The Biz: The Grapevine

Looking for that unique children’s gift that will be a favorite for years to come? How about a Butterscotch Blankee? While the monogram design trend is hot at the moment, Butterscotch Blankees’ founder Jodie Roth has always believed that a monogram is a timeless, classic feature, which is why she decided to make it the cornerstone of Butterscotch’s design offerings. Each product is available for the customer to choose between numerous design, color and monogramming choices. All products are handmade in the USA and wrapped for gifting like a Butterscotch candy.

Families have so many occasions to celebrate, from birthdays to holidays to weddings. Each milestone is a chance to get together with loved ones and observe rich traditions. Many times this means putting your best foot forward, wearing clothing that suits the day and fits just right. When there are kids involved, this can be a bit of a challenge. Most stores usually carry only a small selection of special occasion wear for children, and the choices don’t always have the style and quality that parents are seeking to find. Enter Mini Treasure Kids, also known as MTK, a line of eye-catching, quality upscale clothing for girls and boys.

School is back in session and some of that summer brain drain is showing up in full force. As kids struggle to adjust to new schedules and schools, your store can help bring them back to basics with NumbersAlive! After more than 30 years of working with and teaching about numbers, Dr. Rebecca Klemm founded NumbersAlive!, an innovative framework for demystifying numbers and math. Presented as fun and friendly characters rather than complicated facts and figures, numbers come alive outside of math in areas like art, science, architecture, sports, nature, culture, and folklore.

There’s a new way to look at diaper bags. Up to now, no company had delved into the world of microbes (aka icky germs) or anti-stick coatings, but that’s changed due to this dynamic duo of new licensed diaper bags: Ju-Ju-Be has begun a collaboration with Hello Kitty, the iconic brand everyone adores. The new Kitty collection features signature diaper bag designs in a range of shapes with –– retailers take note –– a custom print; bow zipper pulls; and super-cute, functional hidden surprises such as embroidery details inside each bag. Invite shoppers to peer inside the bag to get a look at the “hidden” three apples, a nod to Hello Kitty who herself is three apples tall and weighs five apples.