Date: August 17th 2004

Baby Bargains E-News: Britax recall, Simmons quits, Forever Mine warning and more

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BABY & TODDLER BARGAINS NEWS UPDATE: August 17, 2004
The free eNewsletter for the readers of BABY BARGAINS and TODDLER BARGAINS
http://www.BabyBargainsBook.com
August 17, 2004
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In this email:

1. Britax recalls Marathon, Wizard, Husky
2. Simmons to stop making cribs, furniture; Child Craft flood update
3. Amazon, Babies R Us file for divorce; TRU may spin off BRU
4. Consumer warning: Forever Mine furniture
5. Some new cribs not bumper friendly
6. Rising steel prices may prompt stroller price hikes in 2005
7. Other industry news: Baby’s Dream buys Cotton Tale bedding, Transport Canada warns of after-market car seat products
8. Recent recalls.
9. Product testers needed—free baby products!

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Hi folks! It’s been a while since our last update. So, let’s get to the news:

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1. Britax recalls Marathon, Wizard, Husky

This happened last week while we were out of the office for vacation, so we apologize for the delay in this recall announcement:

Britax has recalled 300,000+ car seats---the Marathon, Wizard and Husky models because of a faulty adjuster strap. For details on which units and why, click here:

http://www.britaxusa.com/documents/Britax%20Recall%20Letter%208-9-04.pdf

Our take: While any safety recall is embarrassing for a brand that markets itself as a cut above competitors safety-wise, Britax is handling this the right way. The company is automatically sending out replacement kits to registered users (and letting folks register online). Yes, their 800# has been jammed, but register your seat online at their web site (britaxusa.com).

We understand the fixed Marathons and Wizards will be back on the market in September. Because there were no injuries or accidents attributed to this problem, we will continue to recommend the seats. Of course, if you need a seat sooner, the Roundabout is a good choice and NOT affected by this recall.

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2. Simmons to stop making cribs, furniture; Child Craft flood update

Simmons the crib brand is no more. Simmons Juvenile announced it was acquired by Simmons, the mattress maker, on July 22. The rub: Simmons only bought their crib mattress and soft good business.

When the sale was announced, Simmons said it was shuttering its Wisconsin plant that makes all Simmons wood furniture, blaming high labor costs and Chinese imports. So, that ends Simmons cribs and furniture----they will no longer be made.

Of course, there is still Simmons nursery furniture in stores. So, if you can get a good deal, go for it. But one caveat: with Simmons out of the crib business, you won’t be able to get replacement parts.

In other crib news, Child Craft continues to struggle with their recovery after being hit with a devastating flood in late May. Shipments are resuming, but the company is obviously way behind. You can read an update on their web site at:

http://www.childcraftind.com/

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3. Amazon, Babies R Us file for divorce; TRU may spin off BRU

Big news at Babies R Us: The company’s parent, Toys R Us has announced it plans to spin off the subsidiary. What that means for the chain of 200 baby product stores isn’t clear—TRU will announce more details of the spin off in coming weeks..

BRU is the only part of TRU’s business that is actually doing well. TRU has been hit by competition by Wal-Mart and, as a result, closing stores and selling off subsidiaries.

Meanwhile, Toys R Us and Amazon have been busy suing each other over their soured online partnership. Again, BRU is caught in the cross fire. Whether Babies R Us’ baby products will still be on Amazon in the future is up in the air.

So, stay tuned for more on this soap opera.

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4. Consumer warning: Forever Mine furniture

We’ve received multiple complaints from readers in the past month about Forever Mine furniture; consumers say the company is running behind in shipments and not responding to their queries. The company blames a warehouse fire a couple months ago for the late shipments.

As a result, we are suspending our recommendation of Forever Mine furniture. We would NOT order anything from their web site until they straighten out the shipping issues. And it would be nice if they could figure out how to answer their email.

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5. Some new cribs not bumper friendly

We’ve noticed several new models of cribs now make it impossible to use a bumper—they simplly won’t fit or tie. Some of these cribs feature solid end panels (no place to tie that corner bumper tie) or very thick corner posts. These posts prevent a standard length tie from securing the bumper.

Some new models by Natart, EG, Bonavita and Morgieau fall into this category; so if you are shopping for a crib and want to use a bumper, look carefully before buying!


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6. Rising steel prices may prompt stroller price hikes in 2005

Steel prices are up 40% over last year and that could lead to stroller price hikes next year. Most strollers are made of steel (although a few models use pricey aluminum) and we fear stroller makers will be forced to jack prices in coming months.

The rising price of steel also may be a factor in its disappearance in crib platforms—we are seeing several crib makers switch over to a wood platform.

Other baby products may also be impacted as well; steel is a major component in car seat bases.


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7. Other industry news: Baby’s Dream buys Cotton Tale bedding, Transport Canada warns of after-market car seat products

Bedding makers are struggling this year, as more parents opt for simpler nursery set-ups and eschewing fancy bedding sets. As a result, we are seeing a wave of consolidation in the biz: the latest news is the sale of Cotton Tale bedding to crib maker Baby’s Dream.

Expect to see more of this in the future: furniture companies buying out bedding designers in order to create more all-in-one design options for their furniture suites.

Finally, a Canadian safety agency is warning parents about hazards after-market products for car seats:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/Dser/d200401/menu.htm

That’s an important read for parents on both sides of the border!

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8. Recent recalls.

We’ve fallen behind in sending out product recall notices; here is a link to the latest baby product recalls:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/child.html

Please note the Graco Travel Lite Swing recall—we reported on this problem back in March!

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9. Product testers needed.

Who says there isn’t a free lunch? Or at least free baby products! Our offices are overflowing with new products for parents to test. So, it’s time to put out a call for testers. Please watch our Baby Bargains Lounge message board in coming days, as we will be posting what products we need testers for. Click here:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=37

Once again, watch that forum for an announcement in coming days!

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Whew! That’s all from here!

Best wishes,

--
Alan & Denise Fields, authors
BABY BARGAINS * BABY 411 * TODDLER BARGAINS
Web: www.windsorpeak.com.

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