The #1 superstore domestics retailer has picked up three Hugs Pet Products for a test in 10 of its stores! The Pugz Shoes, Cool Cot and Auto Pet Dish are now selling in BB&B stores in Long Island, N.Y., Tampa, Fla., and several other cities. They are the first Hugs products to hit BB&B’s shelves, but hopefully not the last!

“It’s very exciting,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. “Hopefully the products will test well and will sell out fast.”

All three products are client projects that we developed through our collaboration with Hugs for our clients: Kay – Pugz, Dennis – Auto Dish, and Deborah – Cool Cot. Pugz, the newest Hugs product to hit the market, resembles the popular Uggs boots, only for pampered canines – so adorable, it’s sure to be a hit! The inventors of the Pugz and Auto Pet Dish have not realized a net profit from their products.

The ideas were submitted and Davison’s design team began working on the projects years ago, in some cases. Once Hugs expressed an interest, the items were finalized by our corporate design team.

“It’s really cool that we can go back into our inventory and pull out something a corporation is looking for,” said the design manager. “It’s just a matter of the right company at the right time, and this is a perfect example of that.”

Congratulations to our clients and to everyone who worked on these great new products!

In the past few months many new stores have added Davison-designed products and packaging to their shelves, pushing our total store count to over 600! The new stores include major brick-and-mortar retailers, such as Michaels, the largest arts and crafts retailer in the world! Michaels, which operates over 1,000 arts and crafts stores in 49 U.S. states and in Canada, is now selling the Party Traveler, a versatile food travel caddy that we designed for our inventor client, Joy. Another major new retailer is the upscale Crate & Barrel, which is now selling the Water Infuser that we designed for Jokari to provide a healthy alternative to sugary drinks.

We also have added dozens of niche retailers, such as Mary Maxim, the largest mail order merchandiser of exclusive needlework and craft kits in North America, which is now selling the Petite Press that we did for Prym. Numerous pet product retailers also have picked up many innovative items we developed for clients and Hugs Pet Products, greatly adding to our store total. And the list just keeps on growing!

Check out all the great new stores on our product pages!

The first product we have created for New Product Kingdom is on its way to the store shelves! The Air Rack that we designed for the company is being shipped to a distributor in Canada, which will send the 300-piece test order to stores in the Home Hardware chain – Canada’s largest independent home improvement retailer!

“It works well, it looks good and hopefully it will sell a ton,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. “This is the first NPK product, and there will be many more to come.”

The heavy-duty inflatable product, which includes a pump, can be quickly and securely attached to the roof of a vehicle, providing an instant and lightweight rack to hold oversize loads. When not needed, the rack can be compactly stored in the trunk.

The product design, graphic design, packaging and photography were all created in house.  The Air Rack concept came out of a brainstorming meeting with the corporation last summer. Three related projects are also in the works: kayak / canoe rack, cargo rack, and storage pad – which will make four items in the line. The small packaging required for inflatable items takes up much less space on the store shelf, which has many benefits for the retailer and corporation, as well as the consumer, said Davison’s corporate design manager. “You just can’t beat the packaging space.”

Congratulations to all who worked on this great new product! We can’t wait to see the rest of the line!

The Davison “D” continues to make its mark in BB&B. The Water Infuser and Packet Rack, both of which came out of a brainstorming meeting with Jokari in early 2009, are being tested in select Bed, Bath & Beyond stores! “We did it all – the design work, the engineering – start to finish,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. “They turned out nice.”

The creative coach of special operations and his team brainstormed the design of both products. The coach designed the Water Infuser, a “spotlight” item in Jokari’s “healthy steps” line. It is the first product in stores from the wellness line that we are developing for the company.

The Water Infuser’s hinged sphere opens so it can hold pieces of fruit, vegetables and herbs, such as lemon, cucumber, strawberries or mint. The sphere is then placed in a pitcher and, through small slits in the plastic, the water or tea is infused with natural flavors, offering a healthy and inexpensive alternative to sodas, sugary fruit drinks and bottled water.

“They made a few changes at the factory, but for the most part it looks the same,” said the designer.

The Packet Rack, which is also on Jokari.com, is the result of the company’s challenge to find a solution to the problem of neatly storing multiple packets of seasoning and mixes. During the brainstorming session, one member of the team “had a moment of genius,” said his manager, and came up with the idea of pinching packets in a spring.

“Everyone kind of looked at me,” said the designer, who then proved his concept with a spring from the build line. “I got a few laughs … until I showed them. This is one of those things where you take an everyday item and design it for a different use.”

Jokari “really liked the idea,” and the product evolved into a row of small springs on a base that mounts to the inside of a cabinet. To use, simply press upward on the spring, insert the top of a packet into the opening, then let go and the packet is secured.

“We showed it to them and they only came back with a couple of tweaks,” said the corporate design manager, who is, once again, very pleased with the performance of his team.

Congratulations to everyone who worked on these great new products! We won’t be surprised if they both get an A+ on their test!

The Summer Licensing meeting and party was full of great news: In the last quarter, 10 new products are on the market or on their way, and 5 new packaging solutions also have hit the store shelves!

Read more »

The Helping Hands line that we created for Faucet Queen is currently being tested in three Bed, Bath & Beyond stores – in Virginia, Florida and Iowa!

As you can see, the product is stacked from floor to ceiling. We developed 9 items for the line, including the Inshield Wiper, which is also a client project. The Bucket Bench soon will be added to the line after it undergoes some final tweaks of hardware. The creative coach of special operations was very happy to see the products in the store.

“It’s extremely exciting,” said the coach, also lead designer of the line. Bed Bath & Beyond is going to see how the initial purchase order sells before placing any more, he said.

One thing is for certain, the innovative and handy car cleaning items are sure to catch the eyes and interest of many car owners in Iowa, Florida and Virginia!

Congratulations to all who worked on the line — Check out some great photos of the display!

So what is a Hydro Bone and how does it keep dogs cool and content in hot weather? One happy canine demonstrates this refreshing chew toy that we created for Hugs Pet Products. The video is posted on the website of Doctors Foster and Smith, which is selling this innovative new product.

The long-awaited Hydro Bone has hit the market, landing in Doctors Foster and Smith, the largest pet supply cataloger in the nation, which started out as a small group of dedicated veterinarians. The Hydro Bone originated several years ago on a Davison design team as they were brainstorming ideas for new pet toys for another company, which did not pursue it. The hydrating chew toy, which keeps dogs and puppies cool and content in hot weather, was brought back out recently by the corporate team in its work for Hugs Pet Products.

“We married the product up with them and they kind of ran with it,” said the corporate design manager.

The corporate team did the finishing touches and resolved issues related to materials and created the packaging. The product maintained its original design.

“It’s kind of cool that it’s actually a product we did years ago that we were able to bring back and revive,” said the original design manager on the project. “It’s pretty much the same concept we came up with a few years back.”

The VP of Licensing is hopeful we also will see the product in other stores in the near future. “It’s great to see it’s up on Dr. Foster’s and selling.”

If this innovative item follows in the path of other products we’ve developed for Hugs, it is sure to be a success. It certainly couldn’t have hit the market at a better time of year, when dog owners are searching for ways to keep their canine companions cool!

Congratulations to all who worked on this great new product!

We recently added 15 new store links to our product pages, including 10 stores that are brand new to Davison! This brings the total number of stores that are selling or have sold Davison-designed products and packaging to 516!

There are now 8 more stores selling the Dog Wash (for a total of 19), and all 8 are new stores for us! We also added 3 new links (1 new store) to the Party on the Go; and a total of 4 new links (1 new store) for the Better Bobbin, Luma Threader and Ultimate Stiletto.

Check out all the additional stores now selling Davison-designed products, such as Improvements, which features “innovative problem solvers,” including the Dog Wash, in its classy catalog — Sounds like a perfect fit for Davison, as well as for our inventor and corporate clients!

Mr. Davison soon will be featured on the hit Lifetime TV show where he will talk about how to bring new product ideas to life. He will be joined by Sharon, inventor of the Cool Cot House, and Katie, president of Hugs Pet Products, as they tell the story of inventing from three different perspectives and show how a new idea makes its way to the marketplace, from start to finish. The show will air on July 28 and August 11 at 7 a.m. (ET/PT). Check out the promo, and don’t miss the show!

History was made recently in a TV studio in Florida. Mr. Davison, Sharon (inventor of the Cool Cot House), and Katie (president of Hugs Pet Products), were jointly interviewed for a segment of “The Balancing Act,” an entertaining and educational show on Lifetime that is designed to inspire and empower women.

“It was the first time in history an inventor, the developer and licensor, and the manufacturer and marketer were all on screen together, explaining how it takes a team to launch new products,” said Mr. Davison.

Sharon, who was very open and down to earth, talked about how she came up with the idea, Mr. Davison talked in detail about our development methodology, and Katie talked about how Hugs gets all of its product samples from us, which they take to buyers.

“By having all three of us together, we had a really powerful story to tell, and their viewers are going to see first hand the value of what Davison has to offer,” Mr. Davison said. “It’s wonderful to sit in a studio and listen to your inventor client and your corporate customer complimenting and thanking you. Overall, it just feels good to contribute to something so positive.”

A Davison vice president who was in attendance also thought the taping was outstanding and significant. “It’s a great way to get the message out,” he said. “It was captivating to have the story told from three different perspectives, and to show the whole idea from start to finish … I don’t think it’s ever been done.”

Sharon was “spot on,” Mr. D. was “just great” in explaining our method, Katie “bubbled on screen” and the host “brought out the best in everybody,” said the VP.

“It’s just great to have wonderful clients who have the desire and the strength internally to bring something better into the world,” said Mr. Davison. “I like being around people like that.”

Check back here for updates about The Balancing Act segment as we get closer to the airing date later this summer. And stay tuned for the touching story of “Ducky,” the shelter dog that was used to demonstrate the Cool Cot House!