Kidmongous at Big Blue grows up

By Cindy Spielvogel -- Video Business, 6/15/2001

JUNE 15 | Blockbuster's merchandising program for exclusive children's product, Kidmongous, is providing Big Blue with "incremental lifts" in children's rentals.

The four-year-old program also provides some suppliers with a rental outlet for titles that might otherwise not get as much attention, according to Lori Flynn, Blockbuster's VP of rental merchandising.

Other retailers have been critical of Blockbuster for offering exclusive movies, but Flynn said there's no reason why other retailers can't do their own Kidmongous-like program.

"If another retailer wants to, they can work out their own program with the studios," she said.

Blockbuster sees potential Kidmongous product in existing children's product from all studios.

"We'll take a few episodes of something like a Nickelodeon series that might have been available as 20-minute or 30-minute videos and combine them into an 80-minute video. The purpose is to offer value so parents don't have to keep changing the video," Flynn said.

Blockbuster then stocks one or two VHS copies per store of each Kidmongous title, Flynn said.

The program is supported mainly by in-store signage. Some stores merchandise Kidmongous titles in a dedicated area while others spread them throughout the children's section. The packaging bears the Kidmongous logo in addition to the studio and identifies the title as a Blockbuster exclusive.

The chain now plans to limit the program to about 150 titles, Flynn said, replacing older or less popular ones as needed. Now, 143 titles are in the program.

Kidmongous titles rent for $1.99 for five days, the same as other children's product in Blockbuster stores, Flynn said.

"They provide a good margin, and we get incremental lifts from them in the kids' category," she said.

Lyrick Studios has used Kidmongous for more than 10 titles to date, including some featuring Barney, Kipper, Bob the Builder and the Wiggles. "It's a great program for mom--to pay a full rental on a 30-minute video is harsh," said Debbie Ries, senior VP of worldwide sales for Lyrick. "For us it's like sampling. The mom who rents can become a purchaser."

For Kidmongous, Lyrick puts two direct-to-video titles on one tape. "If other retailers were interested, we'd offer them something like this for rental also," she said.

Other suppliers that have customized titles for Kidmongous include Rhino Home Video and Paramount Home Video, distributor of Nickelodeon product.

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