.

“In other areas of the fashion industry women make up the lion’s share of the market, but not here,” observed Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst, The NPD Group, Inc. “Much of the success in women’s can be attributed to toning and shaping footwear. In the men’s market that is not so. The challenge is for brands to get men to pick up on this trend. Not the toning and shaping trend necessarily but they may just jump on the comfort and wellness bandwagon.”

Fourth quarter results in the athletic footwear market, showed growth. Some categories of note are: casual athletic, +2.3 percent; hiking, +9.2 percent; and walking +57 percent which was driven by sales of toning and shaping footwear.

“Fourth quarter results, here again, show the consumer’s focus on footwear for holiday and for the third consecutive year,” said Cohen. “The footwear industry as a whole doesn't think of itself as a holiday business but these results indicate they might want to rethink their position.”

Taking a look at the categories in athletic footwear that have traditionally been the top performers by dollar share is evidence of continued challenges. In particular, the two stalwarts of the athletic footwear market, basketball and running, continue to post declines. The declines suffered in basketball can be attributed to the decline in the sales of classics.

Athletic Footwear Categories
% Change by Dollar Sales

% Change
2008 vs. 2009
Skate -0.4%
Running -0.6%
Basketball -7.5%
Casual Athletic 0.3%
Hiking 5.3%
Waking 15.3%

Source: The NPD Group, Inc. /Consumer Tracking Service

“The number one reason people don't participate in a sport is motivation, or lack thereof. And the lack of innovative product reduces consumer’s motivation to purchase,” said Cohen. “The brands that understand and play the motivation card in two ways and can ultimately win this race.”

Additionally, the sales of active apparel have dropped 4 percent as have the sales of sport use apparel (-5.5 percent).

“I see this as an additional indicator that the market needs to convince consumers that there are new, exciting, and innovative products awaiting their purchases,” observed Cohen. “Beyond the need to just get better, the industry needs to understand that if you give consumers something they can relate to, something that they need as well as make them understand that the product is indeed new and unique consumers will buy, even in challenging times.”

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us, visit http://www.npd.com/, or follow us Twitter at https://twitter.com/marshalcohen and https://twitter.com/npdfashion. Become a fan of Marshal Cohen at http://www.facebook.com/npdmarshalcohen.

Tiger Trend Work Clothing

2010-01-15T16:27:00.008-06:00

Here is a full line of apparel that is made exclusively for the tradesman and handyman. Weather your customers are carpenters, roofers, painters, drywall installers or tapers, tile installers, plumbers, masons, electricians, or some other trade, this is a super clothing line that appeals to those that work with tools, and need something better than a standard pair of jeans.

This line is growing in popularity fast on the West Coast, so now is the time to introduce it to your customers before someone else does.For more pictures and details on Tiger Trend Clothing Line, please click here.

Back Booster Inflatable Lumbar Support

2010-01-14T14:13:00.003-06:00

Unlike traditional lumbar supports the Back Booster is inflatable, allowing customizable levels of support. When not in use, the Back Booster fits into the included nylon carry bag for storage in a pocket, purse, or briefcase. That would be very difficult with a traditional lumbar support.

Our product makes almost and chair or seat more comfortable. It also provides support for the low back, while being very easy to transport. Our product allows people to experience low back support in a very convenient and rather inexpensive way.

Click here for more information about the
Back Booster - inflatable lumbar support:
http://www.nmoa.org/Products/backbooster.asp

WondaWedge Inflatable Lounge and Back Support

2010-01-14T09:42:00.004-06:00

WondaWedge is the ONLY inflatable back support pillow designed by a physiotherapist, allowing the user to set their own comfort level.

The WondaWedge is a super handy and useful product that solves the problem of "convenient" outdoor lounging.

The unique thing that sets the WondaWedge apart from any other outdoor lounging product is "Inflatability," because it allows users to set their own comfort level, and allows the product to fold down for travel and storage. Other products in this category do not offer this feature.

It’s the ONLY lightweight, easily transportable, waterproof beach or outdoor recreational lounger.

Click here for more WondaWedge info.

It’s all about the shoes: Women choose shoes over other accessories to complete their looks

2010-01-14T09:28:00.000-06:00

CHICAGO-- Carrie Bradshaw had it right: the shoes make the outfit. At least, that’s what today’s working women believe as more than three in five (64%) told Mintel they rely on footwear to complete or change the look of their work clothes.

Mintel’s new survey on women’s attitudes towards work attire found that women turn to shoes and dress boots over other types of accessories. Jewelry is the working woman’s second most popular embellishment, with 52% saying they finish their looks with necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Less popular are purses, belts and scarves, used by less than one in three women to complete or change their work styles.

“Shoes and boots have come into the fashion forefront as women look for ways to make their outfits stand out,” comments Kay Fay, senior analyst at Mintel. “Shows like ‘Sex and the City’ and even first lady Michelle Obama’s bold footwear choices reinforce the shoe as a statement piece. Today’s woman changes from stiletto heels to ballet flats to knee-high boots, often in the course of one day!”

Younger women are most likely to say they put their best foot forward at work with purposefully chosen shoes and dress boots. Seven in 10 women aged 18-34 and 67% of women aged 35-44 say they use footwear to complete or change the look of their work clothes. These younger women are also most likely to wear one pair of shoes into the office, then change into something more stylish at work (44% of 18-34 year-old women versus less than a third of women 35 and up).

“Demanding shoe styles, especially those with sky high heels, aren’t ideal for walking long distances. But many young women don’t care; they’re perfectly content to cart in a second pair of shoes so they can commute in comfort yet look stylish in the office,” explains Kat Fay.

Mintel’s survey found a strong 82% of working women say they dress to please themselves, while only one in three (34%) say they like to keep up with the latest fashions. Not surprisingly, younger women are the most trend-conscious: 46% of 18-34 year-olds say they like keeping up with the trends. Nearly half of the 18-24 sect (47%) enjoy experimenting with new styles compared to 33% of working women overall.
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About Mintel
Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence. For more than 35 years, Mintel has provided insight into key worldwide trends, offering exclusive data and analysis that directly impacts client success. With offices in Chicago, New York, London, Sydney, Shanghai and Tokyo, Mintel has forged a unique reputation as a world-renowned business brand. For more information on Mintel, please visit www.mintel.com. Follow Mintel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mintelnews

New Products to Sell - Wholesale Only

Ten Trends to Watch in Packaged Goods in 2010

2010-01-08T18:57:00.001-06:00

New York, NY – 2010 – Animal lovers have something to cheer about in 2010 as market research firm Datamonitor predicts a banner year for products sporting the “free range” moniker as a growing number of food companies will be hailing humanely-raised protein products. 2010 is also expected to be a big year for a new generation of biodegradable plastics that may succeed in greening the image of plastic water bottles. Among ten emerging trends expected to blossom are new generation superfruits like baobab and borojo, growth in the use of sustainable ingredients like bamboo and a renewed “back to basics” approach when it comes to product ingredients.

A More Humane World
Forget about human rights (for a moment). Animal rights have emerged as a growing worldwide concern as consumers want to know more about how the foods they eat were raised and prepared. For example, the “free range” product claim commonly used identify how poultry are raised has nearly doubled in frequency for new food products launched worldwide since 2006 per Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics.
Look for this trend to accelerate in 2010 as foodservice chains follow the trail blazed by leading-edge CPG companies into humanely-raised products.

Meat – The New Boss
With all apologizes to The Who, meat is definitely making a play to be the “new boss” in 2010 and meat is nothing like the “old boss.” Meat’s burgeoning popularity on the flavor front helps to explain some of the more bizarre product launches over the past few months including meat-flavored lollipops (Das Lolli Man Bait), potato chips (Mackie’s of Scotland Haggis and Cracked Black Pepper Potato Chips), chocolate candy (Mo’s Dark Bacon Bar) and even vodka (Bakon Premium Bacon Flavored Vodka). Can meat-flavored ice cream, yogurt or fruit juice be far behind?

Diamonds Are Forever, Plastic Isn’t
One of the great attributes of plastic is that is lasts – for what seems like forever. But that’s also one of its greatest drawbacks. Plastic that is not recycled often ends up in landfills where it can persist for centuries. But that is changing. New types of degradable packaging enable plastic to biodegrade in years, not centuries. The key is additives like EcoPure or Reverte that help plastic biodegrade more quickly and safely than it ordinarily would. The bottled water market has been ground zero for this trend with entries like Aquamantra Natural Spring Water in Enso bottles and State of Mind Bottled Water in Reverte Back to Nature bottles. Look for this trend to accelerate in 2010 and move beyond the bottled water market to other categories.

Skin Care You Wear
What if the clothes you wear every day could enhance the health of your skin and improve your appearance? Sound far fetched? Maybe not, as innovations like skin-enhancing bedding from London Luxury show that wearable skincare could be a breakout hit in 2010 and beyond. These products utilize breakthroughs in nanotechnology to incorporate ultrafine particles like copper or aloe vera into clothing or bedding. SkinGlow brand bedding uses Cupron Copper Technology that professes to smooth or reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and more in just a few weeks of use. Skin care makers looking for a new wrinkle (no pun intended) and clothing makers looking for something new to ramp up sales could both be in luck.

More Muscular Functional Drinks
A decade ago, a brand called Red Bull took the soft drink market by storm, creating a new niche for energy drinks. Is history about to repeat itself with a drinks brand called Muscle Milk? Quietly, the protein-enhanced exercise recovery drink brand from Cytosport has crafted a following that suggests significant crossover potential for so-called “muscle” beverages that have long been aimed at weightlifters and power athletes. Muscle Milk and similar healthy and active lifestyle beverages could be the next hot niche within the functional drinks market.

Superfruits Get More Exotic
Indiana Jones may be done looking for the Holy Grail and other antiquities, but searchers trekking through rain forests, jungles and the wilds of South America, Southeast Asia and Africa are just getting started in the eternal quest to find the next hot superfruit. Candidates for 2010 and beyond include Baobab (a tart African fruit high in antioxidants), Borojo (a natural energizer from the jungles of South and Central America), Maqui (a berry native to South America said to have 8 times the antioxidants of blueberries) and Yumberry (technically “yang-mi” fruit – a super-high antioxidant tree fruit from China). Move over pomegranate, you’ve got some competition.

Ingredients: The Fewer, The Better
With “natural”’ and “organic” product claims displaying the same growth patterns as peak oil, the conundrum for packaged food and drinks companies around the world boils down to this: how do we say “better for you” and not just sing the same old songs? The newest technique is to take a machete to product ingredient lists. Out are ingredients that sound more at home in a chemistry lab and in their place are ingredients that most consumers recognize. Haagen-Dazs’ 5 Ice Cream illustrates the trend with just five ingredients for each ice cream flavor. Look for other packaged food and drinks makers to dance the limbo with product ingredient lists in 2010 and beyond.

Bamboo Cleans Up
Perhaps no substance has enjoyed more of a booster shot courtesy of the green movement than bamboo. Thanks to its outrageously-fast growth rate (it can grow as much as 24 inches in a single day), bamboo has become the ingredient of choice for companies that want to bolster their sustainability credentials. The substance has shown up in recent launches as disparate as dish-cleaning sponges and paper plates to baby wipes and cosmetics packaging. If bamboo was a stock, we’d issue a “buy” order.

Shots Aim For Success
While the shot format has been around for some time in various world markets for dairy-based drinks, the format has exploded in popularity in other markets. Almost singlehandedly, shots have elevated the energy drink market to new heights. The latest “shot” trend is the polar opposite of energy drinks – new relaxation “shots” that offer a non-alcoholic way to reduce stress. Examples include Koma Unwind Chillaxation Shot and Tranquila Relaxation Shot. All told, the number of new products featuring the words “shot” or “shots” has doubled since 2006, reports Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics.

A Gluten-Free World
Given the experience of food fads from the past such as low-carbohydrate foods which went from hero to zero in no time, one is always reluctant to anoint the next hot “free from” food trend.
But you have to give the gluten-free movement credit as it continues to strengthen each year. With the incidence of food-related allergies on the rise, things look good for suffers of celiac disease seeking products they can enjoy. Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics reports a doubling of new gluten-free products since 2005 with major consumer packaged goods companies now jumping on the bandwagon.
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About Datamonitor: Datamonitor is the world’s leading provider of online data, analytic and forecasting platforms for key vertical sectors. We help 6,000 of the world’s largest companies profit from better, timelier decisions. Datamonitor’s research covers six major industry sectors: automotive and logistics; consumer and retail; energy and utilities; financial services; healthcare; and technology. To learn more, visit us online at: www.datamonitor.com.

Media Center: Visit the new Datamonitor Media Center website and register to get full access to Datamonitor press releases. Just go to http://about.datamonitor.com/media.
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Start a Home Business using Direct Marketing Methods

2007-01-29T17:50:00.001-06:00

Use the Web, catalogs, direct mail, classified ads, display ads, and other direct marketing methods...to build your own home business from scratch!

The Direct Marketing Toolkit gives readers an introduction to understanding and using all major tools of the direct marketer for starting and building a small business from home.
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Would you like to have a direct marketing question answered here? Send it to; schulte@nmoa.org