Retailer Profile 37 Suppliers Snapshot

Stars in Malta

Nursery Today’s Editor Penny Franks had the pleasure to catch up with Malta’s independent retailer Little Stars Malta’s owner Edward Bugeja while visitng Harrogate Int. Nursery Fair. Here we find out more on his business and how Little Stars Malta provide a point of difference compared to other retailers on the island.

You opened your doors in 2012, what was the inspiration behind opening your store?

I must say it was my wife. We noticed there was very little choice for the new parents, especially in the north area where we lived, so we had to travel all around Malta to get some bits here and some bits there for our first born. So having a one stop shop with a great selection was an obvious opportunity. Based in Malta, do you feel there is a difference in how you manage your business in comparison to nursery retailers here in the UK?

Yes, there definitely is. Here being a small island the competition is much closer than in the UK. Customers have all the shops within a few minutes’ drive. That is why we decided to go out of the box and bring top brands to our portfolio. I am proud to say that we have most major brands under our umbrella. This is what makes us unique. Can you tell us a little about how you currently manage your floorspace?

When we first started out we had just 45square mts, we now have 186square mts, and coming February next year will have 480square mts. It is so easy to grow out of the space, especially as everyone knows our stock is mostly bulky. Obviously best floor space is given to the best money maker items, but we still give full attention to all our brands. What are you currently doing as a store that sets you apart from your competitors?

As I have already said we had to think out of the box. Here on the island everyone is more like a dealership, one has Cam, the other Hauck and so on. I wanted to change that so we went after the top brands, out first was BabyStyle.

I remember receiving the first set by post, now we have Dorel Group, Bugaboo, Oyster, Egg, Lionelo, MoMi, Babygo, Jane, ErgoBaby, Snuz, Green Sheep, Axkid, Babyjem, Bebeconfort Cuddles, and many others that in a very short period of just over ten years I worked hard to get and maintain.

Little Stars is also famous for our customer service, we were the first shop in Malta not just selling car seats but also educating on car safety, same with baby wearing, we don’t just introduce the product to the market but educate, encourage and support parents. What was the driving force behind making this change to the nursery retail landscape in Malta?

I wanted something different; I have in my years worked in many fields, but I must say this is one of the most satisfactory line of work I have had the pleasure to experience. The trade is always changing and at times it is even hard to keep up with, so perhaps visiting trade shows has helped me staying up to date. Do you also have customers that travel to visit your store?

Not so many, but because we also offer hire service to those visiting on holidays we do have the occasions when foreign customers visit us. It is also a pleasure to hear when they talk positively about our setup at Little Stars. Since first opening what would you say has been your largest challenge and also what has been your biggest success?

Obviously, my biggest challenge must have been to learn the trade, as an example I honestly had no idea of the different kind of teets for a bottle or why there are so many different dummies. I remember using free time to read about the different products, and learning how to understand each customer’s individual needs, I was alone in the start-up and I think being a male trying to serve a pregnant women was not easy.

My biggest success must be when I introduced the Oyster to the Island, then the Oyster 1 - it is a success story on it’s own, a top seller from the very start. I can almost guarantee that there is more Oysters going around on the island than any other brand. Are your customers brand focussed and how important are brand names to your business?

Yes, here Brand names are important, that is why I had to search and bring top brands into our portfolio. Brands that were already known were not hard to introduce, for example Maxi Cosi and Ergobaby to name some, but I was ready for the challenge and had to bring in new brands and give it a go. Is there a particular nursery product category that performs well for you and can this change year on year?

Travel systems are the top performers for us. We offer all travel systems equally to all customers, again our top performer is Oyster3 and of course the Oyster Gravity. We also do well with nursery furniture, we always have 4 to 5 sets on display. BabyStyle, Pali and Snuz do well for us. At present, is there a particular product that your customers are viewing as a must have essential?

Yes, I do see a change in what customers are looking for especially when it comes to detergents. We see that most are looking for Vegan and fragrance free products. Organic products are also on the rise, but at

most times tends to be more in the expensive side. Do you feel you are a specialist nursery retailer within a particular product category?

I am a specialist with all that i do, we have to be the representatives of all the products that we carry, knowledge of the products are of most important. We represent the brands that we sell ,our customers know us and not the importers, we are their bible. You offer a ‘rental’ service to your customers, how does this work for you and the business?

Our rental service started a while back. Customers can use our website to book ahead for what ever item they need – more so if they are travelling to Malta. It is just a quick form on the website and we will get back to them in a short period.

This we have found to be a good source of extra income. However, we do not deliver to the airport due to delays, but clients usually find their booked items at their chosen hotel once they arrive. You recently visited Harrogate Int. Nursery Fair. Is this a regular routine in your yearly calendar and what is the main reason you attend?

Yes, I love the Harrogate Fair and have visit for the past 8 times, Harrogate gives me the opportunity to see new importance of innovation in every industry. Modern parents are looking for a lot of customization to fit their own lifestyle and making sure the baby products reflect their own unique views on parenthood so we cannot continue selling old-school items that our grandmas swear they are the best.

Technology, personalisation and sustainability are great areas where there is still a lot of potential for innovation.

products, make new deals, see what I have to compete with, and of course make new friends, some even took the time to visit us in Malta. Harrogate makes more sense to me than the Koln Fair in Germany. Did you find any new brands or products that you have onboarded from the show at Harrogate?

Yes, we did this year as well. One that we are just waiting to place the first order is Bizzi Growin. Great people. Are your customers seeking products that carry some level of ecocredentials?

Yes, as I already mentioned Organic is the new way, just wish that prices are slightly more affordable. Customers are looking for more sustainable ecofriendly products thinking of both the wellbeing of their precious little babies as well as the environment around us. What about your own carbon footprint, do you consider this also within your own business?

Yes I do and I also respect some of our suppliers that are, for example, putting more than one car seat in a carton. Other than that, we do our very best to recycle properly. We also introduce reuse when we can. Do you feel that we have sufficient innovation within our industry?

It is hard to overestimate the How important is your website to the business? Do you sell the same items online that you do instore?

We’ve always tried to be ahead of the competition here when it comes to the online presence, so our website is definitely an important tool for us. The selection is the same, we want to make sure neither online, nor instore customers are missing out on any great deals, but we use different marketing with online and instore offers. And does social media also play an important role for your business?

Being a small island, in Malta people like to be closely connected through social media and for us it is always a great opportunity to collect some feedback from our customers, launch new products, test some special offers and generally be connected with our precious customers. Finally, is there any exciting news on the horizon that you would like to share with our readers?

2023 will be an exciting year for Little Stars Malta! We are expanding our store and bringing some new exciting brands and products to the market. I am also working on a new concept that will allow us to bring the shop even closer to the customers, both literally and figuratively, so there are a lot of great things for us to look forward for. I would like to welcome all your readers to visit our store if in Malta and wish everyone a happy holiday season.