ToyWatch, the high design plastic timepiece from Italy introduces ‘Heavy Metal Collection Version II’, the fuse plastic and metal wristwatch to create a fun, light and glimmering statement. The ToyWatch Heavy Metal collection is priced between 10,800 – 14,200 Baht and now available at ToyWatch counters at Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom, Central Ladprao, Central Pinklao, Central Chengwattana, Suvarnabhumi Airport, King Power at Rangnam, Zen Design Showcase and ToyWatch boutique at Central World, Central Festival Pattaya Beach. For more information, please visit www.toywatchthailand.com.
Nothing precious here when ToyWatch gets heavy. The ToyWatch Heavy Metal Version II collection is a real homage to lightness with focused on the steel-plasteramic contrast. The 33mm and 40 mm caliber offers traditional hues with black, white straps in the chronograph version for him and solo tempo version for her. The graduated heart of plasteramic strap, is where the metal combined by white silver, gold, pink gold and black gun. The classic black model is combined with silver and in the black gun version. The watch has quartz movement and mother-of-pearl dial and the plasteramic-steel mix looks very intriguing and elegant.
Heavy on the metal…easy on the eyes and weight with ToyWatch Heavy Metal Version II Collection.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Get a load of Blythe's house!
Shining out from the mountain of home decor at the just-sending Baan Lae Suan Fair is the answer to a weighty question for the modern era: Where, exactly, has Blythe been living?
The cute little doll might be homeless for all most people care but, fortunately, entrepreneur Donlacha Thammarot Teeraeakpakorn has come up a line of furniture for her, called Signorina.
Donlacha, a graphic designer and a veteran in interior design and furniture manufacture, has expanded with a range of ideas for the Hip Maker label.
Debuting at the annual Baan Lae Suan Fair, Signorina is miniature furniture for Blythe, but all of the pieces can be produced in human size too.
Donlacha accords Blythe the full stature of a princess, as she is in the eyes of her millions of fans, so the furniture is sweet and luxurious and vintage in style.
She hasn't lost sight of the need for functionality in the real world, though, and for actual people she's taken inspiration from the compact living spaces of Japanese cities.
"Our company has made everything there is in design," says Hip Maker marketing communicator Pitawan Laorsri, "from graphics and decoration for sales booths and shelves for the fairs to interior decor for houses and offices.
"Signorina is our latest idea:small-scale furniture for dolls that can be produced in full size as well."
The line includes a comfy bunk bed with drawers, a dressing table and a bookcase. Among the more playful-looking items for children are a bed and closet.
There's a choice of top-grade hardwoods in both the real and miniatures sizes.
The Signorina showroom has beds, dresswers, desks, wardrobes and bookcases and some items from Hong Kong, China and Japan.
A corner of full-size home decor is stocked with beautiful wooden cabinets, mirrors, resin photo frames that play music and ceramic lanterns that can be used as aromatic oil burners, all imported from China.
The cute little doll might be homeless for all most people care but, fortunately, entrepreneur Donlacha Thammarot Teeraeakpakorn has come up a line of furniture for her, called Signorina.
Donlacha, a graphic designer and a veteran in interior design and furniture manufacture, has expanded with a range of ideas for the Hip Maker label.
Debuting at the annual Baan Lae Suan Fair, Signorina is miniature furniture for Blythe, but all of the pieces can be produced in human size too.
Donlacha accords Blythe the full stature of a princess, as she is in the eyes of her millions of fans, so the furniture is sweet and luxurious and vintage in style.
She hasn't lost sight of the need for functionality in the real world, though, and for actual people she's taken inspiration from the compact living spaces of Japanese cities.
"Our company has made everything there is in design," says Hip Maker marketing communicator Pitawan Laorsri, "from graphics and decoration for sales booths and shelves for the fairs to interior decor for houses and offices.
"Signorina is our latest idea:small-scale furniture for dolls that can be produced in full size as well."
The line includes a comfy bunk bed with drawers, a dressing table and a bookcase. Among the more playful-looking items for children are a bed and closet.
There's a choice of top-grade hardwoods in both the real and miniatures sizes.
The Signorina showroom has beds, dresswers, desks, wardrobes and bookcases and some items from Hong Kong, China and Japan.
A corner of full-size home decor is stocked with beautiful wooden cabinets, mirrors, resin photo frames that play music and ceramic lanterns that can be used as aromatic oil burners, all imported from China.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Favourite Halloween masks in the US
Here's a way to frighten the neighbours on Halloween: wear a mask looking like convicted multi-billion-dollar swindler Bernard Madoff, a vampire-president "Barakula", or the late Michael Jackson.
Rubber masks of the trio are among the most popular purchases by Americans eager to shake off the economic doldrums and go trick-or-treating on Oct 31, costume sellers say.
While this ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favourite ghoul and behave like kids.
This year items related to the king of pop, Jackson, who died in June, are top sellers. Jackson loved Halloween, and revolutionised music videos with his 1983 clip Thriller , in which corpses rise from their graves and dance to a catchy tune.
Copies of the red leather jacket Jackson wore in the Thriller video sell well, and compete with replicas of the studded black outfit Jackson wore on the cover of his 1987 album Bad .Brad Butler, CEO of Halloween Express, said his company received a late hot seller:"Barakula", a ghoulish version of President Barack Obama's face with bugged-out eyes, Vulcan-style ears and knifesharp fangs.
"It's a mask that came late, but is going to over-sell all the others," Butler predicted. He said buyers snapped up his stock of 3,000 masks, and he has put in a rush order for another 6,000.
"It's the first time I see a presidential mask that takes it to the next level," Butler said, adding that they are more popular than the Bill Clinton masks from the 1990s.
Other political rubber masks include Obama's wife Michelle,Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former Hollywood action star and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Rubber masks of the trio are among the most popular purchases by Americans eager to shake off the economic doldrums and go trick-or-treating on Oct 31, costume sellers say.
While this ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favourite ghoul and behave like kids.
This year items related to the king of pop, Jackson, who died in June, are top sellers. Jackson loved Halloween, and revolutionised music videos with his 1983 clip Thriller , in which corpses rise from their graves and dance to a catchy tune.
Copies of the red leather jacket Jackson wore in the Thriller video sell well, and compete with replicas of the studded black outfit Jackson wore on the cover of his 1987 album Bad .Brad Butler, CEO of Halloween Express, said his company received a late hot seller:"Barakula", a ghoulish version of President Barack Obama's face with bugged-out eyes, Vulcan-style ears and knifesharp fangs.
"It's a mask that came late, but is going to over-sell all the others," Butler predicted. He said buyers snapped up his stock of 3,000 masks, and he has put in a rush order for another 6,000.
"It's the first time I see a presidential mask that takes it to the next level," Butler said, adding that they are more popular than the Bill Clinton masks from the 1990s.
Other political rubber masks include Obama's wife Michelle,Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former Hollywood action star and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Friday, October 30, 2009
BABY PRODUCTS MARKET BUCKS ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
The baby-products market has continued to grow rapidly this year despite the economic chaos, as parents, particularly new mothers, have demonstrated a willingness to maintain spending on their children by cutting their own expenditures.
Darunee Areedumrikul, marketing manager at Play for Kids, a vendor of bedding and furniture for children up to three-year-olds, said the company has not been affected significantly by the economic turmoil.
"Our sales of baby products grew by almost 30 per cent in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year," she said.
Darunee said that sales of toys, however, had been affected as parents had reduced the number of pieces purchased per store visit.
Sales of toys had fallen 20 per cent year on year in the first nine months of 2009, she said.
"New mothers normally budget between Bt30,000 and Bt40,000 on average for the first purchase of baby furniture and accessories, such as milk bottles and apparel," she said.
Arweewan Saliwattana, 29, saw the potential of the baby-apparel business after having her first daughter. She set up her own shop, Katie Croll, at the beginning of this year, selling apparel for children up to four years old.
"We've just have our first kid, and feel there is great potential for baby apparel, as they are considered essential products by parents," she said.
Arweewan herself has spent almost Bt50,000 purchasing baby products, accessories and toys for her daughter this year.
"I myself don't want to cut spending even on toys, as they help my child develop both physically and mentally," said Arweewan.
Tawadchai Thanyachalerm, director for consumer products at US Summit Corp, which distributes baby-care products and accessories under the Pureen brand, said the company achieved 3-per-cent growth year on year growth in the first nine months of 2009. This exceeded the firm's target of flat growth due to the Kingdom's economic and political problems.
"We have adjusted our marketing strategy by allocating money to focus on below-the-line activities, such as sales promotions and trade shows, rather than mainstream advertising. By doing so, the company is able to communicate directly with our target customers," said Tawadchai.
"We have observed, however, that parents are taking more time evaluating products for their children. They have given priority concern to the ingredients and safety of the products they want to buy, rather than prices," he said.
Krit Sakulpanich, managing director of Dream Express (DEX), which has local broadcasting and distribution rights for many well-known animated and super-hero TV series from Japan, said the company's sales of VCD products dropped by a significant 30 per cent so far this year compared to the same period of last year. The nine-month sales figure remained stagnant for DVDs.
"During the economic difficulties, we have seen a larger number of illegal downloads of our cartoon and TV series. The number of pirated VCD and DVD products has increased in the market, particularly in such locations such as Klong Thom, Sapanlek, Ban Mo and Seacon Square," said Krit.
Some pirated DVDs contain the content of five VCDs downloaded into one disc. They are sold on the black market at Bt50 to Bt100 each, Krit said.
"What we have to do to fight against piracy is to add new products, such as apparel and accessories, to our portfolio," he said.
Krit said the company would launch 10 new licensed animated and super-hero TV series from Japan next year, including "Gundam Double O", "Ultraman Mebius", "Phone Braver 7", "Bakugan New Vestroia", "Mask Rider Kiva", "The Salads World" and "Pretty Cure 3".
Sakeson Thammawon, general manager of Dream Apparel, a wholly owned unit of Dream Express set up at the middle of last year to sell licensed apparels for animated and super-hero TV series, said the company would next year open its own sales counters at department stores. The company's apparel and accessory products are now sold via wholesale and hypermarket channels.
"We plan to double the number of stock keeping units [SKUs] for our apparel and accessory products next year. There are currently more than 100 SKUs in our apparel and accessories portfolio," said Sakeson.
He said Dream Apparel expected to achieve Bt40 million in sales this year, which will amount to 20 percent of Dream Express' overall sales. The company expected apparel sales to grow by almost 50 percent next year.
Dream Express expected its sales to reach Bt200 million by the end of this year, the same level as last year.
Darunee Areedumrikul, marketing manager at Play for Kids, a vendor of bedding and furniture for children up to three-year-olds, said the company has not been affected significantly by the economic turmoil.
"Our sales of baby products grew by almost 30 per cent in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year," she said.
Darunee said that sales of toys, however, had been affected as parents had reduced the number of pieces purchased per store visit.
Sales of toys had fallen 20 per cent year on year in the first nine months of 2009, she said.
"New mothers normally budget between Bt30,000 and Bt40,000 on average for the first purchase of baby furniture and accessories, such as milk bottles and apparel," she said.
Arweewan Saliwattana, 29, saw the potential of the baby-apparel business after having her first daughter. She set up her own shop, Katie Croll, at the beginning of this year, selling apparel for children up to four years old.
"We've just have our first kid, and feel there is great potential for baby apparel, as they are considered essential products by parents," she said.
Arweewan herself has spent almost Bt50,000 purchasing baby products, accessories and toys for her daughter this year.
"I myself don't want to cut spending even on toys, as they help my child develop both physically and mentally," said Arweewan.
Tawadchai Thanyachalerm, director for consumer products at US Summit Corp, which distributes baby-care products and accessories under the Pureen brand, said the company achieved 3-per-cent growth year on year growth in the first nine months of 2009. This exceeded the firm's target of flat growth due to the Kingdom's economic and political problems.
"We have adjusted our marketing strategy by allocating money to focus on below-the-line activities, such as sales promotions and trade shows, rather than mainstream advertising. By doing so, the company is able to communicate directly with our target customers," said Tawadchai.
"We have observed, however, that parents are taking more time evaluating products for their children. They have given priority concern to the ingredients and safety of the products they want to buy, rather than prices," he said.
Krit Sakulpanich, managing director of Dream Express (DEX), which has local broadcasting and distribution rights for many well-known animated and super-hero TV series from Japan, said the company's sales of VCD products dropped by a significant 30 per cent so far this year compared to the same period of last year. The nine-month sales figure remained stagnant for DVDs.
"During the economic difficulties, we have seen a larger number of illegal downloads of our cartoon and TV series. The number of pirated VCD and DVD products has increased in the market, particularly in such locations such as Klong Thom, Sapanlek, Ban Mo and Seacon Square," said Krit.
Some pirated DVDs contain the content of five VCDs downloaded into one disc. They are sold on the black market at Bt50 to Bt100 each, Krit said.
"What we have to do to fight against piracy is to add new products, such as apparel and accessories, to our portfolio," he said.
Krit said the company would launch 10 new licensed animated and super-hero TV series from Japan next year, including "Gundam Double O", "Ultraman Mebius", "Phone Braver 7", "Bakugan New Vestroia", "Mask Rider Kiva", "The Salads World" and "Pretty Cure 3".
Sakeson Thammawon, general manager of Dream Apparel, a wholly owned unit of Dream Express set up at the middle of last year to sell licensed apparels for animated and super-hero TV series, said the company would next year open its own sales counters at department stores. The company's apparel and accessory products are now sold via wholesale and hypermarket channels.
"We plan to double the number of stock keeping units [SKUs] for our apparel and accessory products next year. There are currently more than 100 SKUs in our apparel and accessories portfolio," said Sakeson.
He said Dream Apparel expected to achieve Bt40 million in sales this year, which will amount to 20 percent of Dream Express' overall sales. The company expected apparel sales to grow by almost 50 percent next year.
Dream Express expected its sales to reach Bt200 million by the end of this year, the same level as last year.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Magnificent seven
In the most important, most revered event since the invention of the brontosaurus trap,Microsoft shipped the most incredibly fabulous operating system ever made; the release of Windows 7 also spurred a new generation of personal computers of all sizes at prices well below last month's offers.The top reason Windows 7 does not suck: There is no registered website called Windows7Sucks.com
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Happy birthday Hello Kitty!
Central Department Store will celebrate Hello Kitty's 35th anniversary this year with "Hello Kitty 35th Anniversary". This year's celebration will be more extravagant than ever as five leading Thai designers from Thai boutiques including Senada Theory,Disaya, Kloset, Playhound and Kunitar will design special dresses for this little cat's birthday festival.
Chanita Preechawitayakul, founder and designer of Senada Theory, brings out Hello Kitty in a romantic French style with luxurious embroidery and diamonds, a version that people have never seen before.Disaya Sorakraikitikul creates a new look for Hello Kitty with an elegant and short evening dress, which also is related to her Autumn/Winter collection. Mollika Ruangkritya, founder and designer of Kloset,launches Hello Kitty in a loose dress with embroidered glittering bead works and chiffon to create a much sweeter look that contrasts women's dress style nowadays,which look less feminine. Ornvimon Seniwon na Ayudhya, designer of Playhound, adapts Hello Kitty under the concept of "Future in the Raw". The use of tree patterns in her design aims to express the simplicity of nature and environment.Founder and designer of Kunitar Saruda Nimpitakpong utilises a wedding theme as Hello Kitty's age. Sweet Kunitar style still remains with an addition of a bridal veil and a pink pearl necklace.
These five specially designed Hello Kitty designs will go on auction during the opening ceremony, which will be held tomorrow at Central Plaza Pinklao at 3pm. Prceeds will go to the Wishing Well Foundation, a non-profit orgaisation that brings joy to children with life-threatening diseases by providing them with their most wanted wishes in life.
Also, there will be special activities including an exhibition feturing the history of Hello Kitty, from 1974 until today, as well as a dance show and puzzle games.
"Hello Kitty 35th Anniversary" will run until November 29.Call 02-793-7416-20,fax 02-255-6959 or visit www.central.co.th.
Chanita Preechawitayakul, founder and designer of Senada Theory, brings out Hello Kitty in a romantic French style with luxurious embroidery and diamonds, a version that people have never seen before.Disaya Sorakraikitikul creates a new look for Hello Kitty with an elegant and short evening dress, which also is related to her Autumn/Winter collection. Mollika Ruangkritya, founder and designer of Kloset,launches Hello Kitty in a loose dress with embroidered glittering bead works and chiffon to create a much sweeter look that contrasts women's dress style nowadays,which look less feminine. Ornvimon Seniwon na Ayudhya, designer of Playhound, adapts Hello Kitty under the concept of "Future in the Raw". The use of tree patterns in her design aims to express the simplicity of nature and environment.Founder and designer of Kunitar Saruda Nimpitakpong utilises a wedding theme as Hello Kitty's age. Sweet Kunitar style still remains with an addition of a bridal veil and a pink pearl necklace.
These five specially designed Hello Kitty designs will go on auction during the opening ceremony, which will be held tomorrow at Central Plaza Pinklao at 3pm. Prceeds will go to the Wishing Well Foundation, a non-profit orgaisation that brings joy to children with life-threatening diseases by providing them with their most wanted wishes in life.
Also, there will be special activities including an exhibition feturing the history of Hello Kitty, from 1974 until today, as well as a dance show and puzzle games.
"Hello Kitty 35th Anniversary" will run until November 29.Call 02-793-7416-20,fax 02-255-6959 or visit www.central.co.th.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
BLACK BARBIES DRAW MIXED REVIEWS FROM A AFRICAN-AMERICANS
Mattel has launched a new line of black Barbie dolls with fuller lips, a wider nose and more pronounced cheek bones- a far cry from Christie, Barbie's black friend who debuted in the 1960s and was essentially a white doll painted brown.
The "So In style" line, which hit mass retailers last month, features BFFs Grace, Kara and Trichelle, each with her own style and interests and a little sister she mentors: Courtney, Janessa and Kianna. The dolls reflect varying skin tones - light brown, chocolate, and caramel - and Trichelle and Kianna have curlier hair.
Barbie designer Stacey McBride-lrby, who is black and has a six-year-old daughter, said she wanted to create a line of dolls for young black girls that looked like them and were inspirational and career-minded. For example, Kara is interested in maths and music.
"I want them to see themselves within these dolls, and let them know that black is beautiful," she said.
Many black women are praising Mattel for its efforts - Black Barbie hit the shelves in 1980 with white features shared by many of the dolls following her.
But some say the long straight hair does not address the beauty issues that many black girls struggle with. In the black community, long, straight hair is often considered more beautiful than short kinky hair.
Chris Rock highlights the issue in his "Good Hair" documentary and shows balck women straightening their tight curls with harsh chemicals and purchasing thousand-dollar hair weaves.
"Why are we always pushing this standard of long hair on our girls?" asked Gail
The "So In style" line, which hit mass retailers last month, features BFFs Grace, Kara and Trichelle, each with her own style and interests and a little sister she mentors: Courtney, Janessa and Kianna. The dolls reflect varying skin tones - light brown, chocolate, and caramel - and Trichelle and Kianna have curlier hair.
Barbie designer Stacey McBride-lrby, who is black and has a six-year-old daughter, said she wanted to create a line of dolls for young black girls that looked like them and were inspirational and career-minded. For example, Kara is interested in maths and music.
"I want them to see themselves within these dolls, and let them know that black is beautiful," she said.
Many black women are praising Mattel for its efforts - Black Barbie hit the shelves in 1980 with white features shared by many of the dolls following her.
But some say the long straight hair does not address the beauty issues that many black girls struggle with. In the black community, long, straight hair is often considered more beautiful than short kinky hair.
Chris Rock highlights the issue in his "Good Hair" documentary and shows balck women straightening their tight curls with harsh chemicals and purchasing thousand-dollar hair weaves.
"Why are we always pushing this standard of long hair on our girls?" asked Gail
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Make time for Teira
Blythe is bliss for some, but top celebrities Khemanit "Pancake" Jamikorn and Sukollawat "Weir" Kanarot are happier with your basic, cuddly teddy bear.
They caused a buzz in Siam Square last week when they opened a branch of Teddy House, the shops that specialise in cute teddies and the cute clothes they wear.
They even designed Teira Zeira, the star of the store, who's available in a "Party" mood, looking a whole lot like Weir in a smart black tuxedo, and resembling Pancake in a beautiful silk evening dress.
Or you can get the "Sport" Teira in eye-catching outfits ready for golf, and "Casual" Teira in fashionable plaid shirts and blue jeans.
Part of a chain with more than half a dozen outlets in Thailand, this store is the biggest so far, occupying three storeys.
The first floor is piled high with fluffy teddy bears in brown and white, varying in size from five to 60 inches. There's a dressing corner where you can choose a skirt, shirt, dress, jeans, trousers, shoes, bag, eyeglasses glasses, sports equipment and even underwear and a bikini for you bear.
Teddy collectors head straight for the second floor to admire the limited-edition Teira Zeira and the Mohair Bear collection, made of soft wool from Germany.
The shelves are filled with Teirz Zeira accessories - white T-shirts, ceramic ware, handbags, cosmetic bags and pencil cases - and there's a coffee corner with comfy sofas that serves pancakes and strawberry smoothies.
Up on the third floor, the younger crowd gathers to chat, dance and sometimes act. Workshops on making teddy bears are held there, but if a little bear shows up who's been injured, he's rushed to the store's Teddy Clinic.
IT'S BEAR, EDWARD BEAR
Teddy House is at 424/7-8 Siam Square Soi 11 and open daily from 10 to 9. Call (02) 658 3932 or visit www.TeddyHouse.com.
They caused a buzz in Siam Square last week when they opened a branch of Teddy House, the shops that specialise in cute teddies and the cute clothes they wear.
They even designed Teira Zeira, the star of the store, who's available in a "Party" mood, looking a whole lot like Weir in a smart black tuxedo, and resembling Pancake in a beautiful silk evening dress.
Or you can get the "Sport" Teira in eye-catching outfits ready for golf, and "Casual" Teira in fashionable plaid shirts and blue jeans.
Part of a chain with more than half a dozen outlets in Thailand, this store is the biggest so far, occupying three storeys.
The first floor is piled high with fluffy teddy bears in brown and white, varying in size from five to 60 inches. There's a dressing corner where you can choose a skirt, shirt, dress, jeans, trousers, shoes, bag, eyeglasses glasses, sports equipment and even underwear and a bikini for you bear.
Teddy collectors head straight for the second floor to admire the limited-edition Teira Zeira and the Mohair Bear collection, made of soft wool from Germany.
The shelves are filled with Teirz Zeira accessories - white T-shirts, ceramic ware, handbags, cosmetic bags and pencil cases - and there's a coffee corner with comfy sofas that serves pancakes and strawberry smoothies.
Up on the third floor, the younger crowd gathers to chat, dance and sometimes act. Workshops on making teddy bears are held there, but if a little bear shows up who's been injured, he's rushed to the store's Teddy Clinic.
IT'S BEAR, EDWARD BEAR
Teddy House is at 424/7-8 Siam Square Soi 11 and open daily from 10 to 9. Call (02) 658 3932 or visit www.TeddyHouse.com.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
JETTING AWAY, A BROKEN HOME, ONLY SKIN DEEP, BIG TROUBLE IN THE LITTLE HOUSE
The media is working overtime to establish links between a pop star's plans to buy a lavish home with its own private runway and golf course,and her ties to wealthy former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
News that R&B singer Saranrat "Lydia" Wisutthithada is buying a 40 million baht home with its own golf course, airstrip and small private plane, has set off a storm of speculation that Thaksin, a family friend, gave her the money.
When that line of attack - oops,inquiry - failed, they tried another one on hapless Lydia, who plans to take flying lessons so she can get about in her new private jet: So, will you make any flying trips to see him?
Lydia denies it all patiently - no,she didn't ask Thaksin for the money,and nor does she intend taking her plane to visit the fugitive former leader - but adds she is getting tired of living her life in the man's shadow.
"My parents are unhappy about the idle speculation linking us back to Thaksin, as my family made its own money. My grandparents started a road construction business, and for them 40 million baht would be easy to find."
The media's response?"Lydia brags she's worth at least 40 million baht", crowed the anti-Thaksin Manager ASTV newspaper.Lydia said she is bored with such one-eyed coverage."Everything we do gets linked back to Thaksin. Even my boyfriend [singer Matthew Dean]has been besieged by journalists,"she complained.
"We're not paying such a large amount of money up front. All you can see at the moment is a vacant plot of land.
"If we decide to buy, we will pay it off in instalments, like anyone else."
Her family has signed an expression of interest, but has yet to stump up any money.
"My parents run a golf course business, so they were interested in the golf. And they've thrown in a private aircraft as part of the deal,which I like, as it could be the transport mode of the future. I start flying lessons next month," said Lydia.
Her home, to be built on a 1,600 square metre plot, and known as Airborne 1, will include three bedrooms, three bathrooms,servants' quarters, a swimming pool,two-car garage and parking space for a small private jet.
Best Ocean Air Park, a 10,000 million baht development in Rama II Road, Samut Sakhon, has a housing village, sports complex, hotel,58-hole golf course,airport and private runway.
Not quite home free
The mother of model,actor and DJ Pakorn "Dome" Lum is on the warpath against crooked house builders.
Rattanaporn Koophirom is taking legal action against a building company after the firm failed to finish construction of her six million baht home as contracted.
The company left the job half done,scarpered and changed its name,forcing her to hire another contractor to finish the job, at a cost of an extra three million baht, or 8.3 million baht in total.
The saga has dragged on more than three-and-a-half years, and the house is still not finished. She has paid the company 5.5 million baht.Mrs Rattanaporn wants her money back from the company, formerly known as Queen House Ltd.
When she heard that the firm had treated other clients in the same way, she encouraged them to sign their names to a joint fraud action,which elevated the dispute from a mere civil matter to a criminal case.Dome's mum and 10 other homeowners have now laid a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division police. They say they are out of pocket by 50 million baht.
Mrs Rattanaporn said the company offered to build homes with no-cost extras such as a water tank,automatic doors, air conditioning and closed-circuit television security system. She saw them advertise in magazines and home and garden shows.
She signed a contract for a twostorey home on Kaset-Nawamin Road."The job was supposed to take one year, but after 18 months the company's builders had finished just 50%. They just upped and left, with
no explanation," she said.
She had visited the company, where staff were unwilling to meet her gaze and were reluctant to help.
Dome said he wanted to build the place for his mum, and was disappointed when the company failed to finish the job."If we wanted to take legal action against them for breach of contract,we would have to do it in the civil court.
"Mum thought this was not enough, and has gathered evidence from other damaged parties, so we are now able to lay a criminal complaint of fraud," he said.
The CSD says it will contact the company's principals to get them to acknowledge the complaint.
Storm in a teacup
Actor Arak "Pae" Amornsupasiri will have to watch his words more carefully, after a throwaway remark about the superior beauty of Thai girls compared to those in Laos resulted in a film project in the neighbouring country being shelved.
Pae, a rising star in the Thai film industry, was cast to play the lead in a joint Thai-Laos production,Sabaidee Luang Prabang II . However,it's now on hold indefinitely after producers feared a backlash as a result of Pae's remarks.
The fuss started in late July when Pae was asked whether his girlfriend,Ratchawin "Koy" Wongwiriya, would get jealous while he was away.
"She has no reason to worry. I have met Laos girls. Thai girls are much prettier," he said, sparking an angry response on the net, with some Lao teens threatening to do him harm if he ever set foot in their country.
Pae said all he can do is say sorry."All I meant to say was that Koy had no reason to get anxious. I didn't mean it to come out the way it did,and would like to say sorry to the production crew who as a result cannot carry on work," he said this week.
In earlier news coverage, Pae attributed delays in shooting to the poor weather in Laos. But when repeatedly questioned about it this week, Pae changed his tune and admitted that his gauche remarks about superior Thai beauty also played a part.
He doubts whether many Lao people really are that upset.
In Laos a month ago to prepare for the shoot, Pae says he walked into a market but met no trouble."People asked for my autograph.They weren't giving me a hard time."
Still, the star of The Body ,The Last Moment and Slice says he regrets his comments, and feels sad about the missed opportunity.
Pae said his schedule is fully booked for the rest of the year, so if the film does go ahead, producers may have to find a new lead to replace him.
Far from blithe
All is not well in the doll's house for actress Araya "Chompoo" A Hargett,accused of shunning an actress she has never met as a potential member of the Blythe doll fanclub.
Imported Blythe dolls, which can sell for more than 10,000 baht each,are popular among the celebrity set.
In an item run by several Thai dailies, Chompoo denies she set her face against actress and presenter Sudarat "Tookie" Bootprom joining her "gang" of Blythe doll collectors.
The story, which originated on a webboard, and was spread by unkind hands, said Chompoo and close friend, actress Pattaratida "Tangmo"Patcharaveerapong, poo-pooed the idea of letting Tookie play in their doll's house, as she was too ugly.
"With a face like that, she should be playing with ghouls and goblins,"the pair are said to have remarked.
Wisely, Tookie told reporters to go away and check their sources, to make sure Chompoo really said what was claimed. Tangmo said she knows who spread the rumours, and is unimpressed."I stopped playing with Blythe dolls more than a year ago,"she said.
Chompoo, who has collected more than 100 of the big-eyed, Gothlooking dolls, has also opened a shop called the Doll House, for Blythe doll admirers.
"I never said these things about Tookie. I have never even met her.If Tookie admires Blythe dolls, great.It's all good promotion," she said.
Chompoo also had a few words for journalists."The media should think twice before publishing such unsubstantiated reports. Thais can explain these things to themselves much better than they can to foreigners, who if they read such reports might take a dim view of our ability to represent Blythe dolls here,"she added.
News that R&B singer Saranrat "Lydia" Wisutthithada is buying a 40 million baht home with its own golf course, airstrip and small private plane, has set off a storm of speculation that Thaksin, a family friend, gave her the money.
When that line of attack - oops,inquiry - failed, they tried another one on hapless Lydia, who plans to take flying lessons so she can get about in her new private jet: So, will you make any flying trips to see him?
Lydia denies it all patiently - no,she didn't ask Thaksin for the money,and nor does she intend taking her plane to visit the fugitive former leader - but adds she is getting tired of living her life in the man's shadow.
"My parents are unhappy about the idle speculation linking us back to Thaksin, as my family made its own money. My grandparents started a road construction business, and for them 40 million baht would be easy to find."
The media's response?"Lydia brags she's worth at least 40 million baht", crowed the anti-Thaksin Manager ASTV newspaper.Lydia said she is bored with such one-eyed coverage."Everything we do gets linked back to Thaksin. Even my boyfriend [singer Matthew Dean]has been besieged by journalists,"she complained.
"We're not paying such a large amount of money up front. All you can see at the moment is a vacant plot of land.
"If we decide to buy, we will pay it off in instalments, like anyone else."
Her family has signed an expression of interest, but has yet to stump up any money.
"My parents run a golf course business, so they were interested in the golf. And they've thrown in a private aircraft as part of the deal,which I like, as it could be the transport mode of the future. I start flying lessons next month," said Lydia.
Her home, to be built on a 1,600 square metre plot, and known as Airborne 1, will include three bedrooms, three bathrooms,servants' quarters, a swimming pool,two-car garage and parking space for a small private jet.
Best Ocean Air Park, a 10,000 million baht development in Rama II Road, Samut Sakhon, has a housing village, sports complex, hotel,58-hole golf course,airport and private runway.
Not quite home free
The mother of model,actor and DJ Pakorn "Dome" Lum is on the warpath against crooked house builders.
Rattanaporn Koophirom is taking legal action against a building company after the firm failed to finish construction of her six million baht home as contracted.
The company left the job half done,scarpered and changed its name,forcing her to hire another contractor to finish the job, at a cost of an extra three million baht, or 8.3 million baht in total.
The saga has dragged on more than three-and-a-half years, and the house is still not finished. She has paid the company 5.5 million baht.Mrs Rattanaporn wants her money back from the company, formerly known as Queen House Ltd.
When she heard that the firm had treated other clients in the same way, she encouraged them to sign their names to a joint fraud action,which elevated the dispute from a mere civil matter to a criminal case.Dome's mum and 10 other homeowners have now laid a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division police. They say they are out of pocket by 50 million baht.
Mrs Rattanaporn said the company offered to build homes with no-cost extras such as a water tank,automatic doors, air conditioning and closed-circuit television security system. She saw them advertise in magazines and home and garden shows.
She signed a contract for a twostorey home on Kaset-Nawamin Road."The job was supposed to take one year, but after 18 months the company's builders had finished just 50%. They just upped and left, with
no explanation," she said.
She had visited the company, where staff were unwilling to meet her gaze and were reluctant to help.
Dome said he wanted to build the place for his mum, and was disappointed when the company failed to finish the job."If we wanted to take legal action against them for breach of contract,we would have to do it in the civil court.
"Mum thought this was not enough, and has gathered evidence from other damaged parties, so we are now able to lay a criminal complaint of fraud," he said.
The CSD says it will contact the company's principals to get them to acknowledge the complaint.
Storm in a teacup
Actor Arak "Pae" Amornsupasiri will have to watch his words more carefully, after a throwaway remark about the superior beauty of Thai girls compared to those in Laos resulted in a film project in the neighbouring country being shelved.
Pae, a rising star in the Thai film industry, was cast to play the lead in a joint Thai-Laos production,Sabaidee Luang Prabang II . However,it's now on hold indefinitely after producers feared a backlash as a result of Pae's remarks.
The fuss started in late July when Pae was asked whether his girlfriend,Ratchawin "Koy" Wongwiriya, would get jealous while he was away.
"She has no reason to worry. I have met Laos girls. Thai girls are much prettier," he said, sparking an angry response on the net, with some Lao teens threatening to do him harm if he ever set foot in their country.
Pae said all he can do is say sorry."All I meant to say was that Koy had no reason to get anxious. I didn't mean it to come out the way it did,and would like to say sorry to the production crew who as a result cannot carry on work," he said this week.
In earlier news coverage, Pae attributed delays in shooting to the poor weather in Laos. But when repeatedly questioned about it this week, Pae changed his tune and admitted that his gauche remarks about superior Thai beauty also played a part.
He doubts whether many Lao people really are that upset.
In Laos a month ago to prepare for the shoot, Pae says he walked into a market but met no trouble."People asked for my autograph.They weren't giving me a hard time."
Still, the star of The Body ,The Last Moment and Slice says he regrets his comments, and feels sad about the missed opportunity.
Pae said his schedule is fully booked for the rest of the year, so if the film does go ahead, producers may have to find a new lead to replace him.
Far from blithe
All is not well in the doll's house for actress Araya "Chompoo" A Hargett,accused of shunning an actress she has never met as a potential member of the Blythe doll fanclub.
Imported Blythe dolls, which can sell for more than 10,000 baht each,are popular among the celebrity set.
In an item run by several Thai dailies, Chompoo denies she set her face against actress and presenter Sudarat "Tookie" Bootprom joining her "gang" of Blythe doll collectors.
The story, which originated on a webboard, and was spread by unkind hands, said Chompoo and close friend, actress Pattaratida "Tangmo"Patcharaveerapong, poo-pooed the idea of letting Tookie play in their doll's house, as she was too ugly.
"With a face like that, she should be playing with ghouls and goblins,"the pair are said to have remarked.
Wisely, Tookie told reporters to go away and check their sources, to make sure Chompoo really said what was claimed. Tangmo said she knows who spread the rumours, and is unimpressed."I stopped playing with Blythe dolls more than a year ago,"she said.
Chompoo, who has collected more than 100 of the big-eyed, Gothlooking dolls, has also opened a shop called the Doll House, for Blythe doll admirers.
"I never said these things about Tookie. I have never even met her.If Tookie admires Blythe dolls, great.It's all good promotion," she said.
Chompoo also had a few words for journalists."The media should think twice before publishing such unsubstantiated reports. Thais can explain these things to themselves much better than they can to foreigners, who if they read such reports might take a dim view of our ability to represent Blythe dolls here,"she added.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Key Islamic leader urges forgiveness
A key Islamic leader is urging angry Muslims to forgive students who published images of the Prophet Mohammed in a sexual situation.
Leaders of 22 southern Islamic organisations had accepted a public apology from the college students when they were found to be "unaware of the sensitivity around the issue and had no ill intention behind their action", said Imron Maluleem, vice chairman of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand.
The computer-manipulated image of fake LEGO toy packaging shown in a magazine produced by a group of Kasetsart University students has been circulated over the internet since 2006.
Danish toymaker LEGO said it had no involvement in the image.
The image depicts the Prophet Mohammed in a sexual situation and features English text.
The Sex No Go magazine - 1,500 copies of which were printed with financial help from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation - is intended to create sexual awareness among youths.
"There shouldn't be a further row about the issue because we have sought an explanation from the publishers,"Mr Imron said.
The Foreign Ministry had expressed concerns the matter might be inflamed overseas, he said.
"I urge all discontented Muslims to forgive them [the students] because they have already apologised in accordance with the right principles," he said."We shouldn't use our emotion to further justify our actions."
The students published the image because they were not aware of the sensitivities of Islam, especially about the Prophet Mohammed, he said.
The situation also reflects a lack of public understanding about Islam and Muslims, which is part of the cause of the violence in the South, he said.
Islamic organisations became aware of the publication last week through a copy obtained in Yala, even though the magazine had been available since January. They went to meet the foundation's officers in Bangkok and demanded an investigation and corrective measures.
They said they feared the publication could stir chaos, similar to 2006 when there were worldwide protests against a Danish newspaper which printed cartoons satirising the Prophet Mohammed.
The concern prompted the foundation to put a five-day public apology advertisement in seven Thai-language dailies.
It will also publish 50,000 copies of a book about the Prophet Mohammed to educate the public.
Last Friday, the foundation burnt 400 recalled copies of the magazine and an original CD.
It also decided to end project funding for the students as punishment for their failure to follow editorial procedures.
Leaders of 22 southern Islamic organisations had accepted a public apology from the college students when they were found to be "unaware of the sensitivity around the issue and had no ill intention behind their action", said Imron Maluleem, vice chairman of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand.
The computer-manipulated image of fake LEGO toy packaging shown in a magazine produced by a group of Kasetsart University students has been circulated over the internet since 2006.
Danish toymaker LEGO said it had no involvement in the image.
The image depicts the Prophet Mohammed in a sexual situation and features English text.
The Sex No Go magazine - 1,500 copies of which were printed with financial help from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation - is intended to create sexual awareness among youths.
"There shouldn't be a further row about the issue because we have sought an explanation from the publishers,"Mr Imron said.
The Foreign Ministry had expressed concerns the matter might be inflamed overseas, he said.
"I urge all discontented Muslims to forgive them [the students] because they have already apologised in accordance with the right principles," he said."We shouldn't use our emotion to further justify our actions."
The students published the image because they were not aware of the sensitivities of Islam, especially about the Prophet Mohammed, he said.
The situation also reflects a lack of public understanding about Islam and Muslims, which is part of the cause of the violence in the South, he said.
Islamic organisations became aware of the publication last week through a copy obtained in Yala, even though the magazine had been available since January. They went to meet the foundation's officers in Bangkok and demanded an investigation and corrective measures.
They said they feared the publication could stir chaos, similar to 2006 when there were worldwide protests against a Danish newspaper which printed cartoons satirising the Prophet Mohammed.
The concern prompted the foundation to put a five-day public apology advertisement in seven Thai-language dailies.
It will also publish 50,000 copies of a book about the Prophet Mohammed to educate the public.
Last Friday, the foundation burnt 400 recalled copies of the magazine and an original CD.
It also decided to end project funding for the students as punishment for their failure to follow editorial procedures.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
And baby comes too
There's good news for parents of infants and toddlers living in Bangkok, especially in apartments or hotel rooms, where space to store children's toys and accessories can be a problem.
After toursing the US a few years back, Kwanjai Lertpeon was inspired to build up her very own toy library and today she's runing Tinytots on busy Soi Sathorn 11, which is stacked with a m ountain of innovative toys and cute layette items, all of them for rent. And while she understands that mothers might be worried about lots of hands touching the toys, Kwanjai guarantees that all the items are clean and absolutely safe for the little ones to handle.
Kwanjai was in the furniture business before taking over a sued toy store from her friend five years ago. She launched her business by importing a selection of cute second-hand toys from Japan, and sold them at fairs all over Bangkok.
In 2006, Kwanjai started stocking innovative toys from America and France under the Tinytots umbrella but rather than putting them up for sale, she offered them for rent only.
"The used toys from Japan were becoming harder to find and a trip to America gave me a new idea. There, rental toy stores are very popular," says Kwanjai. "My main customers hall from Singapore, America and the Arab world."
Tinytots stocks most of the goodies available at leading shoping malls and the toys are of high quality by such well know brands as Graco, Fisher Price and Frist Years. Some collections have won desing awards and become best sellers on Amazon.
Kwanjai focuses mainly on the larger toys as well as essential baby equipment that costs a small fortune to buy, Rental of a car seat, for example, is a very reasonable Bt250 per cay while a multifunction chair leases for Bt1,500 per week.
"I place emphasis on quality, innovation and non toxic materials," says Kwanjai "I'm also planning plan to open a toy library in a shopping makk, which has proved very popular in many countries."
Aimed at children up to four years of age, the store offers car seats, strollers, bassinets, play pens, foldable wooden cribs with mattresses, prams, pushchairs, swings and activity tables.
>> AT A GLANCE
Tiny tots is at 607 Soi Sathorn 11, Soi Chan 18/7 (St Louis 3). Call (02) 212 2204 and (083) 123 5420 to arrange a visit or browse what's available at www.TinyTots.com.
After toursing the US a few years back, Kwanjai Lertpeon was inspired to build up her very own toy library and today she's runing Tinytots on busy Soi Sathorn 11, which is stacked with a m ountain of innovative toys and cute layette items, all of them for rent. And while she understands that mothers might be worried about lots of hands touching the toys, Kwanjai guarantees that all the items are clean and absolutely safe for the little ones to handle.
Kwanjai was in the furniture business before taking over a sued toy store from her friend five years ago. She launched her business by importing a selection of cute second-hand toys from Japan, and sold them at fairs all over Bangkok.
In 2006, Kwanjai started stocking innovative toys from America and France under the Tinytots umbrella but rather than putting them up for sale, she offered them for rent only.
"The used toys from Japan were becoming harder to find and a trip to America gave me a new idea. There, rental toy stores are very popular," says Kwanjai. "My main customers hall from Singapore, America and the Arab world."
Tinytots stocks most of the goodies available at leading shoping malls and the toys are of high quality by such well know brands as Graco, Fisher Price and Frist Years. Some collections have won desing awards and become best sellers on Amazon.
Kwanjai focuses mainly on the larger toys as well as essential baby equipment that costs a small fortune to buy, Rental of a car seat, for example, is a very reasonable Bt250 per cay while a multifunction chair leases for Bt1,500 per week.
"I place emphasis on quality, innovation and non toxic materials," says Kwanjai "I'm also planning plan to open a toy library in a shopping makk, which has proved very popular in many countries."
Aimed at children up to four years of age, the store offers car seats, strollers, bassinets, play pens, foldable wooden cribs with mattresses, prams, pushchairs, swings and activity tables.
>> AT A GLANCE
Tiny tots is at 607 Soi Sathorn 11, Soi Chan 18/7 (St Louis 3). Call (02) 212 2204 and (083) 123 5420 to arrange a visit or browse what's available at www.TinyTots.com.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Teddy House looks to Europe
Local teddy-bear manufacturer and franchiser Teddy House plans to focus more on Europe through franchising, as the local market is saturated.
Managing director Pituphum Hirunyapich yesterday said an agent had been secured in Sweden for product distribution to European retail markets.
The company plans to open a stand-alone shop in one European country, possibly Sweden or Germany. Pituphum said Germany's strong economy and leading teddy-bear brands made it an "interesting market".
The company has its master franchise in Vietnam and one franchisee in Indonesia.
It will open franchises in Hong Kong this year.
Foreign markets account for 40 per cent of sales revenue, most of that from Europe, followed by Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.
The domestic market represents 40 per cent of revenue, while 20 per cent comes from e-commerce and original-equipment manufacturing (OEM).
He said the revenue contribution from exports would rise once it opened its shop in Europe.
Pituphum said sales growth for this year was targeted at 5 per cent over last year's Bt70 million.
"We cut the sales-growth target from 10 per cent to 5 per cent after seeing a slight declined in sales of premium products through OEM," he said.
The company has consistently posted average annual sales growth of 10 per cent in the past.
Pituphum said Teddy House would not open any more shops in Thailand, because there were already enough to meet local demand.
There are nine Teddy House shops in Bangkok and six upcountry. Six of these 15 are managed by franchisees, including one that opened yesterday: Teddy House Siam Square, run by actress Khemanit "Pancake" Jamikorn and actor Sukolwat "Weir" Kanaros.
Teddy House Siam Square is also the master franchise for the Teira Zeira collection, sold both domestically and abroad.
Managing director Pituphum Hirunyapich yesterday said an agent had been secured in Sweden for product distribution to European retail markets.
The company plans to open a stand-alone shop in one European country, possibly Sweden or Germany. Pituphum said Germany's strong economy and leading teddy-bear brands made it an "interesting market".
The company has its master franchise in Vietnam and one franchisee in Indonesia.
It will open franchises in Hong Kong this year.
Foreign markets account for 40 per cent of sales revenue, most of that from Europe, followed by Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.
The domestic market represents 40 per cent of revenue, while 20 per cent comes from e-commerce and original-equipment manufacturing (OEM).
He said the revenue contribution from exports would rise once it opened its shop in Europe.
Pituphum said sales growth for this year was targeted at 5 per cent over last year's Bt70 million.
"We cut the sales-growth target from 10 per cent to 5 per cent after seeing a slight declined in sales of premium products through OEM," he said.
The company has consistently posted average annual sales growth of 10 per cent in the past.
Pituphum said Teddy House would not open any more shops in Thailand, because there were already enough to meet local demand.
There are nine Teddy House shops in Bangkok and six upcountry. Six of these 15 are managed by franchisees, including one that opened yesterday: Teddy House Siam Square, run by actress Khemanit "Pancake" Jamikorn and actor Sukolwat "Weir" Kanaros.
Teddy House Siam Square is also the master franchise for the Teira Zeira collection, sold both domestically and abroad.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Pigeon producer sets IPO price range
Moong Pattana International, a leading trading company and distributor of the Pigeon brand of home and childcare products, expects to set its initial public offering price at 2.85 to 3.32 baht per share, says its financial adviser Asia Plus Securities.
Asia Plus said the valuation will be equal to six to seven times earnings,with an expected book value of 2.47 baht per share.
The actual offering price will be set on Sept 21. Moong Pattana will float 30 million new shares at one baht par value,with 24 million distributed to the public,4 million to company sponsors and 2 million to staff under an employee stock option programme.
The placement date for the offering is set for Sept 23-24, with the shares to begin trade on the Market for Alternative Investment on Oct 1.
Sumeth Lersumitkul, the chief executive of Moong Pattana, said funds raised from the offering would be used for debt repayment, working capital and business expansion.
Moong Pattana was founded in 1981 by Mr Sumeth, and began trading Pigeon branded products in 1988.
The company's products include maternity and childcare items, cotton buds,sprays and knives.
After the IPO, the Lersumitkul family's holding will fall to 74.69%, with public investors holding 23.33% and employees having a 1.67% stake.
Moong Pattana reported first-half revenue of 205.8 million baht, up from 196.6 million in the same period last year.First-half net profit increased to 27.5 million baht, up from 26 million in the same period of 2008.
Pigeon maternity and childcare products contributed about 75% of firsthalf revenue, while kitchenware provided about 10%and investments and dividends generated 9%.
The company's investments include 47% of Thai Pigeon,6% of Yoshino Moong Pattana (Thailand), and 2.5% of Pigeon Industries (Thailand).
The IPO underwriters are Asia Plus Securities, Thanachart Securities, Finansia Syrus Securities and Country Group Securities.
Asia Plus said the valuation will be equal to six to seven times earnings,with an expected book value of 2.47 baht per share.
The actual offering price will be set on Sept 21. Moong Pattana will float 30 million new shares at one baht par value,with 24 million distributed to the public,4 million to company sponsors and 2 million to staff under an employee stock option programme.
The placement date for the offering is set for Sept 23-24, with the shares to begin trade on the Market for Alternative Investment on Oct 1.
Sumeth Lersumitkul, the chief executive of Moong Pattana, said funds raised from the offering would be used for debt repayment, working capital and business expansion.
Moong Pattana was founded in 1981 by Mr Sumeth, and began trading Pigeon branded products in 1988.
The company's products include maternity and childcare items, cotton buds,sprays and knives.
After the IPO, the Lersumitkul family's holding will fall to 74.69%, with public investors holding 23.33% and employees having a 1.67% stake.
Moong Pattana reported first-half revenue of 205.8 million baht, up from 196.6 million in the same period last year.First-half net profit increased to 27.5 million baht, up from 26 million in the same period of 2008.
Pigeon maternity and childcare products contributed about 75% of firsthalf revenue, while kitchenware provided about 10%and investments and dividends generated 9%.
The company's investments include 47% of Thai Pigeon,6% of Yoshino Moong Pattana (Thailand), and 2.5% of Pigeon Industries (Thailand).
The IPO underwriters are Asia Plus Securities, Thanachart Securities, Finansia Syrus Securities and Country Group Securities.
Monday, August 31, 2009
LOVE CHILDREN WEBSITE EXPANDS INTO ONLINE BUSINESS
Bangkok-based Rakluke Group has expanded into online business via its website www.momypedia.com and plans to provide personal information to users.
The group's president Subhawadee Harnmethee, said Rakluke (love children) intended the website to create a community of families and parents who wanted to communicate and share experiences and knowledge via an online network.
The company is also keen to sell advertising space on the website to companies wanting to promote their business on a family-based network, and is open to application for membership registration from Internet users who are prepared to pay for its services.
Subhawadee said the website would provide online media and solution services and business services such as online research and surveying.
The marketing manager of www.momypedia.com, Vatayos Atvisejsiwakul, said that in a "next step", the website planned to provide Web 3.0 - creating a large collection of databases that could be connected on demand. This will enable users to access information on demand, providing them with knowledge to support their lifestyles.
Www.momypedia.com will also provide live chat facilities with experts such as doctors next year, as well as producing online television programmes and radio over its online network. It will also begin marketing commercial businesses to customers next year, Subhawadee said
Rakluke Group's managing director Chanida Intaravisut said the website was not only a Web-based community for families, enabling members to create activities together, but was also a new marketing channel for businesses.
It has already won three international awards, including bronze awards from 8th Annual Horizon Interactive Awards and the 2009 Summit Creative Awards, both in the United States. It also won an Award of Distinction at the 15th Communicator Awards, Chanida said.
The group's president Subhawadee Harnmethee, said Rakluke (love children) intended the website to create a community of families and parents who wanted to communicate and share experiences and knowledge via an online network.
The company is also keen to sell advertising space on the website to companies wanting to promote their business on a family-based network, and is open to application for membership registration from Internet users who are prepared to pay for its services.
Subhawadee said the website would provide online media and solution services and business services such as online research and surveying.
The marketing manager of www.momypedia.com, Vatayos Atvisejsiwakul, said that in a "next step", the website planned to provide Web 3.0 - creating a large collection of databases that could be connected on demand. This will enable users to access information on demand, providing them with knowledge to support their lifestyles.
Www.momypedia.com will also provide live chat facilities with experts such as doctors next year, as well as producing online television programmes and radio over its online network. It will also begin marketing commercial businesses to customers next year, Subhawadee said
Rakluke Group's managing director Chanida Intaravisut said the website was not only a Web-based community for families, enabling members to create activities together, but was also a new marketing channel for businesses.
It has already won three international awards, including bronze awards from 8th Annual Horizon Interactive Awards and the 2009 Summit Creative Awards, both in the United States. It also won an Award of Distinction at the 15th Communicator Awards, Chanida said.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
SPLURGING MUMS GIVE PUREEN HOPE FOR GROWTH
US Summit Corporation (Overseas) expects to buck the economic downtrend and record double-digit growth in sales of pharmaceutical, medical and consumer goods from Bt2 billion last year.
The company, a leading manufacturer and distributor of baby-care products under the Pureen brand, said that despite the economic slump, mothers are still spending on quality products for their babies.
The company's total sales last year grew by 10 per cent.
The pharmaceutical and medical businesses generated equal revenue, accounting for 40 per cent of the total, with the remainder from consumer product, including baby-care products.
"We're lucky that we met our target," Daniel Mao, executive vice president of US Summit, the US-based parent company, said yesterday.
Pureen is already a superbrand in Malaysia.
To double its sales in Thailand, the company has devised a marketing strategy focusing on brand development, relationships with its trading partners, particularly Thai cartoon "Kan Klauy," and activities with mothers.
The company's survey found that mothers have not cut back on expenses for their babies despite low purchasing power. The average purchase by mothers living in Bangkok was Bt1,500 to Bt2,000, higher than the Bt600 to Bt800 for mothers upcountry. The company's double-digit growth this year will be helped by the launch of innovative products, particularly BPA-free feeding bottles.
The products has been proved safe for babies.
Research conducted in the US showed that using bottles with the polycarbonate plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) would cause cancer.
"The BPA-free feeding bottle will have a longer life. It can be washed 100 times compared with 20-30 times for BPA bottles," Mao said.
The company's products target medium to high-end customers.
About 70 per cent of its products are made here and the rest are imported from Malaysia.
Asia is the biggest market for the parent company, dominating 90 per cent of its business, he added.
The company, a leading manufacturer and distributor of baby-care products under the Pureen brand, said that despite the economic slump, mothers are still spending on quality products for their babies.
The company's total sales last year grew by 10 per cent.
The pharmaceutical and medical businesses generated equal revenue, accounting for 40 per cent of the total, with the remainder from consumer product, including baby-care products.
"We're lucky that we met our target," Daniel Mao, executive vice president of US Summit, the US-based parent company, said yesterday.
Pureen is already a superbrand in Malaysia.
To double its sales in Thailand, the company has devised a marketing strategy focusing on brand development, relationships with its trading partners, particularly Thai cartoon "Kan Klauy," and activities with mothers.
The company's survey found that mothers have not cut back on expenses for their babies despite low purchasing power. The average purchase by mothers living in Bangkok was Bt1,500 to Bt2,000, higher than the Bt600 to Bt800 for mothers upcountry. The company's double-digit growth this year will be helped by the launch of innovative products, particularly BPA-free feeding bottles.
The products has been proved safe for babies.
Research conducted in the US showed that using bottles with the polycarbonate plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) would cause cancer.
"The BPA-free feeding bottle will have a longer life. It can be washed 100 times compared with 20-30 times for BPA bottles," Mao said.
The company's products target medium to high-end customers.
About 70 per cent of its products are made here and the rest are imported from Malaysia.
Asia is the biggest market for the parent company, dominating 90 per cent of its business, he added.
Moong Pattana to raise funds though MAI listing
Moong Pattana International, manufacturer and distributor of Pigeon-brand mother- and baby-care products, has announced a plan to mobilise funds via a public share offering in order to expand its busines and repay debt.
Chairman and chief executive officer Sumeth Lersumitkul yesterday said the company - formerly Moong Pattana Marketing - planned to sell 24 million initial-public-offeirng shares, with the IPO price expected to be revealed in the middle of next month ahead of a listing on the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) in October.
"Now, we're ready to go public. We have 30 years of experience in the mother-care market," he said, adding that despite the economic slowdown, the company had recorded average sales growth of 20 per cent for three consecutive years.
The Pigeon brand is a trendsetter in mother- and baby-care products, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the local market share, he said.
Sumeth said some of the proceeds from the fund-raising would be used to pay back some of its Bt100 million in short- and longterm debt, whole the rest would be used for working capital to introduce new products.
He said the IPO share price would be quoted in a range of five to 10 times over its price-earnings ratio.
In the first half of this year, Moong Pattana International recorded Bt189.7 million in revenue and Bt26 million in net profit, compared to Bt180.4 million and Bt26 million respectively in the same period last year. For total sales before marketing and other expenses, the company generated Bt205 million, up from Bt196 million over the same period last year.
Following the MAI share-listing plan, Moong Pattana International's paid-up capital will rise to Bt120 million from Bt90 million through the issuance of 30 million new common shares at a par value of Bt1.
Apart from the 24 million IPO shares for the public, 4 million shares will be allocated to directors, executives and employees and another 2 million to the company's patrons.
After the IPO, the Lersumitkul family's shareholding in the company will be diluted to 74.69 per cent.
Chairman and chief executive officer Sumeth Lersumitkul yesterday said the company - formerly Moong Pattana Marketing - planned to sell 24 million initial-public-offeirng shares, with the IPO price expected to be revealed in the middle of next month ahead of a listing on the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) in October.
"Now, we're ready to go public. We have 30 years of experience in the mother-care market," he said, adding that despite the economic slowdown, the company had recorded average sales growth of 20 per cent for three consecutive years.
The Pigeon brand is a trendsetter in mother- and baby-care products, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the local market share, he said.
Sumeth said some of the proceeds from the fund-raising would be used to pay back some of its Bt100 million in short- and longterm debt, whole the rest would be used for working capital to introduce new products.
He said the IPO share price would be quoted in a range of five to 10 times over its price-earnings ratio.
In the first half of this year, Moong Pattana International recorded Bt189.7 million in revenue and Bt26 million in net profit, compared to Bt180.4 million and Bt26 million respectively in the same period last year. For total sales before marketing and other expenses, the company generated Bt205 million, up from Bt196 million over the same period last year.
Following the MAI share-listing plan, Moong Pattana International's paid-up capital will rise to Bt120 million from Bt90 million through the issuance of 30 million new common shares at a par value of Bt1.
Apart from the 24 million IPO shares for the public, 4 million shares will be allocated to directors, executives and employees and another 2 million to the company's patrons.
After the IPO, the Lersumitkul family's shareholding in the company will be diluted to 74.69 per cent.
LI & FUNG TO EMBARK ON ACQUISITIONS AS US CONSUMER DEMAND REMAINS WEAK
Li&Fung, the biggest supplier of clothes and toys to Wal-Mart Stores and Target, says it can spend about US$1 billion (Bt34 billion) on acquisitions to boost growth because the "marky" US economy is prompting some company owners to sell.
"We're sitting with about $1 billion of firepower," president Bruce rockowitz said a in a televised interview yearterday. "I see this as a huge window of opportunities, like a kid in candy store and you want to eat everything."
Li&Fung's first-half profit growth of 13 per cent beat anlaysts estimates, largely on cost cutting as revenue fell.
The Hong Kong-based company also a supplier to Inditex's Zara and Marks & Spencer, seeks to spur sales through outsourcing deals and buying smaller rivals because it expects little or no growth from existing customers, managing director William Fung said on Thursday.
"Acquisitions are not a bad thing in a bad year," Nicholas Yeo, head of China and Hong Kong equities at Aberdeen asset Management Group, said in an interview yesterday. "It's a good chance to move people around, cut staff and assets are cheap-but ther's always that integration risk."
Shares of Li&Fung rose about 7 per cent yesterday. The company postecd earnings on Thursday after the market closed. The stock had doubled this year, beating the 44-per-cent gain of the benchmark Hang Seng Index.
The company is also seeking potential acquisitions in the US and Europe in teh beauty, health and cosmetics businesses, Fung told reporters yearterday, without identifying any targets.
There are "no clear signs of a rebound in US consumption" because consumers in the world's biggest economy continue to "face tight credit-card lines", he said.
Because of the murky outlook of the global economy, the consumer goods supplier, which earns 61 per cent of its sales in the US and 30 per cent in Europe, will continue to cut costs, Fung said.
Li & Fung will meet its target of cutting costs by 10 per cent, according to Fung. It's reducing business travel and freezing hiring in "highcost countries", he said.
The company has more than 14,000 workers in more than 80 sourcing offices in at least 40 markets.
"Li & Fung is clearly gaining market share in a shrinking pie," Denise Chai, an analyst at Bank of America's Merrill Lynch wrote in a note to clients yesterday.
"We expect continued cost savings in 2010 to mostly offset weak revenue," said Chai, who recommends buying the stock.
Li & Fung last September said Temasek Holdings, Singapore's government-owned investment company, will boost its stake to 4.6 per cent through the purchase of 3.88 billion Hong Kong dollars (Bt 17 billion of shares.
In May, it announced a HK$2.7-billion share sales. Fung on Thursday said the company has US$200 million lion of bank credit lines to fund acquisitions.
The company only "goes to the market" for cash when it plans to make purchases, and the "financial crisis has provided a lot of acquisition opportunities", Fung said.
The managing director sai some clients have told the company that business is down as much as 15 per cent. Orders for the Christmas season "were not good", Fund added.
The company announced an outsourcing agreement with Talbots and expects to generate as much as US$400 million in volume with them this year. The pipeline of potential purchases is "very strong" and Li & Fung is securing "some very interesting and very large acquisitions" that may take place by year's end, Fung said.
Li & Fung's first-half net income rose to HK$1.2 billion by three analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sales fell 2 per cent to HK$46.3 billion.
"We're sitting with about $1 billion of firepower," president Bruce rockowitz said a in a televised interview yearterday. "I see this as a huge window of opportunities, like a kid in candy store and you want to eat everything."
Li&Fung's first-half profit growth of 13 per cent beat anlaysts estimates, largely on cost cutting as revenue fell.
The Hong Kong-based company also a supplier to Inditex's Zara and Marks & Spencer, seeks to spur sales through outsourcing deals and buying smaller rivals because it expects little or no growth from existing customers, managing director William Fung said on Thursday.
"Acquisitions are not a bad thing in a bad year," Nicholas Yeo, head of China and Hong Kong equities at Aberdeen asset Management Group, said in an interview yesterday. "It's a good chance to move people around, cut staff and assets are cheap-but ther's always that integration risk."
Shares of Li&Fung rose about 7 per cent yesterday. The company postecd earnings on Thursday after the market closed. The stock had doubled this year, beating the 44-per-cent gain of the benchmark Hang Seng Index.
The company is also seeking potential acquisitions in the US and Europe in teh beauty, health and cosmetics businesses, Fung told reporters yearterday, without identifying any targets.
There are "no clear signs of a rebound in US consumption" because consumers in the world's biggest economy continue to "face tight credit-card lines", he said.
Because of the murky outlook of the global economy, the consumer goods supplier, which earns 61 per cent of its sales in the US and 30 per cent in Europe, will continue to cut costs, Fung said.
Li & Fung will meet its target of cutting costs by 10 per cent, according to Fung. It's reducing business travel and freezing hiring in "highcost countries", he said.
The company has more than 14,000 workers in more than 80 sourcing offices in at least 40 markets.
"Li & Fung is clearly gaining market share in a shrinking pie," Denise Chai, an analyst at Bank of America's Merrill Lynch wrote in a note to clients yesterday.
"We expect continued cost savings in 2010 to mostly offset weak revenue," said Chai, who recommends buying the stock.
Li & Fung last September said Temasek Holdings, Singapore's government-owned investment company, will boost its stake to 4.6 per cent through the purchase of 3.88 billion Hong Kong dollars (Bt 17 billion of shares.
In May, it announced a HK$2.7-billion share sales. Fung on Thursday said the company has US$200 million lion of bank credit lines to fund acquisitions.
The company only "goes to the market" for cash when it plans to make purchases, and the "financial crisis has provided a lot of acquisition opportunities", Fung said.
The managing director sai some clients have told the company that business is down as much as 15 per cent. Orders for the Christmas season "were not good", Fund added.
The company announced an outsourcing agreement with Talbots and expects to generate as much as US$400 million in volume with them this year. The pipeline of potential purchases is "very strong" and Li & Fung is securing "some very interesting and very large acquisitions" that may take place by year's end, Fung said.
Li & Fung's first-half net income rose to HK$1.2 billion by three analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sales fell 2 per cent to HK$46.3 billion.
Bratz maker rolls out new doll line
MGA Entertainment Inc is going to need to muster all the moxie it has for its latest launch. MGA is rolling out a new line of dolls called Moxie Girlz as Mattel Inc plans to take over MGA's former marquee product, the saucy Bratz dolls, following a four-year legal struggle.
With more modest apparel and figures than Bratz, you can think of Moxie Girlz as Bratz lite, and MGA is banking on the line to keep it afloat.
MGA Entertainment began developing Moxie Girlz, targeted at girls ages six to 10, last year. The line was inspired by the recession and the changes in families'lifestyles that came up in focus group discussions, says Paula Garcia, vice president of product design and development.
"We wanted to make the doll a reflection of the consumer herself, not lavish, expensive, material things," she said."The fashion is 'everyday' fashion as opposed to very lavish fashions."
Early sales of Moxie Girlz, which started appearing in some Target and WalMart stores on July 22 and will be available nationwide on Aug 15, have been "very good," MGA CEO Isaac Larian said without providing details.
"The dolls have a subtler look than the pouty-lipped Bratz, who have drawn fire for their skimpy clothing. And the new look is key," said BMO Capital Markets analyst Gerrick Johnson.
"I think they're adorable," Johnson said."Barbie looks like a model, Bratz look like tramps and Moxie Girlz look like girls."
The success of the line is crucial to Los Angeles-based MGA. A US District Court ordered MGA to transition the Bratz doll line to Barbie maker Mattel by spring, concluding a lawsuit in which El Segundo, California-based Mattel alleged Bratz designer Carter Bryant developed the concept while at Mattel. A jury last year awarded Mattel $100 million in damages for copyright infringement and breach of contract.
MGA is appealing, and a mediator is working with the parties.
Though MGA also makes Little Tikes,Rescue Pets and Lil Angelz, among other toys, Bratz was by far its biggest seller.Johnson estimates sales of Bratz peaked in 2005 at $750 million and have fallen since, perhaps below $200 million in 2009.
The privately held company does not publish its revenue.
Moxie Girlz come in several different styles:"Jammaz"- in pajamas - come with a guitar and a microphone;"Arttitude" come with shoes and a bike you can draw on and "Magic Hair" come with two sets of hair. They cost $17.99 to $29.99 each; accessories include a car and a salon play set.
The toy industry's doll segment has been in decline for a few years as more girls find entertainment online and in tech gadgets.
Doll sales overall fell 10% to $2.68 billion in 2008, according to market research firm NPD Group. And sales of Barbie, the segment's leader, slipped 15% in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, though the decline was driven in part by the recession.
New doll lines could boost the category, Johnson said.
Besides Moxie Girlz, new entries include Liv dolls, which Spin Master introduced on Saturday. They look similar to Moxie Girlz and sell for $19.99.
"There is tremendous opportunity in the girl segment for something new,interesting and compelling," Johnson said."Kids can be fickle. This could be the thing the girls' business needed."
With more modest apparel and figures than Bratz, you can think of Moxie Girlz as Bratz lite, and MGA is banking on the line to keep it afloat.
MGA Entertainment began developing Moxie Girlz, targeted at girls ages six to 10, last year. The line was inspired by the recession and the changes in families'lifestyles that came up in focus group discussions, says Paula Garcia, vice president of product design and development.
"We wanted to make the doll a reflection of the consumer herself, not lavish, expensive, material things," she said."The fashion is 'everyday' fashion as opposed to very lavish fashions."
Early sales of Moxie Girlz, which started appearing in some Target and WalMart stores on July 22 and will be available nationwide on Aug 15, have been "very good," MGA CEO Isaac Larian said without providing details.
"The dolls have a subtler look than the pouty-lipped Bratz, who have drawn fire for their skimpy clothing. And the new look is key," said BMO Capital Markets analyst Gerrick Johnson.
"I think they're adorable," Johnson said."Barbie looks like a model, Bratz look like tramps and Moxie Girlz look like girls."
The success of the line is crucial to Los Angeles-based MGA. A US District Court ordered MGA to transition the Bratz doll line to Barbie maker Mattel by spring, concluding a lawsuit in which El Segundo, California-based Mattel alleged Bratz designer Carter Bryant developed the concept while at Mattel. A jury last year awarded Mattel $100 million in damages for copyright infringement and breach of contract.
MGA is appealing, and a mediator is working with the parties.
Though MGA also makes Little Tikes,Rescue Pets and Lil Angelz, among other toys, Bratz was by far its biggest seller.Johnson estimates sales of Bratz peaked in 2005 at $750 million and have fallen since, perhaps below $200 million in 2009.
The privately held company does not publish its revenue.
Moxie Girlz come in several different styles:"Jammaz"- in pajamas - come with a guitar and a microphone;"Arttitude" come with shoes and a bike you can draw on and "Magic Hair" come with two sets of hair. They cost $17.99 to $29.99 each; accessories include a car and a salon play set.
The toy industry's doll segment has been in decline for a few years as more girls find entertainment online and in tech gadgets.
Doll sales overall fell 10% to $2.68 billion in 2008, according to market research firm NPD Group. And sales of Barbie, the segment's leader, slipped 15% in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, though the decline was driven in part by the recession.
New doll lines could boost the category, Johnson said.
Besides Moxie Girlz, new entries include Liv dolls, which Spin Master introduced on Saturday. They look similar to Moxie Girlz and sell for $19.99.
"There is tremendous opportunity in the girl segment for something new,interesting and compelling," Johnson said."Kids can be fickle. This could be the thing the girls' business needed."
TRANSFORM THOSE SALES!
With "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" enjoying record ticket sales in China, spin-offs of Transformer toys and other products are booing too.
The action movie earned more than 400 million yuan (Bt2 bilion) in china in its first three weeks.
Like earlier hit movies such as the "Star Wars" and Batman series, spin-off toys have becometop sellers.
"Transformer toy sales increased by 70 to 80 per cent since the ovie came out," says Liu Yang, the marketing manager at the UME Huaxing International Cineplex.
The spin-offs include key rings and other gadgets, and a stamp album with the Transformer characters on the cover is selling well despite its 500-yuan price, Liu says.
"For people in their 20s and 30s, watching a Transformers movie is like reuniting with a lost friend," says toy-shop owner Wei Wei.
His tiny store is rakingin 6,000 yuan a day in the wake of the new Transformers mvoie.
"The first Transformers mvoie attracted mainly the 1970s and '80s generation," Wei says of the film based on the popular children's TV show of that era.
"Now small children also come and buy the models to play with."
The Transformer toys can be quickly alterned into new forms, just like the TV show and movies' colourful robots, but the current boom extends beyond toys.
"Without any advertising, and in just about a month, we were selling thousands of our new Transformer USB flash drives," says Zeng Ni, marketing manager of Tsinghua Tongfang Co Ltd.
"We knew that Transformers would be th etalk of the town, so last year we began to develop a series of Transformer IT products."
The foresight paid off in massive sales for the flash drives, laptops and desktops, with sales of the Transformers-theme computers jumping 20 to 30 per cent as soon as the film came out.
The Meters/bonwe Group formed a partnership with US-based Hasbro Inc to become the only Chinese fashion-and-accesssories firm licensed to use Transformers images, typefaces and logos.
Among the hot summer sellers online at the firm's website Taobao.com is a Bumblee T-shirt. More than 800 shirts featuring the yellow robot character from the movi have sold recently.
"It's delightful that we still have a double-digit year-on-year increse in sales amid a sluggish economy and the off-season," deputy general manager Xu Weidong told the Economic Observer.
Meters/bonwe also landed a deal for "produc placement" in the new movie, which Xu called a "win-win situation", although he declined to discolse the terms of the deal.
While US moviemakers have long know the value of film spin offs, its Cinese counterpart has yet to fully capitalise, say industry experts.
"Most of the movie-related mrchandise for Chinese films is too low-end," Jiang Youzhi of Beijing Film Studio told Beijing Business Today.
The action movie earned more than 400 million yuan (Bt2 bilion) in china in its first three weeks.
Like earlier hit movies such as the "Star Wars" and Batman series, spin-off toys have becometop sellers.
"Transformer toy sales increased by 70 to 80 per cent since the ovie came out," says Liu Yang, the marketing manager at the UME Huaxing International Cineplex.
The spin-offs include key rings and other gadgets, and a stamp album with the Transformer characters on the cover is selling well despite its 500-yuan price, Liu says.
"For people in their 20s and 30s, watching a Transformers movie is like reuniting with a lost friend," says toy-shop owner Wei Wei.
His tiny store is rakingin 6,000 yuan a day in the wake of the new Transformers mvoie.
"The first Transformers mvoie attracted mainly the 1970s and '80s generation," Wei says of the film based on the popular children's TV show of that era.
"Now small children also come and buy the models to play with."
The Transformer toys can be quickly alterned into new forms, just like the TV show and movies' colourful robots, but the current boom extends beyond toys.
"Without any advertising, and in just about a month, we were selling thousands of our new Transformer USB flash drives," says Zeng Ni, marketing manager of Tsinghua Tongfang Co Ltd.
"We knew that Transformers would be th etalk of the town, so last year we began to develop a series of Transformer IT products."
The foresight paid off in massive sales for the flash drives, laptops and desktops, with sales of the Transformers-theme computers jumping 20 to 30 per cent as soon as the film came out.
The Meters/bonwe Group formed a partnership with US-based Hasbro Inc to become the only Chinese fashion-and-accesssories firm licensed to use Transformers images, typefaces and logos.
Among the hot summer sellers online at the firm's website Taobao.com is a Bumblee T-shirt. More than 800 shirts featuring the yellow robot character from the movi have sold recently.
"It's delightful that we still have a double-digit year-on-year increse in sales amid a sluggish economy and the off-season," deputy general manager Xu Weidong told the Economic Observer.
Meters/bonwe also landed a deal for "produc placement" in the new movie, which Xu called a "win-win situation", although he declined to discolse the terms of the deal.
While US moviemakers have long know the value of film spin offs, its Cinese counterpart has yet to fully capitalise, say industry experts.
"Most of the movie-related mrchandise for Chinese films is too low-end," Jiang Youzhi of Beijing Film Studio told Beijing Business Today.
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