Says Subhinder Singh Prem, executive director, sales & marketing,``We haveidentified the kids segment as a special focus area. Whereas earlier we hadonly a few limited number of shoes for kids, now we intend to have an entirerange of footwear and apparel specially for kids.''

Since March 2000, the company has launched 25 PGSC (product, gender, style,colour) products for kids.

Globally also, the kids segment has been the fastest growing segment forReebok and the company has been focussing on expanding the kids market forthree years.

Besides its revolutionary microchip-embedded shoe Traxtar (see box), ReebokIndia will also launch a colourful range of sandals for kids and juniorsthis week, branded Zambezee, in the Rs 790-Rs 890 range.

The kids range has footwear and apparel for kids in the age group 5-14 yearsand at price points ranging from Rs 790 Rs 1,990 for footwear and Rs 290 Rs590 for apparel. Products include various apparel lines (track bottoms,shorts and T-shirts), a cricket bat branded Blaze at Rs 590 and school bagsfor Rs 490 & Rs 590, besides matching accessories for most apparel lines.Reebok will support its foray into the kids market with focussed retailactivity and advertising. The company has decided to allocate 15 per centof its total ad budget to the marketing of this range.

The focus will be primarily on creating excitement and strengthening itsretail presence through attractive in-shop displays. A special area has beendemarcated for kids in Reebok's South Extension store in New Delhi, withtoys and slides and five TV screens showing cartoons and earlier Reebokbrand TVCs. ``The idea is to create the right ambience and excitement toattract kids,'' says Prem. This concept will be extended to the top 25 ofReebok's 90 company stores.

A TV commercial is also due to be aired in June. This will feature under-19cricketers like Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh and Neeraj Patel, who have beensigned up as brand ambassadors. Promotional activities like tie-ups withkids brands like McDonalds are also being worked out, besides specialappearances by young under-19 cricketers at various outlets.

Reebok is targeting 15 per cent of total sales this year from the kidssegment. It regards this as a market with very high potential, with adefinite segment that is becoming increasingly brand conscious andaspirational and there being `no dearth of financiers in the shape of dotinggrandparents.' How far this translates into repeat sales and increasedvolumes is a different matter. But Reebok India is certainly upbeat on thekids range.

...to launch Traxtar in August
Reebok India will be launching Traxtar, its latest high-tech shoe for kids,in the Indian market sometime in August. The Traxtar is a sports shoe with amicrochip embedded in it, which tracks a kid's score each time heparticipates in any sports activity like high jump, running, long jumpetc.

The shoe was launched in the US in May 2000 and the initial response hasbeen very positive, say company officials.

An imported shoe, its price in the Indian market has not been decided as yetand will depend on factors like customs duty. In the US, the shoe retails atbetween $80 and $90 and its popularity has been attributed to parents'desire to wean kids away from the Net and onto physical activities.