WOOD KNAPP TO INCLUDE DOLL WITH 'SENDAK LIBRARY' TITLE

DAN ALAIMO

LOS ANGELES -- Wood Knapp & Co. will package a plush doll with its video "The Maurice Sendak Library" to enhance fourth-quarter sales. The 8.5-inch Wild Thing doll is based on a character from Maurice Sendak's children's book, "Where the Wild Things Are." The gift set will be released Oct. 1, with a Sept. 17 preorder, at a suggested retail price of $19.98. It is part of Wood Knapp's Children's Circle Home Video Library, which has done well for many supermarket chains, including Stop & Shop, Boston. "The Children's Circle line has been a great success for us. It's the type of product we like to feature in our stores," said Mark Fisher, video sales and operations manager. "We are continuing to expand the Children's Circle line in this regard," said Harold Weitzberg, Wood Knapp's vice president of marketing and sales. "This combo, a $29 value priced at only $19.98, makes a wonderful gift, particularly at holiday time." Wood Knapp is offering the Wild Thing doll to retailers who purchase any 12 Children's Circle videos in a promotion called "It's a Doll, Doll World." The retailers then become eligible to win a 3-foot version of the character. Among the 30 titles, which are priced $14.98 retail, involved in the promotion are "Corduroy," "Curious George Rides a Bike," "Danny and the Dinosaur" and "Really Rosie." Wood Knapp is now distributing the award-winning Kidvidz video line, Weitzberg said. There are six titles in the line, all oriented toward building self-esteem, responsibility and creativity in children, said Weitzberg. Among these $14.98 videos are "Piggy Banks to Money Markets: A Kid's Guide to Dollars and Sense" and "Paws, Claws, Feathers and Fins: A Kid's Guide to Pets." "There's a tremendous potential for in-store cross promotion of the Kidvidz line in supermarkets," Weitzberg told SN.