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Hasbro, CVS deal

The nation's No. 2 toymaker teamed up with drug store-operator CVS on Monday to offer a new line of baby products. Rachel Dornhelm reports.

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TESS VIGELAND: You may have teethed on your brother’s Tonka truck, but your child could chew on an official Tonka teether. Hasbro says it plans to start selling baby care products. More from Rachel Dornhelm.


RACHEL DORNHELM: Traditional toy sales fell slightly in 2005. The same went for baby care products like pacifiers.

Still, toy giant Hasbro is hoping that combining the two stalled sectors could jump-start sales.

Hasbro owns brands like PlaySkool, Mr. Potato Head, My Little Pony and Tonka. Retail analyst Timothy Dowd says these names will likely grace their new baby products.

TIMOTHY DOWD:“If you have any of those brand names, then that could be a very powerful draw for the children, and there’s also a very powerful nostalgic value for the parents.”

If you’re looking to buy any of Hasbro’s diapers and teething rings you’ll have to go to CVS. The drug store has an exclusive deal for the line. Dowd says this jives with CVS’s new strategy to beef up its private brand offerings.

I’m Rachel Dornhelm for Marketplace.