BTS products sport fashion, ergonomic styles, new features

Drug Store News,  Oct 19, 1998  

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Today' s students tote the same school supplies their parents did, and then some. Kids carry pencils, pencil pouches, notebooks, pens, portfolios, highlighters and zipper binders. These days, they also carry backpacks, organizing products, such as student planners, portable media carrying cases for disks and CDs and clear-view binders and planners so they can personalize the covers of their notebooks and planners with photos and memorabilia.

New products in all these segments, many with licensed designs, will be on display at the upcoming School & Home Office Products Association Show in Atlanta Nov. 4 to Nov. 7.

Besides viewing what kids will want their parents to buy for them next fall, chain drug buyers at SHOPA will be on the lookout for products in the growing computer supplies category. Growing use of computers at home and school is spurring the need for products to organize and carry along disks, CD ROMs and Zip drives--products such as Mead's Tech Mates line of media carrying devices. Last month, Mead took a further step in this direction by agreeing to acquire Creative Point, known for its multimedia, consumer electronic and computer accessories.

In other acquisition news in recent months, Pen-Tab took Stuart Hall off Newell's hands in June and has plans for combining the strengths of the two companies with Stuart Hall's collection of licenses.

In back-to-school products, the value-added trend continues to please consumers with new feature upgrades and on-pack and in-pack offers. Avery, for example, will offer a free At-A-Glance planner inside its American Basics zipper binder. Another version of value-added is Binney & Smith's count increase for its Crayola Color Changeables and Crayola Fun Scents. Both were 8 count; now they are 10 count, and for the same price.

New products

These and other back-to-school and home office trends are described in the following preview of new products to be featured at SHOPA in November. (Additional new items will be covered after the show in the Nov. 23 issue of Drug Store News.)

* Avery Dennison will introduce several new binders, each a trade up from Avery's standard binders. New products include the Avery Picture View Binder, which has two viewing layers on the cover (with small pockets on one layer, and a larger or standard view layer) to hold 3-inch-by-5-inch or 4-inch-by6-inch photos or business cards. "We found the view binder market is the fastest growing. Students of both sexes are putting collages in their view binders and we're looking for ways to help their creative efforts," said Laurel Joe, assistant product manager of binder marketing. The 1-1/2 inch thick binders come in two SKUs: one in four colors (white, blue, purple and pink); the other in white only.

Another new binder is the Decorated View Binder in decorated vinyl with a design that can serve as background for personal photos or clippings.

Three other new binders are the Sports Binder in three designs (a surfer, a skateboarder and a snow boarder); the Accent binder, which also comes in three designs and is mainly targeted to girls; and the Camouflage binder, which Avery reported as testing well with both boys and girls. It comes in three versions of the classic camouflage pattern (khaki, blue or green).

Another new product from Avery is the Avery Metallic Polybinder, a 1-inch thick polypropylene binder double layered with a metallic exterior (either black metallic, green, gray, blue or maroon) and a matte black interior.

For BTS 1999, Avery's East Pack binders will be available in new designs. Avery will also introduce a new American Basics zipper binder (promotional plans include a free At-A-Glance academic calendar inside the binder).

The new Avery Non-Stick Binder is durable and comes in both a standard and a view binder (the polypropylene's benefit is no stuck sheets, which sometimes occurs against the inside or in the view area of a binder, especially with sheets printed from a laser printer). The view version comes in white and black; the standard in maroon, green, black and blue.

In promotions for BTS '99, Avery will add an in-pack bonus with its economy Durable Binder of an Avery Glue Pen, with a similar bonus offer for its Durable View binder. Avery's acid-free Glue Pen will be launched in a new disposable (to complement its refillable version) at a lower price point.

* Binney & Smith will introduce Crayola Color Slicks Crayons, a new specialty crayon designed to give rich, intense colors and to provide smooth coverage on paper. The product is targeted to the four to seven age group. Also new from Binney & Smith, which the manufacturer expects to be of interest to drug chain buyers, are three new extensions to the Crayola Ministampers line: Expressions (targeted to girls, with shapes such as hearts, stars and music notes), Animals (for boys and girls, with designs such as a cat, penguin, fish, seahorse and rabbit) and Four Seasons (holiday and seasonal designs, including a pumpkin, autumn leaves, a snowman, ladybug and a half moon).