Author(s): Books LLC Chronicle

Gift

SALES HANDLE: Port-a-Pug has all the perks and benefits of real pug ownership, without the exhausting clean-up or the expensive upkeep. Easy to assemble, easy to transport, difficult not to adore. HOW THIS TITLE WILL BE DISTINCTIVE: It's a must-have impulse buy for a pug owner or wannabe small dog owner. There are a few animal punch-outs out there, but most of them are solely for decoration and do not have the interactive potential that Port-a-Pug does. The other punchouts appeal to the museum store/art market while ours is jokey and has fun and interactive content (you can assemble your dog, fill out his birth certificate, carry him around in the carrier, feed him, put different collars on him, etc.--in short, you can personalize the experience, just like with a real dog). Think of it as a Pound Puppy or a Cabbage Patch Kid for adults. TREND/CONSUMER: Animal punchouts are becoming more and more popular, as evidenced by the 2009 Fall Anthropologie catalog and Chronicle's own Magical Menagerie, which has already sold about 6K.This season Anthropologie is selling knit sea-creatures (or 'stitchy ornaments') and oversized handmade jungle animals (Hippo and Elephant: 'Flip-Flop' Animals). Pugs are also seeing an increase in popularity: a 2006 Los Angeles Times piece claims that the pug is replacing the chihuahua as the 'it' pet. The Onion published an article in 2007 satirizing the overwhelming amount of pug owners. An Amazon search pulls in not only pug care manuals, but also also pug entertainment titles. VALUE: A real pug costs an indefinite amount in care and training. Port-a-Pug has a one-time purchase price of $16.95, after that you'll never have to spend another dime on the pet! NOTABLE AUTHORS: Developed by the creative minds at Chronicle Books. RELEVANT SALES: Pug Shots Notecards (50K gross)