Enfield, CT, January 23, 2003 -- Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. (STR) of Enfield, Connecticut, the largest full service, privately-owned consumer product quality assurance testing and compliance monitoring company in the world, has expanded its service offerings to the toys and premiums industry. As a result of its acquisition of Shuster Laboratories, Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary, STR can now offer clients extensive experience with a wide range of consumer research and sensory evaluation programs.

One of the key consumer research and sensory testing issues for manufacturers and retailers of toys and premiums is confirmation of age grading decisions. Other important issues include overall validation of quality and safety, gathering of strategic consumer data during product development, determining how children relate to the product, and verifying product claims. This research can also be used for competitive analysis, as well as in response to customer complaints and in pre-recall situations.

These services complement STR’s quality and safety technical programs that use trained human factors professionals. This includes play group observation to identify play patterns and potential hazards associated with toys and premiums that toy safety standards oftentimes do not address.

All consumer research and sensory services will be provided at Shuster’s 42,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in Canton, Massachusetts which includes a full-service central location testing facility where consumer studies are conducted to validate product performance, consumer acceptance, and advertising claims. Extensive focus group facilities are available to validate new concepts, generate new product ideas, and to determine what consumers identify as key product attributes.

STR/Shuster’s sensory evaluation laboratories, which include sophisticated technical panel booths, utilize both technical panels and trained sensory panels to provide valuable expert feedback for product development, product improvement and optimization, quality assurance, and advertising claims substantiation.

Some of the customized consumer research and sensory services that STR/Shuster offers include:

Focus groups. Consumer focus groups help companies identify viable ideas for new products and line extensions; determine desired sensory attributes; and test prototypes, advertising imagery and language, and packaging concepts.

Consumer use studies. Many types of studies are used to gather feedback from target consumers and determine product acceptability. Studies include sensory panels, central location tests, preference studies, comparative studies, home-use tests, and efficacy studies.

Claims validation. By designing and conducting the experiments that will validate marketing, advertising, and packaging claims, STR/Shuster can protect companies against lost sales, media overhauls, and litigation.

Trained sensory panels. ASTM trained judges perform descriptive analysis and difference tests. They are able to identify specific and subtle differences in a product’s sensory profile and detect the smallest sensory variances in samples from different production runs or plants.

Market research. Highly sophisticated sensory research enables product development and market research professionals to evaluate the relationships between product formulation, sensory characteristics, consumer acceptance, and product marketability.

Started in 1944, Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. has grown into the largest full service, privately-owned consumer product quality assurance testing and compliance monitoring company in the world with laboratories and inspection offices in over 30 countries over five continents. STR offers a wide range of quality assurance, compliance consulting, and ISO registration services to retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers of consumer hard, soft, and consumable goods. STR also provides materials development services, industrial products services, and manufacturing services to its diverse client base. STR is the first consumer products testing company in the U.S. to earn the ISO-9002 accreditation.