Allison Baby makes 2023 its year of Innovation

Hot on the heels of a successful 2022, Alison Baby, parent company of Joie, Nuna and Graco, was determined to reaffirm its position as industry leaders when it comes to design and innovation. In a bumper year of launches, Joie unveiled a new addition to its spinning family, the i-Spin XL – a birth to 12 powerhouse that can fulfil the brief as the only car seat kids will ever need. Nuna launched the PIPA urbn, an innovative infant carrier with built in ISOFIX – meaning there’s no need for a base, while Graco launched its bedside crib, the Sweet2Sleep.

Leading the charge, and already a firm favourite with Joie fans, the i-Spin XL spans all the way from birth to big kid and every growth spurt in between. Crafted to the highest safety certifications, along with all of Joie’s premium convenience features and timeless signature styling, the i-Spin XL is the smart and economic choice that will provide parents with peace of mind for years to come.

Joie highlights biggest launches this year

Joining i-Spin XL as one of Joie’s biggest launches this year is the Cycle collection – a range of some of Joie’s most popular products that have been made using recycled plastic bottles in the fabrics. The collection is the latest step by the company in its efforts towards greener practices, although responsible production methods have long been central to the way its products are designed and created.

Keeping safety front of mind, the Cycle collection uses the same metal components as other Joie products, allowing consumers the peace of mind that they are just as safe and long lasting as other products in the range.

Joie launched the collection to the public at The Baby Show, ExCel in March, with an event that featured a specially commissioned piece, created by eco-artist Sarah Turner. Capturing the essence of the collection, the piece took the form of a pushchair made entirely from discarded plastic. Following the launch event, attended by influencers and members of the media, the collection scooped The Baby Show’s Sustainable Product Award.

In the world of wheels, Joie also added the vinca to its Signature collection. Perhaps the most significant feature on vinca, is its height adjustable seat unit that makes it easy for parents to interact with their little one, no matter where they are –whether on a walk or sitting in a coffee shop.

Nuna continues to demonstrate growth & innovation

Alongside Joie, with new and innovative products, is Nuna, the premium brand in the collection. The growth of Nuna has increased year on year, with a broadening range, based on its brand ethos; Simple, Practical, Stylish. This year has seen real innovation in the infant carrier sector, with the launch of the PIPA urbn. This ultra lightweight car seat installs using an advanced, built-in ISOFIX system with no separate base required. This groundbreaking baseless installation feature is integrated into the car seat, allowing super secure installs in seconds. It is perfect if families are regularly switching between vehicles and offers a new generation of journeys for on-the-go parents.

Nuna has also launched the TRIV next, taking the best of the original TRIV, but improving its manoeuvrability and balance. With a larger rear wheel, improved frame and all wheel suspension, the TRIV next is the perfect sidekick for everyday adventures, paring perfectly with the PIPA urbn, for the ultimate versatile travel system.

This year has been exceptionally busy for Nuna, with Out Of Home advertising campaigns, PR and influencer events and more instore installations than ever. Utilising the new brand identity for instore presence, bespoke displays are being installed regularly and will continue through 2023 and beyond, with the new PIPA urbn displays arriving in stores over the coming months.

Graco receives rave reviews

Completing the Allison Baby’s trio is Graco, which has continued to experience strong growth both in car seats and wheels, with launches and extensions in the compact stroller category and R129 range of car seats.

After its hugely successful launch, receiving rave reviews from influencers and media titles alike, the Myavo has now introduced three new colourways. The contemporary line up now includes Dusty Rose, Clover and Midnight.

Graco has extended its popular The Graco Village microsite with a new feature: The Journey to Sleep. Offering advice, information and signposts to organisations that can help, the site aims to support new parents with this most challenging element of parenting a newborn. High profile media, influencers, experts, and brand collaborations saw the site pick up over a thousand clicks in its first week live.

The Journey to Sleep supports the launch of Graco’s newest product, Sweet2Sleep. A bedside crip with dropdown arm that delivers a co-sleeping solution for parents wanting to keep baby close at bedtime.

The Graco Village will be further extended to support the new R129 portfolio in September. With revealing consumer insights, more relatable content, a strong emotive hook and a retailer partnership in the pipeline, Graco will guide consumers through the new legislation, ensuring its car seat range is front of mind at purchase.

Reflecting on the year, Allison Baby’s Managing Director, David Welsh, said: “We have continued to see consistent year on year growth since the company’s inception in 2011. 2022 saw a substantial 16.3% growth over 2021. Our continued success could not be achieved without the efforts of our strong and dedicated team and of course the support of our valued customers – and we are looking to expand on this in the future.

“However, we know that while we are growing, there are many out there who are struggling in the current climate. The cost-of-living crisis is making life difficult for many families, so we have tried to ease the pain by reducing pricing on many of our key lines. We are also continuing to work with our charitable partnerships here in the UK and around the world, reinforcing our longstanding relationship with Variety and Variety Golf by donating 10 sunshine coaches a year to children’s charities. Children and families are at the heart of everything we do, so this is a wonderful way for us to be able to give something back to the communities that have supported us through the years.”

David continued; “We are very much looking forward to being able to return to Kind and Jugend, this year – we will have some very interesting new launches to share. Thanks again to our customers and their loyalty during difficult trading times over the last year. We will continue to invest in advertising and marketing spend, along with exciting new products to continue growing our business together.”