Nursery Today

The U.K. nursery trade’s no. 1 magazine

Month: January 15 Issue 4 Volume 18

www.nursery-today.co.uk

s i y a d o T of

Independently audited ABC circulation of 4514 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014

l l fu

P

y t i l i b i s os With the BRITAX SMILE, every day can have a little extra.

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CONTENTS

January 2015 Issue 4 Volume 18

5 6 10 14

Can you afford not to sell to China and the USA?

20 38

52

Penny Franks

66

Paul Donnelley pauld@lemapublishing.co.uk Paul Donnelley

Christine Contreras

8 10

16

Christine Contreras

Circulation

18

robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Mark Naish

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

P Page 48 Infant & P Pre School Toys

36

Page 56 Pacifiers & Soothers

Features

48

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Infant & PreSchool Toys Toying around or great footfall drivers?

Lema Publishing Ltd

Subscription per annum: UK £40, Europe £50 (surface), £60 (airmail)

Car Seats & Accessories Time to take a look at many aspects of the car seat product category

Malcolm Naish

www.nursery-today.co.uk

Dr Fin The Psychological difference between a ‘Reset’ plug and a best friend

22

Telephone: 01442 289930

Nigel Plested Nigel takes a look at the car seat accessories sector

Malcolm Naish Paul Naish

Colin Pattison Should you have joined in with Black Friday events?

54

Managing Director

Herts, HP4 2UB

David Fairhurst, Intelligent Retail eCommerce – Getting the Psychology Right

Robert Thomas

The Wilderness, Berkhamsted,

Anthony Temple, Rainbow Designs Licensed plush trends - an inside take on this growing nursery sector

Paul Naish

1 Churchgates,

Christian Jones, Gro Christian takes a look back at 2014

Design Production Director

malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

New Products

Contributors

P Page 22 C Car Seats & A Accessories

christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

Publisher

Retailer Profile A Berry Clever idea

Penny Franks

Assistant Editor

paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Trade Talk Nursery Today asks the industries finest their view on the car seat sector

Editor

Ad Manager

Nursery Natter We speak to retailers about car seats

the team penny@lemapublishing.co.uk

Leader News Licensing News BPA

56

P Page 62 Mother & Baby Awards

Pacifiers & Soothers Time to keep calm and carry on!

Special Features 42 60

Brother Max Gro Penny Franks had the pleasure to interview Christian Jones, CEO, Gro Company

62

Mother & Baby Awards We take a look at who the winners were of these most coveted awards

29th - 31st March 2015 Harrogate International Centre

The UK’s only international nursery industry trade show!

Don’t miss your chance to exhibit and visit!

Over 150 exhibitors and 200 brands confirmed so far ‘Harrogate is my favourite show for nursery and baby products. There’s such a wide array of exhibitors and we always end up finding something new. We specialise in affordable, quality items which have a developmental benefit and we’ve had a very productive show on that front.’

Debbie White, Happy Humbugs (retailer)

www.nurseryfair.com

message from the editor... email: Christine@lemapublishing.co.uk We have also seen a continued growth at the NSG – with member levels continually rising – well done guys, you’re doing a great job!

And let’s not forget all the hard work the BPA have conducted throughout the year – for example, some great UK pavilions in Cologne (Kind Und Jugend) , Vegas (ABC Kids Expo) and Shanghai (CBME), not to mention their amazing seminars (which were free

“

This issue, as you can probably tell, is officially our largest December/ January issue to date in the history of Nursery Today and yet still I found it difficult getting everything in.

Perhaps this is your first taster of what’s to come during the year

“

H

ere we are – 2015! I for one really don’t quite understand where 2014 went. Did I blink and miss it? Throughout 2014 we saw quite a lot happen in nursery. We all got our heads round i-Size, saw a lot of new product (which keeps our industry alive and refreshed year on year), experienced some fantastic exhibitions and hopefully through Nursery Today kept you all up to speed with what was going on!

So, now it is time to look forward – what will 2015 bring? We know we will all experience great innovation when visiting the International Harrogate Nursery Fair in March (www.nurseryfair. com), and no, it’s not too soon to start thinking about this – the doors will soon be open, and you’ll get a fantastic chance to see first-hand any new products that were hidden away behind closed doors at Cologne – for example, BabyStyle. I know what’s in store for you all and I’m keeping incredibly quiet on this one, but you’re all in for a treat! What you will find on their stand demonstrates the strength of how amazing our industry is and furthermore, how innovative and on trend the wheeled goods sector is – continually keeping up with consumer demand and the desire for the latest ‘must haves’ for their little ones. Just a little note of advice, it really is best to book your accommodation and travel (if needed) now. We here at Nursery Today are already booked and ready to go and looking forward to bringing you again the daily newspaper – if you haven’t booked your marketing campaign yet, give Christine Contreras a call on 01442 289936 or drop her an

to all those who attended) and their continual ‘behind the scenes’ activity that supports everyone in our industry – whether you are a retailer, manufacturer or supplier. If you are not already a member of the BPA, perhaps this is something you should think about for 2015. For information visit their website: www.b-p-a.org This issue, as you can probably tell, is officially our largest December/ January issue to date in the history of Nursery Today and yet still I found it

difficult getting everything in. Perhaps this is your first taster of what’s to come during the year – great product, positive footfall in store or via your websites and hopefully a more buoyant year for all at retail level? Give me a call or email me, to let me know what your predictions are – I would love to hear from you: 01442 289947, penny@lemapublishing. co.uk You will notice that we have quite a comprehensive Car Seat feature this issue – we spoke to retailers, manufacturers and suppliers who view car seat safety as the most important category that we focus on (and I have to state, I am in total agreement). This section of the magazine covers around 20 pages! Now that’s what you call a concise feature. For everything you need to know, products that you’ll find of interest and also our new Trade Talk feature (giving nursery suppliers and manufacturers a voice) simply turn to page 20.

The good news is that as a ‘legal’ requirement, we see no slowdown in growth in this category.

Data from the Gfk group illustrates a growth of more than 14% in the August – October 2014 period when compared to the previous year.

Now that’s what you call a growing category!

We also take a look at Toy Fair 2015 – this will be the first opportunity for you all to see what’s going on in the infant and preschool toy sector. Totally worth a visit. You’ll find more by turning to page 44, and follow this with our infant

and preschool feature, page 48.

And if all this isn’t enough to keep you entertained there is further good news. As we have so many product categories in our industry, we will be launching a new April issue next year.

This will enable us to take a more in-depth look into features, bring you additional information across all product sectors and on top of this we will be introducing new contributors to the title. As an example, we have introduced this issue a new regular licensing column, brought to you by Anthony Temple of Rainbow Designs and the launch of our new Trade Talk section, all ensuring we bring you issue by issue throughout the year all the views and opinions of what’s happening in the nursery trade.

So for now, can I take this opportunity of wishing you all a happy 2015 and prosperous New Year. I look forward to hearing your views and news (remember, you can all send me news – not only can this be included in the magazine, but also via our regular daily news bulletins www.nursery-today.co.uk.

Two new brands from Thump Trading – Come and see us on Stand VB5 at Bubble London, 1-2 February For enquiries please contact jodi@thumptrading.co.uk or call +44 (0)207 738 0977 Leader 5

NEWS

sponsored by hardenbergco.co.uk 01785 503 305

Countdown to the ultimate nursery trade event of the year Not long to the official reveal!

Yes, it’s nearly time to reveal what BabyStyle has up their sleeve for Harrogate. With the Nursery Show only a couple of months away, make sure you plan a visit to the BabyStyle stand B44 to see what the latest in product innovation is.

Those that had the privilege to see this at Cologne, and who are

Once again, Harrogate International Nursery Fair from 29th to 31st March 2014 is the place to be for everyone involved in the baby products industry – as manufacturers and suppliers present exciting new ranges and retailers seek out the latest, most innovative products to stock throughout the year.

Whether you are hunting for new wheeled goods and car seats, nursery furniture and sleep accessories, toys and gifts, or the hottest new baby monitoring technology, Harrogate won’t disappoint as the show promises big brands such as i-Candy, BabyStyle, East Coast, Jané, Graco, Hauck, Concord and many more, plus numerous new exhibitors with never seen before ranges.

With seven halls of the Harrogate International Centre once again packed with every product a nursery retailer could possibly need from pregnancy goods right through to pre-school, visitors are advised to allow plenty of time to ensure they get to see everything on offer.

Once again, the Baby Products Association will be running a programme of informative seminars on subjects pertinent to the nursery sector. This includes the latest buying trends from market research experts GfK which will shed light onto what type of products new parents are buying and whether they prefer to shop

in-store or online. More details are available on the website.

The highlight of Harrogate for many exhibitors attending is the announcement of the BPA’s Baby and Nursery Trade Awards (BANTAs) which pick out the products which, in the opinion of the judges, are the very best in the show. BANTAs also point buyers in the right direction when looking for products which are considered excellent in terms of consumer desirability, quality and value for money. The winners will be announced at the Party & Awards event at the Majestic Hotel on Sunday 29th March – a not to be missed evening packed with entertainment, three course dinner and dancing till late!

The four finalists of the BPA’s Concept & Innovation Awards will also be waiting with bated breath for the announcement of the winners, which will be presented by 2011 BBC The Apprentice winner, Tom Pellereau.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to pre-register for free entry to the show. There are also a few last minute stand spaces available for companies wishing to take the opportunity to exhibit their products to almost every nursery retailer and buyer in the UK and a good number from overseas too. Full information for exhibitors to book stands and trade visitor registration can be found on the website at www.nurseryfair.com

keeping very quiet, are waiting eagerly to be one of the first to stock this product and introduce it to their customer base.

Exciting times ahead – watch this space!

6 nursery today

Secure your place within the BPA Pavilions If you are considering exhibiting in Shanghai, Germany and the USA next year you may be interested in joining the BPA which, with funding and support from the UKTI, offers an enhanced exhibiting package including eye-catching British branding,

translators (in China), networking events and the full support of the BPA team in all aspects of exhibiting prior to and during the shows.

Contact the BPA for further information: www.b-p-a.org

Award-winning Shnuggle joins logistics company Torque Torque now manages the holding of all the clients’ stock, overseeing deliveries in both the UK and Europe. The logistics specialist also picks, packs and dispatches all sales orders to Shnuggle’s wholesale and retail customer and provides freight services to support the company’s continued growth.

Adam Murphy, Shnuggle’s managing director, said: ‘Torque are a perfect match for Shnuggle: they can accommodate our current warehousing and fulfilment requirements, as well as the needs of our rapidly growing business. It has been very important for us to find a company that can provide the exceptionally high

standards of service that we wish our customers to experience. Moreover, the system has been set up quickly and efficiently, enabling business to carry on as usual for us.’

Oliver Winstanley, the head of OmniChannel, Torque, said: ‘We’re thrilled to be working with a fantastic brand such as Shnuggle who share our passion and enthusiasm for the Nursery industry. Their business continues to go from strength to strength and we delighted to be working in partnership with them on their very exciting expansion plans for the New Year.’

Web: www.torque.eu

Cosy little slipper socks!

Expectant Mothercare on target Mothercare has cut losses from its UK outlets and reported pre-tax profits of £5.5m in the six months to 11 October, compared with an £11m loss last year.

The company has shops in 60 countries but still earns more than a third of its revenue in the United Kingdom.

However, the stores in the UK are holding the company back but the management plan has narrowed its losses.

Mothercare said that it was encouraging UK like-for-like sales had risen 1.5% from last year. It has cut back on discounts and special offers.

Online sales rose by 14% and now account for a quarter of all UK sales. Mothercare also shut 14 British shops that were losing money.

The company said in September that it would ask shareholders for a £100m rights issue to help fund store closures and revamp existing ones.

Although Mothercare is struggling in the UK, its international business has been growing. Like-for-like international sales rose by 5% to £398m, boosted by soaring demand in Asia, its fastest-growing region, where it has 372 stores in 12 countries.

BabyStyle wins awards BabyStyle picked up two prestigious Gold Awards, firstly for the Imp in the Pushchairs Under £150 category and also for the Oyster2 in the Pushchairs Under £400 category.

The brand new Oyster Lite picked up a fantastic Silver in the Pushchairs Over £150 category while the incredibly flexible Oyster Max also got Silver in the Tandem category as well as picking up the coveted Consumer Choice Award.

The Pushchair Trader Best Baby & Toddler Gear Awards are judged by the Pushchair Trader team and selected testers and then voted on by the consumer, making these awards a true representation of what the consumer thinks of individual products and brands.

Imp Gold Pushchairs under £150 Oyster2 Gold Pushchairs under £400 Oyster Lite Silver Pushchairs over £150 Oyster Max Silver Tandems Oyster Max Consumer Choice Tandems www.babystyle.co.uk

Protecting babies knees!

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info@sockons.co.uk 0208 451 1516 www.sockons.co.uk All products are supported by a comprehensive press and pr campaign.

nursery today 7

NEWS A reflection on 2014

2012 Ltd to distribute the Gunapod

Christian Jones, Managing Director at the leading safer sleep brand The Gro Company this month talks about how products can capitalise on emerging parenting trends.

2

014 has been a dynamic year for the Nursery Industry, witnessing some companies thrive, whilst others have had a tougher time - struggling to build or maintain their profitability despite a rising birth rate.

As we look back over the year, what have the success drivers been for those who have excelled versus those not able to maintain their place in the ever competitive market?

With challenges of the changing retail environment and market dynamics, those who have managed to weather the storm have, as always, focused on their core proposition and maintained an efficient infrastructure.

The danger can be brands distracted away from their established positioning often may lose sight of what strengthens instead of diverts their performance.

As always it has been an

sponsored by

exciting year for innovation, and as the lifeblood of the industry, relevant and commercially impactful products are needed to keep it current and fresh for new parents. Success comes from genuinely meaningful innovation that consumers understand and that adds value to their lives.

This sense of inventiveness and ingenuity can also be gained by companies who recruit and develop young talent. Able to relate to our changing consumer base and challenge the norm, we should all support government backed schemes such as apprenticeships which foster young talent. Businesses should all look to encourage diversity within our industry in the coming year.

2014 saw an eventful market, but with another royal baby on the way, 2015 is set to be another exciting year within the Nursery Industry.

2012 Ltd is excited to announce its exclusive appointment as the UK and Irish distributor for the American brand Gunamuna and their innovative Gunapod.

The Gunapod is the only sleeping solution that uses the innovative patented WONDERZiP zipper system – an all-around zip with 4 pulls for simple changing, temperature control and maximized comfort.

The unique zip system opens completely from underarm to underarm, with 4 separate pulls functioning in a multitude of ways as you choose; plus front zipper and shoulder snaps. Made

from super soft, plush fleece – it cuddles like no other fabric to keep baby cozy and snug.

With its luxurious fabrics and unique zip system, shoulder snaps with generous armholes, plus a wider and longer fit, the Gunapod suits any location. Perfect for the crib, pushchair and car.

For more information on becoming a stockist, please contact 2012 Ltd at info@2012ltd.co.uk, info@2012ltd.co.uk or on (0)1202 303 777.

Kids Time Expo Poland

26th – 28th February 2015 Leading European brands and topquality domestic products will be put on show at the Kids Time Expo in Kielce (Poland) held from 26 to 28 February 2015. Not only is this professional exhibition the showcase for products for children, textiles and toys; the Expo is progressing at a breath-taking pace. The 2014’s, fifth Expo edition brought together 216 exhibitors and attracted almost 3200 visitors from 31 countries. The Kielce Expo enjoys the status of of the Central and Eastern Europe’s largest business-sector event.

This event is a great platform the some of the most popular brands ranging from prams, push-chairs and car-restraints brands and include exhibitors such as ABC Design, Baby Jogger, Babyzen, Britax, Bugaboo, Casualplay, Chicco, Concord, Cybex, Graco, Hauck, HTS BeSafe, iCandy, Inglesina, Jane, Kiddy, Maxi-Cosi, Mutsy, Orbit Baby, Peg Perego and TFK. Kielce Expo is the display for all Polish leading producers including Adamex, Aro, Baby Design, Deltim, Euro-Cart, Jedo, Lookart, Tako and Tutek. The Expo stands never fall short of child-care accessories, toys, textiles and clothes.

“We help foreign exhibitors help find distributors and thus enter the Polish market. Poland’s annual birth rate is approximately 400 thousand children. On the other hand, the Expo visitors have the opportunity to establish business contact and relations with Polish manufacturers; not only do they offer supreme, European quality but also reasonable prices,” says Aldona Matla, the Kids’ Time Expo manager.

Visitors who attend the Expo can participate in presentations focused on sales techniques, visual merchandising and many others. The Expo features the unprecedented event no other show has to offer - i.e. the National Championship in Safety Seat Installing - Fotelikiada. The competition for sellers includes practical car restraint installation and tests on child’s safety.

The best products on show are awarded with the Expo Medals. The jury panel composed of professionals selects winners in the five categories - prams, restrainers, child-care articles, toys, garments and textiles. The distinction-winning products are presented at a special exhibition held within the scope of the Expo.

Targi Kielce is the second largest exhibition centre in this part of Europe. The state-of-theart exhibition and congress centre hosts nearly 70 events a year. Kielce is situated within the 200-kilometre radius from the 3 airports: Warsaw, Krakow and Katowice. Poland is a part of the Schengen Area thus you do not need to take your passport when visiting Kielce. A room in a modern 3-star hotel costs 40-50 EUR a night.

Targi Kielce Kids’ Time Expo - facts and figures Christian Jones is the Managing Director of The Gro Company who recently underwent a company MBO after just 24 months of Christian being at the helm.

For more information about The Gro Company please visit www.gro.co.uk 8 nursery today

2012

2013

2014

Exhibitors

71

146

216

Visitors

1300

2500

3200

More information about fair: Web: www.targikielce.pl/en/kidstime.htm

LICENSING NEWS sponsored by hardenbergco.co.uk 01785 503 305

Obaby adds to Tiny Tatty Teddy collection

Licensed plush trends ... an inside take on this growing nursery sector In his first of a regular feature, Anthony Temple, Managing Director at leading licensed character baby soft toys manufacturer Rainbow Designs, turns the trend spotlight this month onto shows, quality standards and entertainment licenses.

I

n the nursery sector, as in many areas of business, the only constant is change - and with change comes opportunity. In baby and nursery, being a smaller sector than the toy industry, change can perhaps be slower which some might say is a good thing.

The 2015 show season is almost upon us and nowhere is change,

evolution and developments in nursery trends more evident than in the

Tiny Tatty Teddy is a loveable grey bear with a blue nose and a warm heart. Obaby’s recent additions to their licensed Tiny Tatty Teddy collection have been going from strength to strength since their release in

July this year and have become a popular option for parents searching for a stroller that balances thoughtful features with style and personality on a small budget.

The range of Tiny Tatty Teddy Strollers features an adorable new design. Each pushchair sports a bold polka dot pattern, lovingly emblazoned with adorable Tiny Tatty Teddy motifs to keep children huggably safe whilst on their travels. This design is carefully co-ordinated across the footmuff, changing bag and all other accessories and is available in a choice of pink, grey or navy. For those in search of something a little extra, there is also Deluxe range of singles and twins, which are available in a luxurious denim fabric and are packed with extra features for optimum convenience.

Tel: 0845 078 0290 Web: www. obaby.co.uk

halls of the international baby shows.

Nuremberg kick-starts the season and provides a golden opportunity for manufacturers to showcase the baby business ahead of Harrogate and Cologne. We’ve seen the demand for plush in the toy sector decline in recent years, due to strong price competition driving down prices and consumer value perceptions. Contrary to this, the premium baby softs sector appears to be going strong and quality is where the value lies.

Quality and safety go hand in hand and the latter is of paramount importance, particularly in the baby sector. And we’re seeing in baby that consumers appear to be extremely discerning, and that they understand and recognise the importance of quality and the price relationship that goes with it.

We pride ourselves on producing quality, safe nursery products based on classic characters and licensed products, primarily with a link to children’s literature. And it’s the literacy link which has historically proven to resonate with the hearts and minds of both mums and baby gift buyers; tried and tested classics, such as Peter Rabbit, have always been at the top of mums and grandparents’ shopping lists.

However in more recent years we’ve begun to see characters from the entertainment world come into the nursery sector. Take Thomas the Tank Engine for example, which has roots in classic publishing but also entertainment. Mums in their early 20s would have watched Thomas as pre-schoolers and therefore take no convincing when it comes to its appeal as a nursery license.

The baby market is more traditional and smaller than the toy market, so this trend will take time to bed in, but we’ve embraced the changing influences with our new Peppa Pig collection of baby soft toys.

As the industry and consumer tastes gradually change we are adapting and evolving our business and product offering. This evolution now goes beyond traditional characters into more contemporary characters and design influences, and is part of our natural progression.

Tel: 01329 227300 Web: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

10 nursery today

East Coast works well with Tiny Tatty Teddy Even though the days are getting colder, sunblinds and sunshades are still a travel essential to keep that low winter sun out of little ones’ eyes. East Coast Nursery supply branded travel accessories, to make journeys comfortable and enjoyable, whatever the weather.

In partnership with Carte Blanche they supply adorable Tiny Tatty Teddy accessories in stylish muted pastel shades.

The Baby On Board Sign features a cute Tiny Tatty Teddy print, and the matching print of the twin pack of Retractable Sunblinds will complete the look. The Pop Up Sunshades offer another option – simple but instantly recognisable teddy shaped shades, with the characteristic blue nose. Loyal Me To You fans are growing with the brand and now having children of their own, and Tiny Tatty Teddy is an endearing and familiar nursery brand with instant parental appeal. In this Cute As A Button styleguide, it offers something unisex, and unique yet recognisable.

Fisher-Price travel accessories are colourful and fun! The new Signature Style design was launched by East Coast Nursery in Autumn 2014, and features the vibrant colours and lively characters that Fisher-Price are known for. The travel accessories are printed with Rainforest Friends – a cute giraffe, friendly elephant, loveable lion and cheeky monkey.

Tel: 01692 408802 Web: www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk

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BPA Notice Board Can you afford not to sell to China and the USA? The BPA’s exporting conference, which took place in London in November, was an eye-opening experience for more than 50 delegates attending as the enormity of the Chinese baby products market was explained.

Athena Gong of CBME China gave a thought-provoking presentation and described the culture of China, which is experiencing rapid urbanisation. China’s total population is currently around 1.36 billion with an urban population of approximately 731 million. It is forecast that by 2020 urban population in China will reach 70% of the population (close to the USA).

In 2013 there were 16.4 million newborns recorded in China bringing its population of 0-15 year olds to over 239 million by the end of that year. With the relaxation of the one-child policy, the number of newborns will increase significantly and retail sales for baby and children’s products in general will have reached US$229 billion by the end of 2014.

Because of the one-child policy, until its recent relaxation, every baby born in China generally has six adults making purchase decisions on its behalf – mum, dad and two sets of grandparents. Athena explained that whilst in the UK or the USA parents might consider US$1000 to be expensive for equipment such as pushchairs and travel systems, in China parents (and the buying unit surrounding each child) will think nothing of paying double that amount. In fact, quality is the single most important factor for Chinese parents and as European products (and UK products in particular) are perceived as being among the best in the world, this is great news for British companies selling to the Chinese market. By 2015, the market for 0-3 years is expected to exceed US$83 billion.

Athena also explained the retail sector in China and what distributors and retailers are looking for when choosing brand owners to work with. The top three important factors are quality, brand 14 nursery today

Robert Ro rtt Ansloow Managi ann inngg Dir Diir D irect ector or

Chinese parents still prefer to buy baby products in-store rather than online – in fact there are a staggering 66,979 chain or franchised baby stores in China and 7,330 department stores have over 6,000 sqm dedicated to baby product sales

awareness and after sales service. She also said that companies producing marketing materials and product instructions in Chinese would be one step ahead when entering the Chinese market.

Chinese parents still prefer to buy baby products in-store rather than online – in fact there are a staggering 66,979 chain or franchised baby stores in China and 7,330 department stores have over 6,000 sqm dedicated to baby product sales.

Lily Yang of China Britain Business Council (CBBC) also talked about the growing middle income Chinese consumer market explaining that they are increasingly discerning, quality driven and price sensitive and hold foreign brands in high esteem. 70% of middle income consumers prefer to buy well-known brands, reinforcing the need for British companies to invest in Chinese marketing and brand campaigns.

CBBC has 13 offices in China and 10 in the UK with 130 staff dedicated to helping UK companies navigate the Chinese market and the BPA is working towards a close partnership with the organisation in the future to open up potential opportunities for its members.

The USA is another big nut to crack for British companies and the BPA invited a couple of leading experts to discuss some of the hurdles faced when exporting to this market. Elaine Lamb of La Playa, an independent insurance broker based in London, Cambridge and New York, explained the importance of being properly insured in the USA not just in terms of product liability but director and officer liability too. She also said that whilst insurance for baby products tends to be more expensive than other types of insurance because of the sensitivity of the market, that this should by no means be prohibitive – particularly when considering the potential size of the market.

Spencer Mahoney, East Coast regional director of UKTI USA talked about help and support that can be offered to British companies wanting to sell to the USA and the desirability of UK products with a ‘traditional’ British image. The BPA

already works closely with the UKTI and hopes that this new link with its US office will open up new opportunities and levels of support to its members in the future.

BPA UK Pavilions now open for booking The BPA will once again be hosting UK Pavilions at three significant international shows: CBME Shanghai, China 22nd to 24th July 2015; Kind und Jugend, Cologne, Germany 10th to 13th September 2015 and ABC Kids Expo, Las Vegas, USA 18th to 21st October 2015.

Full information packs about each of these shows and booking forms are available on the BPA website at www. thebpa.eu

Enter the Baby and Nursery Trade Awards (BANTAS) Exhibitors at Harrogate International Nursery Fair from 29th to 31st March 2015 are once again invited to enter the BPA’s annual Baby and Nursery Trade Awards (BANTAs) which aim to highlight products available at the show which are considered the very best in terms of consumer desirability, quality, functionality and value for money. These trade awards give retailers and buyers an indication of what, in the opinion of the expert judges, will be best sellers in 2015.

Winners of the BANTAs will be announced during a hugely entertaining Party & Awards night at the Majestic Hotel on Sunday 29th March 2015, which includes a three course meal, a top comedy act and dancing until late. Entry forms and details about how to purchase tickets for this event are on the website at www. thebpa.eu

Special Feature Retail Technology

eCommerce - Getting the Psychology Right Written By David Fairhurst

D For retail businesses, a fully functioning eCommerce website is massively important. In fact, if you live in the UK and rely on UK purchases, then your website should consume a good portion of your trading hours, because this really is where the growth is, especially via mobile devices (tablets and smartphones).

16 nursery today

espite the view of the UK worldwide as being a quaint nation, we really do lead the world in e-retail, so much so that companies from the USA look to our domestic market when it comes to innovation.

So… let me pose a scenario for you.

A traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ retailer hears all the advice about getting a shiny new eCommerce website. The website is built by a reputable eCommerce web company, the branding is right, the website rivals top retailers’ websites for functionality and looks great and some products have been uploaded, but six months after launch, there still aren’t many sales. The traditional retailer then states that ‘the Internet thing doesn’t work’ and leaves the website to mothball.

I’ve seen this scenario many times and sometimes it’s nothing to do with the work which has been put in by the retailer (sometimes substantial) and everything to do with psychology, intent of the website users and focus of the website work being misplaced.

Get the Right Focus I’ve always been an advocate of creating specifications for websites before they even get near a designer, especially with retail websites. An eCommerce website is a selling channel, so everything in the site should be focussed towards providing the maximum return for all the hard work (and money) which goes into it. Therefore, from the outset it’s important to think what the focus of the website should be, what the categories should be for products and most of all, how can the website replace the traditional experience of physically being in a bricks and mortar store. eCommerce websites have a huge disadvantage when it comes to actually persuading people to part with cash compared to shopping in a traditional high street store, but this can be overcome with careful strategy and techniques to improve user experience.

Visitors to the website can’t touch, feel, smell (an important one in many sectors!) or interact with the products they are interested in, which is why it’s vitally important to make the most of technology to replace some of the experience available in a traditional store.

Getting into The Mind of Your Website Visitor Many big eCommerce retailers (I’m talking about companies like John Lewis, M&S, Tesco etc.) spend large amount of time and money mining data gleaned from their customers via loyalty schemes, direct marketing, surveys and even data gathered from social media, blogs, forums… in fact customer data from any source is useful when planning out the focus of a website. These methods are combined with eye tracking, ‘heatmaps’ and video tracking of website usage to develop the very best landing pages and routes through the eCommerce website when going through a purchase.

Unless you have the marketing and research budget of the big boys, you’re unlikely to be able to use most of these methods to glean any useful data, what you do have (if you’re also a traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ retailer) is direct access to your new websites’ likely users, which is great. Your in-store customers therefore become not only your revenue source, they also become your best resource to develop your website.

Direct user data and feedback is in fact so important, that many web design companies use crowd-source testing to simulate real website users when launching a large or strategically important website, to make sure that real people can logically progress through the buying process on all devices without any critical blocks.

Utilising Analytics to Give Insight Google Analytics is a fantastic tool for not only tracking how many visits your website gets, it can also be used to get insight into what your website users may be thinking, the problems they encounter and give you direction to improve on the functionality and layout of your website’s pages.

Take a look at the Analytics Goal Flow report http://goo.gl/kFg2tA - this shows you (once you have set up your eCommerce tracking and goals correctly) the critical path through the buying process and pinpoint any areas for improvement. Combined with exit page analysis http://goo.gl/P6m42n you can see which pages are failing and in most cases combined with in-page Analytics http:// goo.gl/8av9Sf and behaviour flow reports

it’s possible to pinpoint which features on the page aren’t working or need improvement to increase flow through the website towards that all important basket page.

Getting the Content Right One thing I see time and again with small retailers is that there is a real mental block when it comes to understanding what website users actually need to promote clicks on that all important ‘add to basket’ button. Many times I see products uploaded with little or no product descriptions, product titles which aren’t focussed on what real users would search for and images which are far too small, low quality and in the wrong context to work effectively.

Website content works on three different levels – firstly Google uses plain text in the website to determine what each page in the website is actually about. Well structured, unique and lengthy text is therefore required to actually rank pages, but it doesn’t stop there! Product titles should also be structured to give the best chance of ranking in Google, so if you sell by brand, make sure the brand name, product name and product type appear as this gives a good (and 100% relevant to that product ) mix of keyphrases in the product title, one of the main tags Google will look at in the on-page content.

Once people have actually managed to find your pages, they are unlikely to buy products unless the product that they are interested in has a well written description and images which show that product off in its best light. If you really want to win in 2014 and beyond, then consider writing your own product descriptions, this will give you the edge with Google. Use well structured, normal English sentence structure and if you really have to use tables and bulleted lists, use these as an addendum, not as a replacement for the content you wish Google to read.

Finally, remember that Google especially uses many different factors to rank pages, a good portion of which are focussed on the power of external link signals. Your website content again should be informative and ‘link worthy’ to promote natural linking, so think of your eCommerce website as a web resource as well as a selling tool.

David Fairhurst, Head of Creative Online Marketing, Intelligent Retail. David has been involved with Search Engine Optimisation and web development since 1999 and has spoken at many different retail and SEO conferences including Spring Fair and SES London. Tel: 0845 6800126

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PATTI

Collin Pattison takes a look at the impact Black Friday had

ON

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Should you have joined in with Black Friday events?

A

s a nation the British have always been more willing to adopt American ideas and customs than some of our European partners. I am sure everyone knows that Santa used to be Green, until the thirties when Coca Cola hijacked him by painting him as Red as a can of coke. Now many Children do not think Christmas is coming until the Coca Cola road show has visited their local Shopping centre and the first Coke truck has rolled across the TV screens! The inspiration for the Red Santa is said to have come from an artist called Thomas Nast who illustrated Santa in Harpers Weekly magazine in the late 1800’s, but when Coca Cola wanted to move from being a Summer drink to an all the year round beverage – ‘Thirst Knows No Season’ – they used a Red Santa. Since then Coca Cola has attached itself to Christmas in a brilliant example of subtle marketing that is regularly reinforced.

More recently, we have taken up the US cultural phenomenon of Trick or Treating to update our own Halloween.

Halloween was a traditional Christian celebration (although originating in pagan times) dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints and martyrs.

Somehow the Americans have managed to turn this into fancy dress parties for Zombies and other horror creations, as well as children travelling the streets of their local neighbourhood basically demanding money with menaces.

So what’s it all about?

The latest cultural transfer from our friends in the US is the joint concept of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Black Friday is the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally the fourth Thursday in November, most non retail employees therefore have a long weekend starting on Thanksgiving, and 18 nursery today

This long weekend is now seen as the kick start to the all important Christmas season and the busiest shopping day of the year. The hype around the day has developed into hysteria, stock shortages and riots around the best and biggest deals offered by certain retailers

what else would a culture dominated by retail therapy do on a holiday, but go shopping. Hence the phrase Black Friday for retailers, a perfectly sensible celebration by US retailers of the day their accounts turned from loss making – in the red, to profit – in the black. The obvious way to celebrate this was to reduce prices and give some of this new found profit away......But seriously, going into the black is something to celebrate and the American culture of success and greed is good, is the perfect place to do this. This long weekend is now seen as the kick start to the all important Christmas season and the busiest shopping day of the year. The hype around the day has developed into hysteria, stock shortages and riots around the best and biggest deals offered by certain retailers.

So, of course, certain major UK retailers have felt the need to bring the whole concept to us in the UK. Cyber Monday is much more of a marketing construct. This is the term used to describe the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday, and was created to persuade people to shop on line.

The campaign has been so successful, that on-line retailers now view the day as being so important that they offer heavy discounts and promotions.

Given the strength of Amazon in the UK it was inevitable that these discounts and promotions came to our market, Amazon is said to have started activity in the UK in 2010.

We can trace Black Friday in the UK back to 2003 with the Staples corner branch of Currys promoting laptops and other items for under £50. Since then many other major retailers have joined in. This year it would be difficult not to have seen the hype surrounding the weekend of Black Friday to Manic Monday, (as it is sometimes called in the UK).

Many suppliers joined in creating deals on over stocks and ‘hot’ Christmas lines to help smaller retailers offer ‘fantastic’ promotions and, of course, clear their own stock rooms. The event has recently gained a lot of creditability as the likes of Argos and The John Lewis Partnership have joined in the activity. Asda (part of the Wal-Mart Stores group) has been one of the main proponents, but again this year Tesco and particularly Tesco.com have joined in. The results of the hype appeared on national news when queues and the rush to grab a limited number of bargain priced lines turned into near riots. Manchester was particularly badly hit, although a Tesco store in Wembley also featured in some news reports. The blame for the chaos was squarely laid at the door of the retailer.

Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said ‘The events of last night were totally predictable and I am disappointed that stores did not have sufficient staff on duty’, his deputy went on to comment that shoppers behaved in an ‘appalling fashion’ and that the lack of planning from retailers was ‘really disappointing’. Clearly, while things may have gone a bit too far in a small number of stores, generally the weekend created what the retailers were praying for.

Over the Black Friday weekend Asda, Tesco etc. drew lots of customers to their stores, created theatre and got lots of publicity. It is quite possible to do this without creating mini riots, just look at the first day of clearance at John Lewis, or the twice yearly sale at NEXT, when customers happily queue from the middle of the night. Equally stories of Dot com sights crashing on Friday due to many more hits than usual, creating the impression that these were the sites to go to for a bargain.

Few actual facts on the performance of stores over the weekend exist of course. The John Lewis partnership gives a weekly bulletin. It saw total sales increase by 21.8%, well above its run

We can trace Black Friday in the UK back to 2003 with the Staples corner branch of Currys promoting laptops and other items for under £50. Since then many other major retailers have joined in. This year it would be difficult not to have seen the hype surrounding the weekend of Black Friday to Manic Monday, (as it is sometimes called in the UK) rate for the year to date. Online sales increased by 42.2%. Electricals and Home Technology were up by 40.9%.

Leading categories were tablets and computers, up 127% and vision up 131%, Small electrical also saw an increase of 66%. Amazon.co.uk also claimed to have had its busiest day ever in the UK, with more than 5.5 million items being sold, compared with 4 million for the equivalent day last year. Sales are said to have peaked at 8.29am with bestsellers including the Kindle Fire, Dolce Gusto Coffee machine and Toy Story ultimate action Buzz Light-year.

One pattern that seems to emerge from these results and the coverage on the TV is that promoting ‘hot’ items is the key. Electricals such as TV’s and lap tops/tablets etc. worked very well.

A toy line as we near Christmas would seem logical, and household electrical such as the latest must have – the pod coffee maker also worked well.

But where does this leave the nursery market. There is no mention of any great increase in sales of Nursery product in the John Lewis results for the week! Is the nursery market losing out by not getting more involved in this, or as some other retailers have claimed, the whole thing is just to Americanised for us to get involved with. I did not see a lot of activity from Kiddicare this year, but perhaps that will change as the new owners get the company back to fighting shape.

Perhaps next year Mothercare will use the event to promote it’s dot com offer, which seems to be how they see the

future developing for the company in the UK? I doubt if many UK independents could mount little more than local promotions for a Black Friday event, but, advertising in local newspapers and through social media could attract increased footfall and in-store offers in support could create the theatre we have been talking about throught this article.

Anything approaching the JLP increases would I am sure, be very acceptable to an independent, as a reward for a little extra work.

On the other hand, if it is all hype and over exposure, will it continue to benefit retailers?

There have been some reports this year that sales in the US were down, that the promotions had not worked and that customers who were looking for more and bigger promotions were disappointed. The four day Thanksgiving weekend, including Black Friday, was ‘disappointing’ this year. Total sales were down 11% on 2013 according to the National Retail Federation, its chief executive Mathew Shay said shoppers were increasingly savvy and deal focused and were waiting for better discounts later in the season.

The supermarkets and on-line traders have already created a race to the bottom on price and quality do we in the nursery trade really want to join in?

Colin has worked in the Toy and Nursery trade for over 20 years both as a retailer and supplier. He is now an independent consultant advising on sales and marketing issues, he can be contacted at colin@colinpattison.com or by phone on 0773 8568 191.

?

We asked Nursery Retailers their thoughts on the car seat sector and also what parents concerns are?

John Barker Pramland

Amanda Heppel Baby Barn

We find that customers fall in to two distinct categories, those that are driven by price and those driven by safety. For customers concern with safety we find price is of no concern and sadly those seeking a cheap, affordable seat have no interest in safety. We try to educate those looking for budget seats that safety is the most important issue.

I feel that consumers are not at all equipped with all the information they need, sadly too many customers place their faith in online forums and websites. We see a staggering amount of customers that are either oblivious to standards or have been misinformed. The biggest challenge we face is undoing the harm online stores and forums have caused, only then can we re-educate the consumer. We offer fully trained car seat fitters in the store to advice and demonstrate any brand we stock.

A lot of customers ask about a travel system and assume that the most important thing is that the car seat sits on the chassis of the push chair and we very quickly put them right on that. The car seat is very probably the most important bit of safety equipment they will buy for their baby. It’s wonderful that it can be fitted onto a chassis and be used as a travel system occasionally but the most important thing is that you buy the right car seat that fits safely in your car.

A lot of people come in and automatically ask for Maxi Cosi because they know the brand. We stock a range of car seats – we are a major stockist for Maxi Cosi but we also stock Cybex, which is a German make and a fantastic car seat although not quite so well-known. The other one we do is BeSafe, a fantastic Norwegian brand.

We are offering customers the car seats that performed best in tests not just our Which? but European tests as well.

I think if you want good manageable service for car seats you go to an independent. Sadly there are fewer and fewer independent shops around.

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he website. We now t e ag an m o t sy ea so is “It ness not si bu he t g in w ro g on e im spend our t chasing our tails” Andy, Original

Cookware

Derek Bavaird Jan Stewart Prams We seem to have something of a guilt culture brewing amongst parents in that if they do not have their children rear facing for four years then they are severely neglecting their parental duties.

Now I am all for rear-facing child seats provided that the child sits low in the car so realistically up to the age of maybe two or so.

Many parents do not consider this to be the real important issues, like when they return to work the duty of care invariably falls to gran and grandpa.

Just how fit do you think you have to be to wrestle an uncooperative or even a co-operative child into a rear-facing seat? Even on a good day, the level of physical fitness has to be pretty high, so anyone expecting a baby soon had better pack the poor old souls off to the gym.

The following points should also be taken into consideration. Number one the size of the vehicle, if the child’s head is less than a metre from the rear window then in my opinion the child’s head is way too close, given that the head is above the level of the seat backrest, in an infant carrier they have a much higher level of all round protection.

Secondly, in small cars rear-facing Group 1 seats will no doubt infringe on the driver’s or passengers’ space compromising their safety and comfort also.

Thirdly, children facing away will still get up to all of the same escapology tricks that front facing kids will, like slipping the harness and opening the buckle (two years plus), although the difference mainly is that their actions are concealed from the driver.

Fourth point, in a side impact situation the child’s head will be framed right in the centre of the side window, this is not where you would want your head to be during side impact.

Eloise Hawkins Halfords I don’t think that the core elements that inform parents’ purchase decision change but the order of priority does. The three things they are looking for are comfort, value for money and, of course, safety – in varying orders. Last year, I would have put value first on the list but over the last year I think the economic recovery has seen consumer confidence return somewhat – so, whilst price is still important, safety of the child is of the utmost importance and everyone knows a comfy, happy child is much preferable.

No parent sets out to buy an unsafe seat so, of course, safety remains key. Most parents will do online research and visit stores to see the quality of a product first-hand. However, as savvy consumers they are also aware that buying a good brand from a reputable retailer means that its basic safety is assured - it becomes almost a hygiene factor. It is then up to the individual customer to decide whether a particular product is safe enough or they wish to select an alternate seat with additional safety features.

There is a wealth of information available. Manufacturers, consumer groups, magazines and retailers like Halfords go to great lengths to help customers make the right choice for their child. The challenge is wading through that information which can be daunting – particularly for first-time parents.

We have created buyers’ guides and helpful videos that are available on our website to help parents navigate the subject. We also address frequently asked questions and keep up to date with any developments – for example we recently created a guide to i-Size, which many customers are still unaware of. Finally and most importantly, all the internet research in the world is no substitute for talking to someone who is knowledgeable about the subject. That’s why we have more than 2,500 trained staff to advise and guide customers in store.

It’s all about comfort

It’s good to talk!

Contact Penny Franks for a chat on 01442 289947 penny@lemapublishing.co.uk if you would like to be included in our next issue.

www.2012ltd.com • info@2012ltd.co.uk Tel (01202) 303 777

Focus Car Seats

If there is one thing we are all certain of it is the need for parents to make a car seat purchase from the moment (or indeed before) any new infant arrives into a family.

Facing the right way

W

ith over two million car seats sold in the last 12 months, the car seat sector is valued at over £122million .

By taking a look at data from Gfk this category illustrated a growth of over 14% in the August – October 2014 period when compared to the previous year. Two out of five car seats sold are in the Group 2/3 category followed by Group 1/2/3, however the growth in the last 12 months has been largely fuelled by the sale of 0+/1 group car seats.

Innovations and the introduction of new regulations have made Car Seats one of the fastest growing categories in the Nursery Equipment arena. Even though i-Size regulations have been introduced recently, manufacturers have taken it on and the sale of i-Size car seats have been significant. They now account for 2% value share of the car seat market.

Tullika Bhalla, GfK spokesperson, says “The Car Seat category is a fast growing sector and is more responsive to innovation. Isofix now accounts for more than £2 out of every £5 spent on car seats. With more multi age car seats being introduced, we will see Isofix becoming a mandatory requirement rather than a ‘nice to have’ feature.”

So we can see that clearly this is a booming product category for nursery retailers and of course the use of a car seat is, as we all know, a legal requirement. But does that make it a simple purchase – not at all.

New mums are information hungry and this is a category where huge anxiety exists. It’s your job, as a responsible car seat retailer, to ensure you have all the facts and pass this on to your customers.

Not all car seats are the same, it can also depend on the car they will be using, do they have Isofix in their car (this will be dependent on the age of the vehicle) and of course how many other children they may ‘ferry’ around. Is this a seat for the parent’s car, or is it a second seat perhaps for grandparents/carers?

More recently we have also seen the introduction of i-Size – this in itself may have caused confusion amongst your customers, many of whom still have difficulty understanding the current age/size categories currently presented to them and not to mention what is the age/height requirement they have to keep a child in a car seat for and of course they now also have to be educated about i-Size – it’s pretty much every parent/carers nightmare scenario!

And what about the new i-Size? Is everyone fully up to speed with this and are we reaching the consumer with sufficient information?

Andrew Ratcliffe, MD of Dorel UK, market leader with the Maxi-Cosi brand, said: “A key point of i-Size is that it is designed to be less confusing for consumers - but if retailers don’t merchandise it well, this significant benefit will be delayed.

“Retailers really need to be clear on their messaging around i-Size, particularly with there being two standards 22 nursery today

- the new R129 (i-Size) and the existing R44 - running in parallel with one another, with different classifications.

“It is vitally important that retailers not only fully understand the distinctions between and how they work in conjunction with one another, but are also able to communicate these nuances to the public in a clear and engaging fashion.

“The standards will run alongside one another for a few years yet – but R129 (i-Size) is the future. Both manufacturers and retailers therefore need to merchandise R129 clearly so that consumers can benefit from the enhanced safety that R129 car seats and rearward facing for longer provide.”

Jason Heller, Huggle told Nursery Today: “Parents are looking ever more closely at the car seats they are buying now. With new product and more information out there than ever before, especially about the benefits of rear facing and isofix seats (not just for infants but for toddlers also), it is important that they are given the correct information in a way that doesn’t baffle or confuse them further.

“For our customers safety (rather than price) has always been the primary factor in any car seat purchase and the

ratings are particularly useful, to help parents make an informed decision. It’s also important for parents to check whether the car seat fits properly and therefore safely into your car – Chicco has a great deal of information on the website about choosing the right car seat for your vehicle to ensure a completely safe fit.”

Derek Bavaird, Jan Stewart Prams knows the problems parents face today when it comes to choosing the right car seat and understands the concerns and dilemmas that his customers face when discussing safety for infants in this incredibly emotive category. “We seem to have something of a guilt culture brewing amongst parents in that if they do not have their children rear facing for four years then they are severely neglecting their parental duties. Now I am all for rear facing child seats provided the child sits low in the car so realistically up to maybe 2 or so.

“Many parents do not consider however this to be amongst the real important issues, like when they return to work a duty of care invariably falls to gran and grandpa.

“Just how fit do you think that you have to be to wrestle an uncooperative or even a co-operative child into a rear facing seat, even on a good day the level of physical fitness has to be

Innovations and introduction of new regulations have made Car Seats one of the fastest growing categories in the Nursery Equipment arena. Even though i-Size regulations have been introduced recently, manufacturers have taken it on and the sale of i-Size car seats have been significant team in-store are trained to ensure they have the knowledge to explain the different brands and products available. We try to ensure that all car seats sold are fitted by a member of our team and that the customers have multiple demo’s before they leave the store with a purchase so that they are confident in using it on a daily basis. However we are always more than happy should they wish to return and have the car seat refitted at a later date (so long as they have purchased it from us in the first instance!).”

We also spoke with Alessandro Casini, Chicco Juvenile Product Manager and asked what he felt parents concerns at the moment were when making a car seat purchase?

“The primary concern for parents when buying a car seat has always been, and will always be, the safety of their child. Secondary to this, here at Chicco we are often asked by parents about the comfort of the seat and also how straightforward it is to fit, both issues that parents want to make sure they are getting right before buying.”

What about the safety aspects before making any purchase? Alessandro told us: “With safety being the main concern, parents do spend a long time looking at the safety aspects of individual seats. This is where reviews and safety

pretty high, so anyone expecting a baby soon had better pack the poor old souls off to the gym.

“There are dozens of other reasons to consider but the main point is this, laboratory testing is a far cry from reality in my opinion, most rear facing group 1 seats have a long way to go before being anywhere near ready to suit all situations - it harks back to making the industry safer and only allow rear facing to be sold in approved stores by trained staff who can assess the child, the car and the child care situation. The truth is that rear facing is not for everyone it requires good knowledge, caring and careful advice, it’s not difficult.”

A car seat is also one of the most essential purchases that parents make, one which involves not just a choice made on style, comfort and price but one which also takes child safety into account, so the correct selection is an important one along with its fitting. Remember, it is our job to continually educate the consumer with regard to car seat safety and legislation and the requirements that this sets down - if not to stop customers from potentially receiving a fine, but to assist in the safety of children when travelling in cars.

A NEW BENCHMARK CONCORD REVERSO Extremely safe and extra light.

martyn.still@concord.de / Tel:Â 01273 724627 www.concord.de / www.facebook.com/concord.childrensproducts

Focus Car Seats

BeSafe XXXX In the beginning of next year, Volvo launched new car model, XC90.

Recently posted videos of the car crash and the team at BeSafe are proud that they chose this time to conduct tests with test winning BeSafe car seat, iZi Kid X3 ISOfix.

Crash tests are conducted under the EuroNCAP tougher requirements, i.e. at a speed of 64 km / h, 14 km higher speed than car seats need to be tested in order to be approved to ECE R44-04.

BeSafe believe that the car seats will be tested to the same requirements as cars and therefore works with overload testing and extreme testing throughout their development process of a car seat.

BeSafe launched one of the world’s first child safety seats approved to the latest, tougher regulations in-Size and they have on the market today three car seats approved to Plus test.

For more information contact the below.

Tel: 07810 5441149 Web: www.carseat.co.uk

Joie Chicco

SSSS

Safety and comfort will accompany your little one through a 10 year journey with the new three stage car seat from Chicco, the Gro-up 1,2,3. The car seat has been ergonomically designed to grow with your child 9kg up to 36kg, around 9 months up to 12 years old, making it great value for parents.

The height adjustable headrest and harness ensure that the Gro-up 1,2,3 can be easily adapted to suit your child’s changing needs as they grow. The rigid, strong structure with a side safety system of the Gro-up 1,2,3 guarantees solidity and stability. In Group 1, the child is protected by the supplied 5-point belt, while in Group 2/3, the car’s seat belt is used.

At each stage of use the seat has been designed to offer maximum comfort for children. The softly padded cover embraces your baby, while remaining cocooning and comfortable for toddlers thanks to the mini reducer.

The seat then becomes spacious and non-constricting for older children. In addition, the reclining seat ensures children can relax back in the chair if they want to and is even more comfortable for nap time.

The easy to reach, intuitive and ergonomic controls make the seat simple to use. The control buttons are marked in orange, making them highly visible.

The fully removable and washable cover makes it easy to keep the seat clean and hygienic. Available in black or blue, the RRP for Gro-up 1,2,3 is £129.99.

Web: www.chicco.co.uk

TTTT

XXXX

Designed using the most sensitive crash test dummies, the i-AnchorSafe System carries the Joie philosophy to rear-face for longer to ensure the safest way to travel. The i-AnchorFIX base, when used along with the i-Anchor child seat meets and exceeds the new i-Size standard allowing rearward travel up to approximately 4 years.

The iAnchorFIX base, offering a quick install with either ISOFIX or a vehicle seat belt provides a rock solid installation. A support leg provides ultimate stability with multiple shock absorption layers along the leg and within the base, while 3 colour indicators ensure proper fit.

It also offers a 7-position on-the-go recline for maximum comfort.

i Anchor child seat The i-Anchor child seat features exclusive multi-layered memory foam to give three layers of protection to the head during impact, while deep padded sides shield little ones. It includes a customisable insert which adds security for the smallest users. The removable layers of infant support offers a custom fit for any sized child and the multi-height position headrest and five point safety harness adjust simultaneously requiring no re-threading of the harness.

The inner shell is steel reinforced, keeping the seat strong and resilient during impact, and the rebound bar offers added safety in rearward facing travel.

It can be switched from rearward to forward facing with a quick single-button activation.

Recommended RRP i-AnchorFIX base £115 i-Anchor child seat £175

Tel: 01889 808 900 Web: www.joiebaby.com 24 nursery today

Stages Wins Gold Again!

one seat. birth to booster meet stages™ I grow from birth to 7 years because everything should last the entire journey. I face rearward up to 18kg because everything should simply make life easier.

0+/1

1

2

simply brilliant.

Available from Argos, Babiesplease R Us, Halfords, Kiddicare, Mothercare and808 all good nursery retailers.

For all sales enquiries, contact Joie UK on: 01889 900independent or email: uksales@joiebaby.com

Focus Car Seats

Obaby XXXX Tiny Tatty Teddy is a loveable grey bear with a blue nose and a warm heart. Obaby’s licensed Tiny Tatty Teddy collection of car seats is ideal for parents looking for personality and style.

The selection covers little one at every stage, from infant car seats for baby up to booster seats for toddler.

The range includes a Group 0 + Infant Car Seat, Group 0-1 Combination Car Seat, Group 2-3 Booster or High Back Booster and a premium Group 1-2-3 High Back Booster. This covers all weight categories and combined versions offer parents more longevity and better value.

Stand out features include the extremely well padded seats, shoulder and crotch pads, which provide expert comfort for little ones, while side impact protection gives parents extra reassurance on safety. The safety harnesses built into the Infant and Combination seats ensure that baby can be secured with ease and each High Back equips parents with adjustable head supports and arm rests, enabling maximum contentment for children. Finally, all car seats in the range are lovingly emblazoned with adorable Tiny Tatty Teddy designs to keep children huggably safe on their travels and are available in either grey or dusky pink.

Tel: 0845 078 0290 Web: www.obaby.co.uk

Hippychick

SSSS

The BRAND NEW Hippychick Baby Footmuff has been developed to be versatile enough to be used whatever the season. Coming with two cover options a Spring/ Autumn cover with a light padding, and a Winter cover with extra deep padding to keep children snug on the coldest of days.

Made from the same sturdy practical fabric as the Hippychick Waterproofs, they are available in 4 great colours and have some features that really make them stand out from the crowd:• Zip off covers so you can control the temperature.

• Ultra soft polar fleece lining.

• Reflective piping to help keep seen, and safe, on dark winter evenings.

• Handy clip for dummy or favourite toy.

• Pocket with fleece lining to keep little hands warm.

• Fits most 3 and 5 point harnesses.

• Cover folds down and secures with poppers for warmer days.

• Drawstring hood.

These fabulous Footmuffs are available in black, navy, chocolate and dusky red. For more information, or to place an order email enquiries@hippychick.com.

Supreme Baby Products SSSS Brand New product from Supreme Baby Products distributor of CARETERO brand!

DEFENDER is an innovative front facing car seat with an ISO-FIX base and TopTether system, allowing easy and correct car seat attachment into the car. Along with the greatest safety Defender offers highest comfort, due to a spacious seat area and height/incline adjustment, guaranteeing the space and comfortability during the journey. DEFENDER is made of breathable fabric and eco-leather finishing, bringing elegance and functionality together.

Suitable for children of 9-18kg (Group I) 5-level seat incline adjustment Adjustable head-rest height 5-point safety harness using Holmbergs® fitting Seat-belt pads ECE R44/4 approved.

Tel: 01278 434440

Email: sales@supremebabyproducts.co.uk

Web: www.hippychick.com

Web: www.wholesale.supremebabyproducts.co.uk

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Now with Pebble Plus The first i-Size compliant infant carrier

New 2wayFamily

New Ne

The best safety for children; i-Size (R129) certified and rear facing travel up to the age of 4 Pebble P bbl Plus Pl

2wayPearl

Rearward facing Birth to approx. 12 months

Rearward facing Approx. 6 months to 4 years Forward facing 15 months to approx.

4 years

The 2wayFamily offers a complete i-Size solution from birth to 4 years and consists of the 2wayFix Base, new Pebble Plus infant carrier and 2wayPearl toddler seat. The new MaxiCosi Pebble Plus is the first infant carrier complying with i-Size (R129). It comes with a new high tech impact-absorbing material in the top side wings, resulting in enhanced side protection and improved safety performance. It includes a new baby-hugg inlay for a better fit and comfort for a newborn. Find out more at www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/2wayFamily

2wayFix Base Birth to approx. 4 years

2wayPearl awards

The 2wayFamily complies to the i-Size (R129) regulation and therefore is the safest choice. i-Size car seats fit most IsoFix cars. Find out more on www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/i-size

Enjoy your new life

Focus Car Seats

Diono

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Diono Monterey 2 High Back Booster has just won the highly coveted silver award in the prestigious Mother & Baby Awards 2015, this brings the total amount of awards for the group 2/3 Car Seat to 10 and absolutely concretes its status as the ultimate Group 2/3 High Back Booster for your child. Designed to fit a growing child from 4-12 years old the Monterey2 features unique all round protection with EPS foam included throughout the seat and the arm rests. Overprotective in all the right ways, it is the only booster seat to have extra deep metal reinforced wings for side impact protection and a structured seat base for strength, significantly increasing defence against impact. A simple to use dial on the back adjusts the width of the seat to fit your child for the best fit (perfect to accommodate winter coats), and the 11-position headrest gives your little one support and comfort. As a fixed-position booster, integrated ISOFAST connectors and front adjusters allow for a safe and secure installation and stop the seat moving when not in use. The seat bottom has extra length for leg support and features thick AirTek foam and tapered sides for total comfort – your child will be cocooned in safety and ergonomic support. Children adore their own retractable cup holders too, which are extra deep and angled to keep drinks upright. The Diono Monterey 2 is the only booster of its kind – offering all the industry leading features in one value package.

Tel: 01827 310557 Web: www.uk.diono.com

Kiddy EvoLunafix XXXX The new Kiddy Evo-Lunafix raises the standards for infant carriers. The Evo-Lunafix is the first rearward facing group 0+ infant carrier to offer parents both an upright and an ergonomic lie-flat position for their newborn. The revolutionary reclining position promotes healthy transportation of young babies in infant carriers. Babies can sleep comfortably, whilst the parent drives with peace of mind, no matter how long the journey.

The Evo-Lunafix seat gently cradles the baby, to provide their tiny body with the ideal postural support for small bones; the sensitive spine; and encourage optimum blood saturation levels.

Many paediatricians and midwives have approved use of this lie-flat group 0+ car seat. The independent German back health association “AGR” was awarded to the Evo-Lunafix.

The Evo-Lunafix has new patented Kiddy Lie-Flat (KLF) technology which provides this healthy support for babies from birth to 13kgs. A simple handle movement lifts the breathable base into the lie-flat position, when used with the Kiddy Isofix 2 base.

This infant carrier becomes a travel system when combined with car seat adaptors. The Evo-Lunafix has been safety approved to fit pushchairs from Kiddy, and some other brands.

Web: www.kiddy.de

Concord The new Reboarder from Concord is the first i-Size seat permitted for new borns, and has exceeded the expectations of specialists.

The Concord Reverso impresses thanks to its broad range of applications. Thanks to the separately cushioned new born inlay, the seat is a fully fledged cradle for ages of around three to five months. Thereafter, without the inlay, it is suitable for children up to a height of 105 cm.

In terms of handling, the convenient rotating wheels allow the leg supports and, in particular, the angle of sitting or lying to be adjusted. This can even be done comfortably from the driver’s seat. As a rule, all the adjustments can be made from all sides and are marked with clear, mechanical red-green indicators, as is the Isofix mounting.

In general, the Concord Reverso represents a new generation of Reboard seats. Its clear, tidy design is a visualisation of the new technology. A circular light weight aluminium protection frame with an internal multifunctional shell, made entirely from shock-absorbing material, offers maximum protection with minimal weight.

With the inlay for new borns inserted, the Concord Reverso weighs 10.9 kg – without the inlay it even weighs in at under 10 kg (9.9 kg).

The exceptionally good ventilation at the back of the seat is also worthy of mention. This is achieved with particularly large and permeable louvres in the rear wall of the seat, providing more comfort for small passengers.

The user-friendly automatic foot plate adjustment with cushioning is a unique feature.

This impact plate, also known as a roll bar, 28 nursery today

stabilises the seat and is shaped in such a way that children can rest their feet on it. The plate adjusts to the vehicle automatically, making integration and changing vehicles easier.

The Concord Reverso registered very impressive results in frontal, rear and side impacts. The cushioning of the foot plate buffers the rebound after an impact and reduces the strain in case of a rear collision.

Tel: 01273 724627 Web: www. en.concord.es

THE NEW STANDARD

Why should you be satisfied with less?

Kiddy is setting new standards for infant carriers.

In combination with Kiddy Isofix Base 2 the new evo-lunafix can be used in a lie-flat position also in the car!. Even on a longer trip in the car the newborn lies in a healthy and flat position. Confirmed by a number of midwives and pediatricians as well as by the experts of AGR (Aktion Gesunder RĂźcken e.V.).

Kinder on your babies spine and improves their breathing!

Certified and recommended by Association Forum Healthy Back – Better Living and Federal Association of German Back Schools.

More information: AGR e.V., Pf. 103, D - 27443 Selsingen, Phone + 49 4284/92 69 990, www.agr-ev.de

Focus Car Seats

Dorel XXXX Maxi-Cosi will be increasing its portfolio of i-Size products in 2015, having recently launched the Pebble Plus.

The first infant carrier to meet i-Size (R129) regulation, the Pebble Plus used with the 2wayFix Base offers newborns a better fit and lying position with its innovative baby hugg inlay.

New high tech impact-absorbing material in the top side wings of the seat provide comfort and optimum safety in the event of an accident. The Pebble Plus sets a new standard when it comes to infant carriers, combining unrivalled safety with practicality and ease-of-use.

Suitable from birth to 75 cm tall (around 12 months-old), the Pebble Plus embraces the baby with its impact-absorbing material and uses the 2wayFix Base that can also be used with the 2wayPearl toddler seat. Maxi-Cosi 2wayPearl was the first i-Size child car seat to be introduced to the UK market and has won multiple trade and consumer awards since its launch, including the prestigious Which? Best Buy. Maxi-Cosi enjoyed great success during 2014 in increasing awareness of i-Size and promoting its benefits to consumers, and will be looking to continue that work in 2015.

Maxi-Cosi was highly influential in helping develop the i-Size car seat law. Introduced in 2013, i-Size is an EU safety legislation was established to increase the safety level of child car seats.

Maguari

SSSS

Brand new to the nursery market is Maguari’s own range of ISI Mini travel accessories.

The collection has been designed to help with the practicalities of travelling with young children, but also the inevitable wear and tear that goes hand in hand with little ones.

For example, the Car Seat Gripper sits underneath the child’s seat to help prevent indentations on the car upholstery and also protect the fabric from food and drink spills. Made from durable material, the Gripper can be wiped clean to keep it looking fresh and avoid ground-in dirt. Another useful item from the ISI Mini travel range is the Car Seat Organiser. Invaluable for keeping boredom at bay, toys and accessories can be stored away but will always be within easy reach, while the Organiser’s tablet viewer enables films on the move. Easy to fit on the back of the front seat with multiple attachment points, the Organiser zips up neatly to hide valuables from view. When travelling with babies in rear-facing car seats, the ISI Mini Baby View Car Mirror ensures parents have safe visibility of their little ones. The Mirror simply attaches to the back headrest, so baby can be seen at a glance via the driver’s front mirror. Once children progress into a forward-facing car seat, the Baby View Car Mirror attaches to the back of the front headrest so little ones can see themselves and stay entertained. For full details of the ISI Mini travel range, visit www.maguari.com.

Tel: 0208 236 07070

Tel: 01293 774924

Web: www.dorel.com

Web: www.maguari.com

Kiddy - Premature Inlay

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Kiddy is firmly committed to giving children a good start in life, and to supporting parents with products for everyday use. Their designers and developers have worked hard, to ensure that even very small or premature babies feel safe and secure, especially in unfamiliar environments.

Protection begins at a young age. This is particularly important if the child‘s start in life hasn‘t been as smooth as anticipated.

According to a recent study by the World Health Organisation, every tenth baby is born prematurely.

In 2012, in the United Kingdom, around 60,000 children were born before the 37th week of pregnancy; a rise of 8% compared to 2011.

The Kiddy premature inlay reduces the space in an infant carrier. Thus a premature baby is securely supported and cannot slip out.

In addition, the ‘preemie’ car seat inlay is also recommended for newborn babies under 50cm in length. It can be adjusted as the baby grows, using a movable headrest and an adjustable, detachable buckle cover.

The premature inlay can be used with almost every infant carrier, thanks to its universal fitting.

Web: www.kiddy.de/en

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Focus Car Seats

Britax - ADVANSAFIX

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The innovative ADVANSAFIX car seat from Britax is the first multistage car seat using ISOFIX connectors that gives parents the option to keep their child in a five-point harness up to 25kg, allowing families to keep their children in a harness even longer, before moving onto adult seatbelts.

The Group 1-2-3 combination seat is suitable for children aged 9 months up to approximately 12 years (from 9kg to 36 kg), and installation is simple and secure using the ISOFIT+ system for all Group modes, using the same safety features each time: ISOFIX, Top Tether and vehicle seat belt. Engineered for all group modes so the seat does not need to be reinstalled as children move on to each stage, the installation system also limits the rotational movement of the seat to ensure maximum safety and comfort for the child.

A quick-removable washable colour eliminates the need to take out the harness when washing the cover, ensuring the harness is always installed correctly.

Cleverly designed to grow and adapt with the child, ADVANSAFIX features an extendable head rest up to 150cm high to provide extra support for the child’s head and neck and allows for multiple recline positions so parents can adjust the seat without disturbing a sleeping child.

ADVANSAFIX is available in in a choice of colours including Black Thunder, Chilli Pepper, Dark Grape, Crown Blue, RRP £220 and Smart Zebra, RRP £230, so parents do not need to compromise on safety or style. The seat can also be used with the summer and keep cool covers, designed to keep children comfortable on car journeys in the hotter summer months.

Web: www.britax.com

Bebecar

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Bebecar supply high-quality car seats, manufactured in Europe, to suit every stage of a child’s development.

The Easymaxi Elx (Group 0+) infant car seat is designed with additional side protection in the head wing and hip areas, offering excellent protection from a side impact.

It can be fitted to all Bebecar El chassis without additional adaptors, and is available in a wide choice of fabrics and colours to match Bebecar pushchairs and accessories, including the Magic collection of stain-resistant fabrics. It includes two additional newborn support cushions, which can be removed as the child grows, and the soft, breathable seat fabric is removable for washing. It can be installed easily with the car seatbelts, although an Isofix base is also available for extra fast and easy fitting.

The Group 1 Bobob Fix RF offers the option for extended rear-facing - suitable for rearfacing use up to 18kg. This versatile seat can be used front- or rear-facing without the need for an additional support leg. The easy recline and unique adjustment system allow parents to increase the angle of the lower back section. This enables the child to be lowered into a comfortable, relaxed position during long journeys. A single-pull harness makes securing the child fast and simple, and the shoulder harness height is easily adjustable.

Fitting options: • Forward facing: It uses the ISOFIX system with the “top tether” or the vehicle seat belt.

• Rear facing: It uses the vehicle seat belt plus an extra supplied belt that will fix at the “top tether” anchor point. Colour change bars indicate when the seat has been secured correctly in the vehicle.

Finally, the Multibob Fix (Group 2-3) grows with the child through their final stage of using a car seat. The headrest can be adjusted even while the child is seated, and the unique adjustment system allows the backrest to move automatically to the correct ergonomic position when the headrest is adjusted. The seat depth can also be adjusted. The soft headrest provides excellent support during long journeys, and protection in the event of a side impact. The Multibob Fix can be fitted to the vehicle using the seatbelts or Isofix.

Bebecar carefully select new fabric colours every year for their beautiful pushchair and car seat range.

Tel: 01692 408801 Web: www.bebecar.co.uk

Halilit/Taf Toys

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The Taf Toys All In 1 Car Toy provides a 2 in 1 solution for babies in rear-facing car seats that keeps both baby and parent happy on car journeys. Most parents have experienced the stress of car journeys with an unhappy baby, crying because they are bored, lonely or distressed having dropped (or thrown!) their favourite toy which is no longer within reach. The All In 1 Car Toy features a fun filled entertainment centre that fixes securely to the back of the seat that baby is facing and a separate baby-safe, curved mirror that attaches to the headrest that gives the driver an easy view of their precious passenger simply by glancing in the rear view mirror. The play panel attaches securely and features a cute crinkling frog, soft, jingly ball and smiley, rattling flower and is easy to adjust to ensure that baby can reach and interact with the toys.

This is just one of a selection of innovative products from Taf Toys designed to keep baby busy and happy while travelling in the car. In addition to keeping baby amused whilst on the go, all the Taf Toys in-car toys help to teach baby about cause and effect, and playing with

32 nursery today

the stimulating toys helps to promote hand–eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills and to develop emotional intelligence. The Taf Toys range is distributed in the UK and Ireland by Halilit.

Tel: 01254 872454 www.halilit.co.uk

‘NEW ‘X4’: ADJUSTABLE ISOFIX ARMS – ADJUSTABLE LEG ROOM • Smallest and largest rearfacing seat in one!

• New single leg support • New greater recline • New small, fabric covered brace.

Talking Shop with NSG Written by: Yasmin Ali, Babyland

H

ey guys and girls, I hope you are all well. I am just back from a fun packed few days, spending time with Team Cosatto and the lovely people at Mamas & Papas. This month our lovely editor has asked me again to touch on car seats.

Second hand purchases seem to be creating a big problem for the independent trade. Consumers don’t seem to understand the issue and there seems to be little to no information out there. Car seats sell on Facebook pages, on the likes of eBay, gumtree and car boot sales where people are looking to get rid – you know and I know that the consumer doesn’t know where it is coming from, all of these potentially could have been involved in accidents, be delivered damaged, mouldy or even eaten by rats!

You get the picture. As retailers we can harp on until we are blue in the face about the safety aspects, and benefits to baby etc., but at the end of the day it’s still going to look to the consumer that we are money grabbing, thinking to make a quick buck and only interested in lining our pockets.

It has to come from above us. As retailers there is only so much WE can do only and only so much we can say to advise the consumer. I have had retailers tell me that GPs have told their customers that they themselves have bought second hand car seats, because the baby isn’t in it for long…REALLY? On that salary?

34 nursery today

Yasmin m Ali mi

Car seats are safety devices that are just not, in my opinion, taken seriously enough.

People seem happy enough just to stick their baby into anything, because it’s not a product of longevity

We need to educate our health professionals who seem to be as clueless as the consumer…I’m thinking ROSPA (who incidentally have not got back to me, I mailed them about this recently); WHICH, manufacturers – need to make a big campaign. Retailers will join this campaign. Train the health visitors, the midwives.

Car seats are safety devices that are just not, in my opinion, taken seriously enough. People seem happy enough just to stick their baby into anything, because it’s not a product of longevity… grudge £100 for a car seat, but spend £100 easy on a night out or on an outfit. Maybe we need to bring these points into perspective.

I think eventually if it doesn’t die down, more and more retailers, both indie and nationals, will start to stock less and less car seats, because it just isn’t viable. How can we compete? I’m selling a car seat for £150, and I’m told by a customer that they bought one in brand new condition for £20 on a Facebook page. If I then proceed to tell her about how the safety of this product cannot be relied upon, how would that make me look? Or what will the customer make of me? Of course I just want the sale, right?

Human instinct I reckon I would

probably think the same!

It’s a very interesting situation, and there is only so much that retailers can throw at it – we need the rest of the industry now to have our back so to speak. This is bigger than just sales and numbers. It’s about the safety of babies, and it’s all our responsibility because these products are what keep children safe in cars.

If you work in an organisation that you think can help, or you have some ideas you’d like to bounce off me please, please, get in touch. We need to step in now.

My email yasmin.ali@babylandfife.co.uk Have a lovely Christmas, I hope Roxy phones as many of you as possible and sings at you!

And here is to 2015, prosperity, success, safety, security and most importantly CHING CHING!

Yas Ali Team Babyland

Special Feature Nigel Plested

It’s all about the accessories As we all know, the array of choices which parents are confronted with is mountainous and even that seems slightly under exaggerated. Whether it is their choice of wheels, which infant car seat to buy, which sleep solutions might best suit baby and which food prep device might suit their lifestyle, which nappy system is By: Nigel Plested most convenient, and which way to carry is right.

T

Nigel Plested is a designer and a creative director.

He is the founder of narrative studio, a strategic design business, which brings together a specialist and experienced team of designers with a rich expertise in new family culture, parenthood, and babyhood; creating award winning products and brands.

Prior to setting up the business Nigel was on the board of directors at Mamas & Papas, and alongside narrative, he now writes and lectures on the subject of parenting and product culture. Nigel can be contacted through the company website www. narrativestudio.com or he can be found on LinkedIn.

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oo many choices? It could be easily argued that there are just too many things to take in when becoming a parent, especially in that third trimester and in the early months that follow. In those later months, decisions are centred on the dream of parenthood that lies ahead, meaning that nurture, care and love are the predominant factors when deciding what to buy (alongside budget), with product selection becoming emotionally charged and driven by a desire to get it right, for baby, mum and dad. Then there are the moments of realisation, when reality dawns, and compromise becomes more acceptable to parents, where more pragmatic and balanced choices seem to be the driving factor. Soon after that there is the “solutions to problems,” stage, often distressed, quick decisions and often born out of frustration, hopefulness or desperation.

What do we learn from this cycle?

What we learn from this cycle is something that we refer to on a daily basis in the studio.

It is what we call the “want & need states”, and it is illustrated on this journey from late pregnancy through to say 12 months, when wants for baby turn into needs for parents.

It is a useful discussion when designing things and understanding what may or may not resonate with particular parents at a particular stage in their journey. Some products are driven by emotional wants whereas others are just objective needs.

One such area that has capitalised on this need state is the world of accessories. A plethora of ideas and solutions born out of eureka moments, inspiration, experience and serendipity, all smart in their own way, the accessories category has multiplied choice ten fold. They focus on sensible ideas, and solutions with easy to appreciate features and benefits. As a category it is really only a recent addition to the parenting products landscape, as the appetite and opportunity to

market these “quick wins”, has grown. Some relentless ingenuity means that there is sell functional, brutalist and straight to the always an accessory to be shaped into a point objects whilst others intertwine their great solution. ingenuity in fashionable colours, patterns These third party products have often and prints. challenged the thought processes of There are three key types of accessory much bigger businesses. Setting new business, who have helped to mature a standards and shaping new ideas that category made up of an endlessly broad have often been considered to be out diversity of products, and a variety of neat solutions to be solved. One is driven One of the major developments to by hatching ideas based influence the continued growth of this on individual moments of category has been the interest in the innovation and personal experience. Another has parenting industry by small start-ups designs on the opportunity including mumpreneurs and inventor to stretch commercial offerings and opportunities dads. It has created, or has been created at retail, whilst re-enforcing to provide a low threshold entry brand loyalty, whilst the last are the specialist accessories into an industry dominated by large companies, who work multinational brands and businesses hard to create joined up ranges for the widest set of accessory needs. of step with the rest of the industry, yet One of the major developments to often go on to deliver success… influence the continued growth of this Is it because these small accessories category has been the interest in the brands look at their product in a parenting industry by small start-ups different way to larger businesses? To including mumpreneurs and inventor these smaller start ups - and we have dads. It has created, or has been created worked with a few over the years; live to provide a low threshold entry and breath the product that they want into an industry dominated by large to get to market. To them it is their multinational brands and businesses. future livelihood, and therefore a lot of And so the challenge of designing and their personality, enthusiasm, and sheer marketing accessories to enhance our bloody mindedness gets distilled into the car seats, car interiors, strollers, travel end result. Whereas, in a larger business, systems, travel solutions, and needs the returns might be considered too low at home and on the go, is surprisingly to even engage, or the opportunity to enticing, and therefore populated by a create neat little ideas is seen as energy multitude of enthusiastic, entrepreneurial, sapping or potentially another SKU, to self motivated people. meet a preordained price point.

From clips to toys, extensions, locks, I think we all owe a lot to these holders and bags, things to go with businesses. They have carved out various you, things to help you stay put, asleep, niches that have become a large and contented and away from hunger. Every healthy part of our industry and they angle is covered, or so it seems, yet this invigorate a marketplace that might be

®

quite safe without them. Small ideas and small businesses making a big contribution…

The flip side to this is made up of larger global businesses who make their mark with often complex and distinctive products. These brands jostle for the bigger headlines with propositions designed to help parents with the most important parental challenges. This has led to a drive to stretch into accessories in order to help with both stretch and presence in the marketplace alongside a bid to develop greater brand loyalty.

Their advantage is both distribution capabilities, and the opportunity to bundle accessories into offers that make more sense to retailers and budget conscious consumers. Seeing accessories as a way to develop their commercial offer and keep consumers in the brand… There are also other benefits such as continuity of materials, details alongside look and feel of these accessories offers, making them more appealing to those already looking to purchase into that particular brand.

Many companies have made the refinement of their accessories into not just an incremental category, but instead they use it as a way of maintaining the brand experience and owning the differentiating factors on a wider portfolio of things.

Then we have those specialist companies that have made a name for themselves as the accessories specialists, approaching it from a third party perspective but with a distinct methods of solving problems, making products or creating a unique

material, look or feel. These brands celebrate the ingenuity of parenthood, and many do so with intelligent but simple products that are both easy to understand, and simple to operate, whether it is a rear view mirror or a clip on cup holder. Many of these specialist brands have come from humble pragmatic beginnings, but have matured to become fashion driven, or utilising smart patents and technologies in order to create new solutions for age old problems.

All three approaches mean that we have multiple perspectives and multiple solutions to the same problems, and different ways to appeal to the pressing needs of mum or dad. It means that design is invigorated and able to respond in different ways. The small new comers are in a position to design from the heart, taking their inspiration and cues from moments of madness made sane, designing from a real scenario and a personal perspective.

The bigger businesses are able design from an informed bigger picture, creating accessories that integrate and marry with bigger things, with more seamless ideas which are designed in unison, whilst the specialist brands design with the opposite agenda and an openness to create the widest range of permutations and variability to attach, match and work with multiple brands.

So whatever your need, for something original and unique, for something to match your stroller or something to fit onto your windscreen, we seem to have it covered… for now.

www.obabytrade.co.uk 0845 078 0290 Scan here

Trade talk

Nursery Today loves to hear your views. This month we speak to key manufacturers and suppliers to learn what’s on their minds.

Here we ask a selection of the industry’s finest to find out what their thoughts are with regard to car seats and how this category is performing at present.

Mark Bennett, car seat safety expert Britax Do you think that the consumer has sufficient information with regard to their requirements when looking at car seats?

There is such a wealth of advice out there for parents who are looking for a new car seat that sometimes it’s difficult to know where to begin – from conversations on forums to advice from other parents, experts and retailers. In that sense, the issue in many respects is deciding exactly where or who to turn to for advice, which can be mind-boggling for parents, particularly for first-timers.

At Britax, we would always refer our customers to one of our dedicated car seat retailers to speak to a trained expert. That way, parents can discuss their family’s specific needs and collaboratively choose a car seat that’s right for them. We’d also recommend parents take their children along to the store too, as that way they can test out the different options with their child to see what’s comfortable and right from a height and weight perspective.

We also have our unique FitFinder tool, which is designed to give parents a starting point when it comes to choosing the right seat for their vehicle. Some parents are clued up when it comes to car seats, so this tool is perfect for those looking to double check the seats against their child’s height and age and also against the make and model of their car to ensure it’s compatible.

Do you think we could be doing more to assist both the consumer and of course your retail partners in the process?

From a consumer perspective, there is certainly scope to raise awareness around seeking expert advice from the offset. Whilst many parents will do this anyway, some will still try to figure it out themselves. In all of our customer communications, be it via PR or through our customer care team, we would always look to refer customers to a trained retailer store where parents can rest assured knowing they are in the hands of an expert.

For retailers it is about ensuring they are fully trained on all of our products. Every time we launch a new product, our regional sales managers and trainers will attend each store to conduct rigorous training sessions to ensure staff are up to speed on the features of the product and can confidently communicate this to customers.

The process essentially begins with us but it’s also about ensuring that we’re training our retailers in the best way possible which in turn will result in a better experience for the customer.

Do you think that parents are price sensitive and looking for bargains in this incredibly safety focussed category?

Generally speaking yes, everyone these days tends to be looking for a bargain. When it comes to safety products, however, we generally find parents focus on value for money rather than ‘cheap’ products.

We understand that families increasingly have to tighten their purse strings, so it’s about offering as much as we can within the price of the seat.

There are some incredibly cheap seats available on the market today and some customers believe that because they have passed the same safety tests as Britax and other leading brands that they have the same safety credentials. Of course, that is completely untrue and so there is definitely more to be done in terms of generating wider consumer awareness around the key differences between the cheaper and more expensive seats.

The old saying of ‘you get what you pay for’ is generally very true when it comes to safety products. Our seats meet and exceed the EU safety regulations and we conduct our own rigorous testing process to ensure maximum safety for little ones offering better value for money than a cheaper seat that only meets the minimum safety requirements.

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Roz Swain, Technical Manager Cosatto Do you think that the consumer has sufficient information with regard their requirements when looking at car seats?

Not so much that information is insufficient, but that because the product area and regulations are quite complex, there can be widely varying formats and levels of detail that can be confusing to the consumer.

This is being simplified long term through the introduction of i-Size in R129, but in the intervening period, we have a big responsibility as manufacturers to present our product information in terms that consumers can easily relate to.

Do you think we could be doing more to assist both the consumer and of course your retail partners in the process?

Absolutely – and Cosatto work hard at this.

During development, we user trial and fit test our car seats to ensure our product markings and instructions are user friendly for consumers. We also work with our retail partners in their stores, and with training days here in our showroom, to enable products to be fully demonstrated with confidence to their consumers. We have the full Cosatto “Cuddle Crew” on hand to support and advise consumers before and after purchase, and back up all our items with a 4 year guarantee as additional reassurance.

Do you think that parents are price sensitive and looking for bargains in this incredibly safety focussed category?

Car seats are a category where the primary decision is almost always safety led. It’s a well researched purchase where parents are more likely to consider the key aspects of safety features, fit, useability, brand reputation and appeal alongside price.

However, there will always be a level of price sensitivity so it is important to offer a range of options that fulfil their criteria.

Do you think that the consumer has sufficient information with regard their requirements when looking at car seats?

Manufacturers understand that choosing a car seat can be a difficult decision for parents, especially as there are so many options available and they want to make sure they are getting the best quality and safest solution possible. To help with this difficult decision manufacturers are providing the consumer with an increasing amount of information. For example Chicco works with a lot of bloggers, parenting websites and consumer parenting magazines to get our car seats reviewed by real life parents who can pass on their opinions. In addition, we have responded to the needs of our consumer customers by developing a wide range of how to guides including installation videos which can be easily found on our website and on YouTube.

Do you think we could be doing more to assist both the consumer and of course your retail partners in the process?

As long as manufacturers keep listening and responding to the changing needs and wants of the consumer and retail partners, supporting them with information and guidance becomes an ongoing process whereby everyone has what they need. At Chicco we work closely with our retail partners to relay the needs of the consumer and make sure they have the right information to pass onto them. In addition, we encourage questions on our Facebook page and use this as a way to not only answer direct queries from parents, but also to keep an eye on any frequently asked questions and produce advisory material to support consumers.

Do you think that parents are price sensitive and looking for bargains in this incredibly safety focussed category?

As car seats are a safety-focused category, parents naturally want to ensure they are buying a quality product from a trusted manufacturer such as Chicco. This makes the category less controlled by price, however that doesn’t mean parents can’t still look for value for money, as well as choosing a car seat that is easy to fit and comfortable.

Car seats that grow with you, such as the new Gro-up 1,2,3 from Chicco, will last for more than 10 years, yet the quality, build and robustness of the seat have not be compromised. In addition, the Gro-up 1,2,3 has been designed to be comfortable with an adjustable headrest, reclining seat and cushioned structure.

Andrew Ratcliffe, Managing Director Dorel UK, market leader with the Maxi-Cosi brand Do you think that the consumer has sufficient information with regard their requirements when looking at car seats?

The old way of communicating based on groups and age is no longer enough. Retailers need to communicate and merchandise i-Size alongside the old R44 approach, explaining the enhanced safety required to comply with the new standard.

Do you think we could be doing more to assist both the consumer and of course your retail partners in the process?

As a manufacturer, we have been providing training in depth to the trade and advice on merchandising and also extending this to health professionals and road safety officers. We can always do more especially the trade on ensuring staff are well trained.

Do you think that parents are price sensitive and looking for bargains in this incredibly safety focussed category?

Yes and no. Clearly there is a lot of discounting going on and there are strong sales of cheap car seats, but there is also growth at the premium end proving that customers are will to spend more for the added safety; especially if it is combined with ease of use. Feedback from the trade is that they can easily encourage consumers to trade up to a more expensive i-Size product especially the base if they explain the added safety benefits and extended rearward facing.

Paul Sirett BeSafe UK/Ireland Do you think that the consumer has sufficient information with regard their requirements when looking at car seats?

When we talk to the public in stores and at Baby Shows it is alarming how many myths and untruths are circulating.

The information is available, the best of which is typically on the leading Branded websites, but it is confusing not least with different terminology being used and ways of classifying seats for matching them up to the consumer’s needs.

Do you think we could be doing more to assist both the consumer and of course your retail partners in the process?

First, the Brands must start by being honest and accurate! You can still be ‘commercial’ and present a car seat’s features in an appealing way – but it is confusing to both consumer and retailer alike to have one Rep talk kph and another mph!

The Retailers are of course in the front line, guiding consumers through this maze.

Retailers should demand thorough, ongoing staff training support from all the Brands they chose to stock. However, this will only deliver the best advice to the public, and ultimately the best sales results, when the Retailer Owner/Manager actively ensures their staff implement what they have learned and demonstrate all product options in-store.

Do you think that parents are price sensitive and looking for bargains in this incredibly safety focussed category?

There are price-conscious and safety-conscious parents and many in-between.

Some even buy expensive seats based on colour! Like any market there are many different consumer behaviours but a clear, growing trend is towards genuine safetyled Brands and products. This is evidence by the growing, premium sector – ERF (Extended Rear Facing), pioneered by BeSafe in Scandinavia for 25 years keeping children rearfacing for longer than just the Infant Carrier, and now becoming supported by Regulation through i-Size/UN R129 and universally recognised to be 5x Safer… but not 5x more expensive! Good for children and good for the retailer!

2015 Trade Show The Pregnancy & Baby Fair Trade show is Ireland's Biggest and Best trade show for the Nursery Market.

Ireland's largest distributors and the world's biggest international brands will showcase over the two day period.

Sunday 1st & Monday 2nd of February 2015 Industries Hall RDS, Dublin.

OPENING TIMES: 9am to 5pm both days 90% of the International Brands available in Ireland

80% of Ireland's distribu to showca rs sing.

DAT ES

Alessandro Casini, Juvenile Product Manager Chicco

Only opportunity to meet Ireland's largest distributors and international brands under one roof O New product launches O Free Entry O Parking Onsite O Networking Evening on Sunday 1st of February

O

For more information, please see our website www.pregnancyandbabyfair.ie/ trade show

nursery today 39

Focus Joolz

Joolz proudly introduce the new Joolz Geo! Today + Tomorrow + Together For every family adventure Joolz, the young Dutch company and designers of the popular and award winning Joolz Day, proudly introduce a new addition to the family, the Joolz Geo.

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he new Joolz Geo is the ultimate companion for every family adventure. For all the exciting things happening right now and for those yet to come. Whatever direction life takes you, the versatile Joolz Geo travel system can be expanded and adapted as your family grows.

“Life is full of adventure.” Says Emile Kuenen, founder and creative director of Joolz. “Whether you discover new places, share new experiences or expand your family, the Joolz Geo is the ultimate travel companion. “ The modular design of the Joolz Geo offers three configurations so that you are always well prepared to meet

any challenges that occur. With the option of a second cot or seat, the smart ergonomic design of the Joolz Geo offers complete comfort for you, your child and his or her brother or sister. Wherever you go and however your family evolves, the Joolz Geo grows with every family adventure.

children or even with a third child riding on the Footboard, in all configurations the Joolz Geo remains extremely manoeuvrable, easy to handle, compact folding, safe and comfortable. However a family evolves, the Joolz Geo offers complete comfort for parents and their child or children.

The modular design of the Joolz Geo offers three configurations so that you are always well prepared to meet any challenges that occur • Mono The Joolz Geo Mono configuration gives new parents the best of both worlds: an ergonomically designed pushchair for both parent and child, with the option to expand to Duo or Twin in the future. Come complete with a spacious XL shopping basket.

• Duo The Joolz Geo Mono is easy to extend to a Duo configuration and is therefore suitable for a second child. Simply add the a second cot or seat below the upper seat.

Competitively priced the Joolz Geo is available in three configurations: Mono configuration £799* Duo configuration £999 Twin configuration £1,099 *The mono configuration can, at a later stage, easily be expanded with the Duo extension kit for £300.

+ Colours and leading accessories • Twin The Joolz Geo Twin configuration is suitable for new born twins. With two large cots, which convert to seats as your children grow. Even in Twin mode the Joolz Geo is also only 60 cm wide, making it extremely manoeuvrable through narrow paths and doors.

• Positive Design The perfect companion for every family adventure, the Joolz Geo, is a landmark for Joolz and their Positive Design philosophy. The Joolz Geo is designed around the human body, that of the parent and the child, and has a lot of practical and ergonomic advantages. With a modular design, Mono, Duo or Twin, and compatibility with one or two car seats, the Joolz Geo provides complete flexibility and adaptability. Whether you have one baby, two 40 nursery today

Encompassing the iconic Joolz style, the Joolz Geo is available in five popular Joolz colours inspired by nature: Parrot blue, Elephant grey, Lobster red, Hippo anthracite and Turtle green.

The Joolz Geo Earth has a chic black and silver chassis, anthracite wheels, and is finished with the distinctive Joolz leatherette handle and bumper bar in tan. A nursery bag, footmuff and parasol are available separately in matching colours. The Joolz Geo is also compatible with various accessories such as car seat adapters, footboards and solutions for rain, sun, mosquito’s, drinks and more.

Tel: +44 845 52 806 38 www.my-joolz.co.uk www.facebook.com/myjoolz

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TEMPERATURE CHANGE BATH MAT

For more information: East Coast Nursery Tel: 01692 408802 www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk

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Advertorial Brother Max

Simple, clever ideas takes a refreshed approach for 2015

B

rother Max was established by a team of people which understood the challenges of parenthood and which wanted to create a range of products, designed to help get things done more quickly and easily, so that babies, toddlers and parents can spend more time doing the fun stuff. The goal was to answer the easiest of questions with the cleverest of solutions, remembering at all times that our aim is to make the life of a parent easier and more enjoyable. Quite simply, it’s all about great designs for little people!

The past year has seen some exciting changes for Brother Max, starting with a restructure to the team, moving to new offices, a dynamic rebranding project, as well as the accolade of winning further endorsements and awards; all culminating in an exciting brand refresh with new-look packaging design and new products for Spring/Summer 2015 launch.

42 nursery today

The new team is now headed by Jo Ledsham, who joins the business with a wealth of retailer experience having been Trading Director at both ELC and Mothercare.

Vicky Thomas, also joined in the new role of Head of UK Sales and Marketing, bringing the experience of launching to market many new brands, including Munchkin & Annabel Karmel. ‘‘It’s been an incredibly busy time for the whole team and we are really excited about the new look brand and range for 2015, which we have managed all in-house using our excellent design resource and new product team. With the new team, we had the perfect opportunity to assess our current range in terms of product and packaging and range architecture. We believe that we needed to create a clear and complete offer and as such, we have worked hard to fill gaps and improve products to offer full-range solutions for our retailers. Going forward for 2015, we believe the Brother Max brand will deliver a unique and innovative offer across

Health & Safety, Feeding, Nurture and Highchairs to both retailers and consumers.”

Along with the new packaging design, a new brand ambassador has been born. Our friend Max is here to help guide parents and consumers through the sometimes difficult journeys of parenthood. He is also at hand on the packaging to help clearly explain the features and benefits of the products – hopefully explaining through the eyes of a three year old helps to keep to the brand mantra of simple, clever ideas!

Max is also a significant feature of the new website www.brothermax.com, which will go live in Spring 2015 to showcase the new-look brand and products. Parents will have the opportunity to join Max’s Club and gain access to weaning recipes, parenting hints and tips as well as promotions and other exciting opportunities. The website will also be supported by a refreshed social media campaign across Facebook and Twitter and new Pinterest

Advertorial Brother Max

and Instagram accounts to help incorporate the Brother Max brand right into the heart and minds of the new social media conscious parents.

Product innovation is one of the key drivers of Brother Max’s continued success, which was recently illustrated by winning two new Gold Mother & Baby awards for the Best Safety Product and Best Weaning Product for their 3-in-1 Thermometer and Weaning Pots.

The second best-selling thermometer gained its second Mother & Baby gold star. This was a genuine stamp of approval from the widely regarded award distributor which helps parents make informed decisions about their purchases through thorough testing by parents.

Using infrared technology, the 3-in-1 thermometer provides easy and quick ear, forehead and room temperature readings, accurate to 0.2 degrees in just 1 second. Unlike other thermometers, there’s no need for probe covers; just wipe after each use. With a backlight for night-time, it’s easy to take readings in the dark. With a stand which can be wall-mounted or free-standing for quick easy access and a hard carry

case, perfect for storage or travel, the 3-in-1 thermometer is kept both clean and safe. Providing 3000 readings from 1 set of batteries, suitable from birth, it’s perfect for the whole family. BPA and mercury-free and as you would expect, this is a certified medical device. It comes with 2 x AA batteries ready for use.

The must-have weaning pots, with their clever pushthrough bases and click-together design were created to solve a parenting problem. The recent award won by these little pots demonstrates they are continuing to perform seven years after they were launched.

With flexible, easy push-through bases and leak-proof hinged lids, you can pop out frozen food or thaw/defrost and serve directly from the pot. Each pot provides one small 40ml portion which can be placed in the fridge or freezer and then straight into the microwave. The six small pots click together for easy filling. The marker pen included enables you to write on the pot to make for easy detection of frozen

food! Also available in large size for stage 2 weaning. BPAfree and dishwasher, microwave and steriliser safe, this really is a great design for little people.

Following the awards, Jo and the team were over the moon, “We’ve now received more than 50 awards and commendations; it’s a real achievement and milestone for Brother Max as a brand. The award wins are testament to the design and technology solutions we incorporate into our products. To have been recognised by parents as providing solutions to their parenting problems is the icing on the cake!”

educate and inform new parents and help them prepare for the important challenges they face. It will be given out at the point of registering a birth at their local registry office.

Brother Max’s weaning and feeding range of products will feature to guide parents on their weaning journey to help create healthy food habits for a lifetime.

With the need for innovation for continued success, further new product development plans are underway for AW15 and beyond. This work is led by Head of Product, Sian Williams, who joins us with over 25 years’ experience of sourcing and development of toys and nursery products. Sian is supported by Viren Dholiwar, Quality and Compliance Manager, who recently joined the team from Mothercare.

So, the activity and momentum started in 2014 is set to continue in the coming seasons and beyond, as Brother Max builds its ambitious plans for growth and and truly establishes itself as a solution brand to meet the challenges of parenthood.

For further info, please visit www.brothermax.com or contact:

Tel: 0203 751 1790 Address: 5 Kinsbourne Court; 96 - 100 Luton Road, Harpenden, AL5 3BL Email: sales@brothermax.com

Further accolade was received when Brother Max was selected as the exclusive weaning partner in the brand-new government-endorsed publication, The National Parent Guide. This major nationwide educational initiative has been rolling out UK-wide since November 2014 to help

nursery today 43

Focus Toy Fair

Toy Fair 2015 Toy Fair is the UK’s only dedicated toy, game and hobby exhibition taking place annually at London Olympia Grand and West Halls 20 to 22 January 2015. The exhibition is an opportunity for retailers to explore and find exciting nursery toys and gifts from well-known and new companies.

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elebrating its 62 year, the 2015 show will once again occupy the entire upper and lower sections of the Grand and West Halls. Toy Fair will play host to more than 260 exhibiting companies including big brands such as Bandai, Character Options, Hasbro, Lego, Flair and Vivid Toy Group. Thirty six exhibitors are brand new to the floor plan while Tomy Europe, Theo Klein, A B Gee of Ripley, Chicco, House of Marbles and ZooBooKoo International have all returned after time away from the show.

The Greenhouse Area will host 37 innovative companies

Zone. Hosted in the onsite Toy Fair TV studio, exhibitors will be given the chance to demo their products to Anna, Gavin and a group of children. Each Demo Zone session runs for half an hour on the hour across the three days and is broken down into a range of categories including a dedicated nursery section titled ‘Back to Preschool.’

The Toy Fair Best New Toys offers another opportunity to discover new products. Voted for by a panel of independent toy retailers, the winners are unveiled on the opening morning of the show and this year can be found on the gallery level.

Last year’s winners in the Preschool category included Vtech’s

There are a range of companies at Toy Fair displaying products suitable for the nursery age group, including East Coast Nursery, 1 Two Kids, Aurora World, Bigjigs, Chicco, Cloud b, DKL, Gibsons, Haba, Halilit, John Crane, Rainbow Designs, Trunki – to name a few! looking to make a noise in the toy industry. Over the years, the Greenhouse Area has acted as a launch pad into the industry. Pants on Fire, Intertek and DWSD are making the move to the show floor for 2015.

There are a range of companies at Toy Fair displaying products suitable for the nursery age group. East Coast Nursery will showcase Tiny Love and launch Tiny Hug Carrier, suitable from birth to 36 months, with two carry positions and three ergonomic leg positions, offering pelvic support to the baby’s developing hips. Other exhibitors launching nursery products include 1 Two Kids, Aurora World, Bigjigs, Cloud b, DKL, Gibsons, Haba, Halilit, John Crane, KidKraft, Leapfrog, Little Helper, Mookie Toys, Posh Paws, Trunki and Zapf Creations.

Now in its third year, Toy Fair TV will be a key feature at Toy Fair 2015. Hosted by TV presenters Anna Williamson and Gavin Inskip, Toy Fair TV gives visitors the opportunity to see more of the show floor. Broadcast on 24 screens around Olympia, visitors can watch the presenters interviewing exhibitors on their stands and unveil the latest product launches around the show.

As part of Toy Fair TV will be the return of the Demo 44 nursery today

Toot Toot Drivers Police Station, Nursery Trampoline from James Galt, Learn to Pedal 3-in- 1 Trike from Little Tikes, Peppa Pig Weebles Wind and Wobble Playhouse from Character Options and Golden Bear’s Henry Hugglemonster Henry’s Roarsome Scooter and Summer’s Super Scooter.

While Toy Fair begins a new year for the toy industry, the annual Toy Industry Awards celebrate the many successes in retail and manufacturing for the year gone by. Once again the awards will take place at London’s Science Museum on the first evening of Toy Fair and will recognise toys in a number of different categories, including Preschool Toy of the Year. Many of this year’s winners will have been showcased at Toy Fair 2014 and the event brings a nice synergy to the first day.

Toy Fair visitor registration is open now at www.toyfair. co.uk. Pre-registering saves retailers a £15 entry fee on the door, fast tracks them in to the show and qualifies them for a number of show offers and discounts exclusively available to pre-registered visitors.

Toy Fair takes place at Olympia in London from 20-22 January 2015.

Web: www.toyfair.co.uk.

Cicada will be exhibiting at the London Toy Fair 2015 Stand B49!

We will be launching three new ranges for 2015

100% natural toys which are eco-friendly and sustainably produced by hiŐhly sŬilled craŌsŵen usinŐ sustainable &^ cerƟĮed uropean beech͕ anadian wood and other eco-friendly ŵaterials͘

^afe and innoǀaƟǀe products that beneĮt baby͛s deǀelopŵent and eŵpower children to acƟǀely parƟcipate and Įnd ũoy in the discoǀery of tastes͕ tedžtures and beyond͘

Yuality toys hand ŵade in ^ri >anŬa froŵ locally sourced sustainable rubber wood͘

Contact us on +44 (0)1928 890010 or sales@cicada-education.co.uk or visit us at www.cicada-education.co.uk

Focus Toy Fair

Great Gizmos

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Stand: G20 2014 for Great Gizmos was a successful year with continual additions to all brands across its extensive portfolio. This year will see the company build on its collections with new additions plus two brand new ranges to tempt retailers, whilst heightened consumer marketing will ensure shoppers are equally inspired.

Launching in January 2015 is Kid-O; a brilliant range of vibrant plastic toys that are designed with learning in mind. Each toy is created to engage and stimulate the mind with a rich variety of shapes, colours and sizes. The Floating Whale is suitable for children 1+ and is made from sleek durable material in a bright blue and white colour. To also stimulate kids from an early age there is the Marble Maze, Alphabet and Number Magnatabs and also a Free Play Magnatab that allows kids to create designs and shapes from the pull of magnets.

Plan Toys is a fabulous collection of naturally coloured wooden toys that appeal to both boys and girls from the age of six months and is currently leading the way in innovative manufacturing methods and its belief in sustainable play. New for 2015 will be the fantasy land range and a fabulous array of colourful sensory and learning toys, plus a wide variety of outdoor toys, ride-ons, games and puzzles plus educational pieces that will keep little ones entertained.

The ever popular luxury plush range NICI, is set to wow retailers for 2015 with more high quality collections launching in the spring. Brand new for NICI is Jolly Candy, an addition to the Jolly Mah range of plush sheep characters. New to NICI Wonderland is Minilucas and Minisophie, a beautiful soft plush farmer and his wife, who along with their animal best friends are suitable for children from birth. There are new products for the popular My First NICI and Owl ranges and a fun Sloth character joining the world of Wild Friends. Other new ranges include Donkey and a new Classic Bear so children can continue to build on their collections.

Tel: 01293 543221 Web: www.greatgizmos.co.uk

Rainbow Designs

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Stand: E120

Bigjigs

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Stand: 1139 2015 marks a special milestone for Bigjigs Toys as the company celebrates 30 years of ‘Creating Perfect Playrooms’. The team will be celebrating in style on Stand 1139 and invite others attending to join in the celebrations with a slice of Bigjigs birthday cake and a glass of something bubbly.

Even after 30 years in the children’s toy industry, Bigjigs has never strayed far from its roots and is delighted to be introducing three new additions to its Jigsaw Puzzle range, the first line of products that saw Bigjigs enter the toy world arena back in the 1980s.

Each of the new colourful Arched Puzzles is split in to three levels, allowing youngsters to develop their dexterity and problem solving skills as they build a unique scene with each layer. The puzzle designs portray popular themes of dinosaurs, the home, and farm animals.

A brand new selection of traditional games will be joining the Bigjigs Games range at the start of next year. New Animal-Shut-The-Box, Ludo, Lotto and Mastermind are just some of the new additions to their portfolio of classic games with a modern twist.

New to the Bigjigs Baby range is the colourful Number Stacking Tower. Working out the correct order in which to build the tower helps strengthen basic numeracy and problem solving skills.

Seven new faces join the Bigjigs Toys plush range for 2015. These cheerful and traditional plush dolls are large in both character and size, measuring in at 380mm high.

Rainbow Designs are excited about the year ahead with Shaun the Sheep as 2015 is the ‘year of the Sheep’. Coming in Q1 is the Shaun the Sheep The Movie collection which will be launched in time for Shaun the Sheep The Movie which hits cinemas 6th February 2015. This fabulous new range includes our Baahing Shaun the Sheep, which is their first Shaun the Sheep product to play Baahing Sheep sounds as well as soft toys, games and puzzles. They also have the Shaun the Sheep Rugby World Cup range for AW15. This range features soft toys and window stick ons, all adorning an official Rugby World Cup 2015 t-shirt.

Rainbow are also excited and honoured to be launching their brand new Peppa Pig Nursery Collection. This gorgeous collection is designed in soft neutral tones and focuses on both Peppa and her little brother George and is the premier of the introduction of Peppa into the Nursery/ Baby market. The Peppa Pig Nursery Collection includes comfort blankets, musical pull downs, chime and rattle toys, activity toys and a Peppa Pig Teether.

Following on from the massive success of his very own movie Paddington still resonates as a focal pre-school line for us.

Their plethora of Paddington product allows retailers to tap into the enduring appeal of Britain’s best loved Bear!

Also take a look at their other brands; Peter Rabbit, Guess How Much I Love You, Miffy, The World of Eric Carle/The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Elmer also see new additions to the collections for 2015. With each toy developed with the company’s ethos of Learning/ Development through play.

Tel: 01329 227300 Web: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Halilit Stand: E90 Toy Fair 2015 marks a huge milestone for Halilit who will be celebrating thirty years of exhibiting at the trade show, and fifty years in business!

Various activities will be taking place on the stand to mark these impressive anniversaries, and Halilit are planning lots of new product launches both at Toy Fair and throughout the year. Halilit will be showcasing their new range from Battat, a highly trusted brand that features a host of pre-school toys including take-apart vehicles, bath toys and classics such as doctors, vets and constructors tool kits. Also on show will be the latest additions to their ranges of high quality colourful toys from the musical, construction, games and puzzles and developmental nursery toys sectors. One of the new launches from Taf Toys is the long lasting three-stage developmental Cot Play Centre which comes packed with lots of play features, music and lights, and it attaches to both wooden cots and fabric travel cots. The attachment clips have two height options, and offer age appropriate activities for three different stages of a baby’s development. Halilit’s own branded range of brightly coloured note perfect musical toys specially designed to be enjoyed by babies and toddlers, includes an assortment of fun instruments which will inspire early musical enjoyment.

Tel: 01303 250400

Tel: 01254 872454

Web: www.bigjigstoys.com

Web: www.halilit.co.uk

46 nursery today

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Cicada Educational Equipment Ltd TTTT

Chicco

Stand: B49

Tel: 01708 733388

Chicco are delighted to be attending the London Toy Fair for the first time ever in 2015, and will be adding a touch of magic to their first show as they unveil their brand new partnerships with two much loved brands – Disney and Fiat.

Chicco is thrilled to introduce its new partnership with Disney at the London Toy Fair. Walt Disney, top licensor and representing 41% of licensed toys globally sold, joins Chicco with two of its most appreciated and sold properties: Disney Baby & Disney Princess. Both licenses will have great focus from Disney in the following years thanks to ongoing airings and new movies. This long-lasting partnership will cover an infant segment that is new for Disney Princess, complemented with Chicco’s knowledge and expertise in baby care.

The range will start with toys for 6 month to 12 month old babies, including lovely new toys such as a Snow White mirror, a Cinderella highchair toy, a Cinderella spinner and an electronic Snow White Cottage. All of the new toys have been lovingly created and designed in collaboration with Osservatorio Chicco, Chicco’s official Baby Research Centre where paediatricians and parents work together to study stimuli and provide insight to assist the growth and learning development of babies. Babies will be able to use the Disney Princess range to assist development of early tactile and coordination skills.

Email: sales@cicada-education.co.uk

Web: www.chicco.co.uk

STAND: Gallery 124

Cicada Educational Equipment Ltd has been supplying Primary Schools and Nurseries with high quality educational “toys” for over 50 years. Many of the products we supply are suitable for both the retail and educational markets as they have both learning and play value.

With this in mind Cicada and several of their suppliers have developed an initial range of toys that incorporate the criteria of high quality, durability, play value and design aesthetic that they hope will please both children and parents alike.

Visit their stand to view many new and exciting products on offer under the following 4 new to market brands:

Masterkidz A range of high quality wooden toys that incorporate imagination, innovation and are educationally inspiring to young minds. All Masterkidz toys are designed and produced to meet, and more often, exceed the strictest international toy safety standards.

Sri-Toys A high quality range of brightly coloured wooden toys. Their handmade products are cut from locally sourced sustainable rubber wood, by skilled craftsmen and fair employment standards. Not only are they biodegradable, but built to last for generations.

Kidsme An extensive feeding range including international award winning products such as the patented Kidsme Food Feeder which won the Hong Kong Innovation and Creativity Award and was nominated for the Innovation Award at the Kind + Jugend show the same year. Their commitment is to develop safe, innovative products that empower children to actively participate in the discoveries of mealtime and beyond.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM GREAT GIZMOS! I’M REVERSIBLE!

vISIT WWW.GGTRADE.CO.UK FOR Toys, gifts and great ideas! nursery today 47

Focus Pre-School

Child’s Play From the moment a new baby arrives, it becomes extremely clear that toys are needed – both design, colour and function will be looked at, with items being bought for the differing requirements of each child.

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hildren love toys. Virtually from the moment they are born they like to play – fascinated by the mobile above their cots, they move onto toys they bite, stroke, punch and pummel. Some toys are educational without the child knowing that they are learning.

We spoke to a number of companies about their experiences in the infant and pre-school toy area.

Judith Stark, the managing director of Halilit, says: ‘Toys that have several functions, i.e. the new Cot Play Centre from Taf Toys that has three different “play stages”, or the new Rock ’n’ Table from Edushape, that converts from a gentle two seat rocker into a play table are guaranteed to be best sellers for us as they are high quality products that grow with the child.

‘Parents, grandparents and friends love buying toys that are going to appeal to pre-schoolers, and often look for some developmental or early educational features in the toys, as these are usually the ones that offer the best play factor.

‘Puzzles, games, a set of musical toys or construction kits are still sought after pre-school toys, as they are timeless, and everyone enjoys playing with them.

‘At Halilit, a lot of thought goes into the packaging, to make it as informative as possible, so that it looks great on the shelves and to make it easy for retailers to point out the advantages of each of the toys in our ranges.

‘2015 marks a special year for us, as it 50 years since the business was formed and we have been exhibiting at Toy Fair for 30 years.’

Victoria Taylor, brand account manager for East Coast Nursery, knows through the development of their toy ranges what the real issues and needs are for both infants and parents. ‘The wants and needs of babies don’t really change, in terms of what they require from developmental toys, so this seems to be a market that stays relatively stable and doesn’t strongly follow trends – it’s much more important to retain the core developmental values of toys.

‘Key features like high-contrast prints, textured fabrics, and symmetrical faces will

48 nursery today

always be present, as their benefits to babies’ development has been proven. ‘Suppliers are putting a fresh twist on those core play values with modern prints, and characters – this year there seem to be lots of owls.

‘We do see some toys in more muted colours to appeal to parents’ tastes, however bright and eye-catching colours are much more popular. We are noticing a growing number of toys that introduce technology to children at an increasingly early age, with tablets, phones and MP3 connectivity.

‘Although this is not something that we currently do, some of these products are fantastic and there’s certainly a market for it.’

Babies need stimulation and what better way than through the assortment of toys available from birth through to the age of five. Infants during this age group are very impressionable - manufacturers, marketers and retailers understand what children need at each stage of development and can therefore help consumers make the right choice for their children.

With an array of items in primary colours, babies will interact either with the toy developing their learning ability or gain precious interactive time with parents.

For example, an area in this category that appears to remain a popular choice is that of wooden and traditional toys.

Retailer Leysa Hardy from Tiny Herts Babywear says, ‘I do a lot of Melissa and Doug and Goki as well.

‘I try to carry the old traditional style toys.

I have been asked for the soft interactive book – the ones with crinkly pages – but one with a difference. People don’t want the normal one. If you go to the big stores they all have the same ones. I carry quite a range of different things and I find that parents want something interactive.

‘They also want affordability and you can’t compete with the big stores so I’m building my reputation on quality and having something a bit different or unusual.

‘Recently, people want chess cards so they can sit and do alphabets with their kids.

‘However, if there is a choice between an interactive toy and going to a playgroup they choose the playgroup every time.

‘I’ve noticed quite a few older ladies come to me and they want traditional colours but I do stock other colours. I’ve started to stock Kite products and their colours are quite out there. In the last ten years, newer mums have started buying brighter colours.

‘I would say 90 per cent want traditional colours but with stripes or spots. The traditional colours win out in the end.’

Toys which are developmentally

‘I see items that are not available in the UK and I bring them in having used them or seen them at trade shows overseas.

‘The play mats are our best sellers. Our play mats are very well-padded; they are one size and come in one piece.

‘Our play mat material is padded on both sides. They are bright and colourful with an educational aspect to them. More than one child can be on the mat at the same time.

Toys that are developmentally appropriate can bring satisfaction and enjoyment, which in turn encourages repeat purchasing and free advertising via word of mouth. appropriate will bring satisfaction and enjoyment and encourage repeat purchasing and free advertising via word of mouth.

Many toy suppliers have now moved into the infant and pre-school category as they have recognised the current strength of the nursery sector – giving you, the retailer a great choice to offer your customers.

Independent retailer Minling Chen of Totokidogo said, ‘We sell a lot of play mats and educational blocks.

‘The products that we sell are unique to us. The items are things that I have experienced as a parent.

The mats encourage parents to get down to the children’s level to play with them.

‘Our blocks are very educational.

I suppose the only competitor in the marketplace is Lego.

‘The blocks are different because with Lego you can only build in one direction.

With these blocks you can use all six sides of the cube. All six sides have something that you can connect into something else.

‘A child can build anything with the blocks whereas Lego is more fixed. The feedback we have received on the blocks has only been positive.’

Baby Brands Direct XXXX Plunge your pre-schooler into hours of imaginative play with Baby Brands Direct’s large collection of some of the world’s best-selling branded baby products and licensed toys. Their collection of ingenious preschool toys each boast plenty of charm and whimsicality and offer children a rich array of tactile and visual stimulation.

Combining the most unique blend of innovative features and bright, bold colours to stimulate, the Fisher-Price Laugh n’ Learn Smart Stages Chair provides baby with his very own place to sit and discover new things. This seat uses advanced technology to play lively sounds when baby stands up and helps baby learn about numbers, shapes and more.

When it comes to stackable toys, Oball’s Anyway Stacker proves there’s no wrong way to stack them up- and what great fun it is to knock them down! This toy is ingeniously designed in a spectrum of visually stimulating colours, providing baby with a wonderful sensory experience. The colourful, stackable pieces fit together in any order baby likes- a preschool toy must have and a true source of wonder and learning!

The multi award winning wholesaler has a huge range of preschool toys from a whole host of big name brands including Fisher-Price, ELC, Kids II, Disney, Lamaze and many more! Register now at www.babybrandsdirect.co.uk where you’ll have access to their innovative range.

Tel: 0845 370 8370 Web: www.babybrandsdirect.co.uk

Great Gizmos

TTTT

Great Gizmos’ pre-school portfolio continues to impress with its environmentally friendly wooden collection, PlanToys, plus new characters joining plush favourite NICI. Plan Toys’ inspirational collection of naturally coloured and eco-friendly wooden toys appeals to both boys and girls from birth.

Babies and young children can grab onto smaller items such as the Baby Key Rattle that will make sounds when moved about and are colourful and chunky enough for baby to hold.

When baby reaches 12 months there is a collection of wooden animals, vehicles and musical toys to entertain even the smallest of children. The Plan Toys Clatter features brightly coloured clatter pads that will make a ‘click-clack’ sound when shaken; a brilliant introduction into the world of music.

Another important part of Great Gizmos’ line up is the NICI range of luxury plush that offer nursery gifts, keepsakes and plush toys for babies and tiny tots.

New NICI ranges include the really cute Hansel and Gretel characters, Horse Club Junior and the impressive Dragons collection which includes some ferocious looking creatures! The Vet Set from NICI Wonderland features Veterinarian Minilina, a 30cm doll who wears a tabard and comes with a whole host of accessories to help care for her animals. Ideal for Christmas is the cute Reindeer and Owl character. They are available as super soft plush toys and also feature on a number of accessories such as rectangular cushions, pencil cases and wallets with each accessory covered with plush and featuring a reindeer or super soft owl design complete with wings.

The award winning Meadow Kids collection launching in January 2015 has a variety of craft, bath toys and educational games that will excite kids of all ages. Kids can get arty at home or on the move with the two drawer Mini Box of Stencils that will transform everyday cards and envelopes with the included stencil designs and colouring pencils or have fun in the tub with the Build and Play Rocket; made of chunky and colourful EVA, these simple bath time constructions can be assembled again and again.

Available from January 2015, Kid O is a brilliant range of stylish vibrant plastic toys that are designed with learning in mind. Each toy is created to engage and stimulate the mind with a rich variety of shapes, colours and sizes. The Air Plane is suitable for children 1+ and is made from sleek durable material in a bright blue colour.

Tel: 01293 543221 Web: www.greatgizmos.co.uk

nursery today 49

Focus Pre-School

Halilit

XXXX

Bigjigs Toys is one of the market leaders in high quality, educational wooden toys for children of pre-school age. With bright colours, fun shapes, exciting sounds and tactile textures, there’s something in the Bigjigs portfolio to help even the littlest ones discover the world around them.

During 2014 Bigjigs have added several new lines to their baby and toddler range including a number of stackers, sorters, activity toys and plush items. One standout item is the highly decorative Stacking Cubes, providing several activities in one, including a shape sorter, matching number spots, stacking cubes, and a tall giraffe to construct. RRP £18.99 New Wooden Safari Animal Building Blocks is another popular addition to the range, promising fun and educational opportunities as youngsters build an assortment of safari creatures from the colourful shapes. Supplied in a drawstring fabric bag, these building blocks are designed for easy storage and transportation. RRP £11.99 Bigjigs have also amended a number of current best sellers to bring them into the 21st century including First Building Blocks, Rolling Shape Sorter, Hammer Bench and Posting Box. Each product has had a re-colouring using a softer, child friendly colour palette, whilst the dimensions have also been amended to fit within modular packaging.

New for 2015, Halilit are launching the excellent Battat range of pre-school toys.

These colourful, high quality fun toys include Sorters, Stackers, Take-Apart Vehicles and Bath Toys along with Vet Kits, Doctors Kits, Tool Kits, Sand Toys and lots more. Beautifully designed and presented, Battat Toys offer great value with retail prices from just £4.99.

Predicted stars from this range are the Take-Apart Vehicles which have proved to be a huge success in the US since their launch last year.

An essential component of any well-stocked pre-school department is a good selection of musical toys. Music is considered to play a key role in a child’s development and as well as providing enjoyment also helps with the development of language and motor skills. All young children love to join in making music whether banging a drum or jingling bells and Halilit’s range of high quality musical instruments are accurately tuned to ensure that they are note perfect. The recent introduction of many new Gift Sets and a fresh new packaging style has increased the shelf appeal and with items starting from just £1.99, Halilit Musical Instruments are affordable and offer great value for money. What child doesn’t love playing with a cardboard box? The award-winning simple practical re-usable kits from Imaginabox turn any cardboard box into a car, train, aeroplane, cradle or oven using the stickers and accessories provided, encouraging children from 3 and up to use their imagination when playing. Halilit are also the exclusive UK and Ireland distributors for nursery and pre-school ranges from Taf Toys, Interstar Construction, Edushape Sensory and Water Play Toys, and Scotchi.

Tel: 01303 250400

Tel: 01254 872454

Web: www.trade.bigjigstoys.co.uk

Web: www.halilit.co.uk

Bigjigs

Chicco

XXXX

TTTT

Red Kite Baby Co

XXXX

The Storyteller Bear is a new edition to the Chicco range of Bilingual toys. Suitable from 12 months, the talking and interactive bear comes with 5 story cards that fit neatly into his backpack. Each of these takes your child on a different interactive adventure to the countryside, the seaside or even on an aeroplane!

Each card has three different buttons which when pressed, prompts the bear to speak a range of phrases in both English and French. In addition, at the bottom of the card is the storyteller button, which offers an engaging story that your child can enjoy. The bear also sings four different songs and melodies by pressing its hands and feet, including nursery rhymes and a ‘parts of the body’ song.

Chicco Bilingual toys are designed to accompany the child’s growth following the stages of their linguistic development, from the first syllables to first words, sentences, naming objects, and more.

All Chicco Bilingual Talking Toys are developed in collaboration with Osservatorio Chicco (Baby Research Centre), where pediatricians and psychologists work together to study stimuli to assist the growth and learning development of babies.

The Red Kite Baby Co Ltd provides a range of brilliant toys to keep little ones entertained. These include the popular Spiraloo, Clip on Toys and Activity Arch. The Cotton Tail Spiraloo and Clip on Toys are colourful and stimulating pram toys with squeakers, rattles and soft fabrics baby will love. The Cotton Tail Activity Arch is suitable from birth and is a must have addition to any pushchair, featuring universal fitting clips and loveable toys. These can be clipped on the bumper bar to enable easy access for baby.

Red Kite have also introduced their limited edition Princess Pollyanna and Bertie Bear soft toys. These fantastic soft toys were highly requested by customers at the Harrogate Nursery Fair as a fantastic addition to brighten up nursery interiors. The beautiful toys compliment their highly popular nursery interior ranges and are available now.

Web: www.chicco.co.uk

Web: www.maguari.com

50 nursery today

Tel: 01454 326 555 Web: www.redkitebaby.com

Maguari

XXXX

Skip Hop’s brand new Explore & More range of preschool toys offer plenty of fun as well as key learning opportunities for little ones. Incorporating friendly hedgehog and owl characters, these top quality toys provide long lasting play value for children and good value for money for parents.

The Explore & More Roll Around Rattle encourages children to grab, rattle and roll, while the easy-to-grasp openings in the flexible body help small hands build dexterity. Plus with beads and rubberised details made with teething tots in mind, there’s even more on offer to touch and explore. Perfect for mini music lovers, the Hedgehog Accordion allows musical little ones to play tunes to their hearts’ content. Featuring easy-to-grab handles, a rubberised body and sliding beads, children simply use the handles to squeeze the body and hear music play. Also in the Explore & More collection is the Click Clack Hedgehog, a toy that’s guaranteed to keep little hands busy as they twist and turn the body to discover a surprise - a hidden baby-safe mirror. The two separate pieces that make up the Hedgehog produce a fun ‘click clack’ sound when twisted.

With soft teethers and colourful rattle beads in Hedgehog’s belly, little ones can engage in sensory development and practise their motor skills as they play.

Tel: 01293 774924

mi Co ng n soo

Provence ™

Convertible Plus

Converts to

Toddler bed

Double bed plus Sofa

™

Convertible Plus

Convertible Plus is our evolution of Convertible which, after the toddler bed is outgrown, allows for the ultimate in flexibility by converting to both a comfy adult sofa plus full size double bed at the same time!

Elegantly chic The charming elegance of this French inspired collection will give a touch of subtle sophistication to any nursery

www.boori.co.uk

Available in:

Ivory & Honey

Ivory

Delivering dreams

Focus Regular Sun,Retail SandProfi & Sea le

Time to social shop There’s a new website in town – www.berryclever.com. Their vision is to make online shopping fun, with the aim of connecting people who share the same passions. Here we question founders Emma Kafton and Kristi Flax to find out more.

You are a newcomer to the world of nursery – tell us a little about the inspiration behind berryclever kids?

We have been talking about a business like BerryClever for years! As expectant first time mums we both experienced, as many women do, the feeling of utter panic when we came to choose what products we would need for our new babies. Other mums are incredibly generous with their advice but it came to us piecemeal and it was hard to remember who said what and which products we were supposed to buy! Very often we would see Facebook posts asking for advice on which pram to buy, for example, but after a short time these posts simply disappear. There are product reviews on other mummy sites but these sites are first and foremost forums and the reviews simply get lost.

Also, they are also not optimised for mobile and as most busy mums are browsing on their phones it really is a poor experience. We believe that these conversations, which are happening all the time, should have a place in their own specialised community. We also believed

52 nursery today

that personal recommendation was very important to mums. We started by doing some research and found that what we had always believed was actually true!

86% of new mums lean on their friends and family first when considering what to buy for their children and they also prefer to read reviews from people they know and trust. We have worked together for over 5 years now and when we sold our last business we finally had the time and opportunity to make BerryClever a reality.

What are your hopes with the new website?

We have a very clear vision and mission for BerryClever. We want BerryClever to make shopping for babies and children products easy and stress free. We want to give our members the power to discover, choose and buy the perfect products by reading and sharing honest advice from the people they trust the most, their friends! There are lots of sites that offer product reviews but they are anonymous and meaningless. We rank products based on a person’s social connections first, and

personal information second. This makes the experience different for each of our customers and we believe that this will make us the go to website for parents to discover and buy products for their babies and kids.

How will you get the message out there to parents?

We knew when we launched that the mummy network works fast but we have been delighted by how quickly the word about BerryClever is spreading.

The community really is growing fast.

Facebook has been a great place for us to start introducing people to BerryClever and has been a very effective way for us to launch the community. However, we are now seeing an increasing number of members inviting their friends to join the site via email or Facebook.

Tell us a little about the products you feature on your site?

When we launched we started by featuring the most popular products available on the market. However, it is extremely important to us to not only

be featuring the most popular products but also new and exciting ones. So, an important part of our work is to be adding to and building up the database all the time. We are really excited that we are being approached by an increasing number of new niche brands who want to be featured on our site and want to reach out to our community. These brands may have a small market share now but may well be the most popular in the future!

We believe that BerryClever is a fantastic platform for them to reach a new and growing audience.

How can manufacturers/suppliers be a part of this?

A key part of our vision is that BerryClever will become a specialised marketplace for merchants and suppliers to sell their baby and kids products within our unique environment. The manufacturers and suppliers who have already contacted us have all been featured on the site and our members are able to buy their products.

Do you sell product directly or only

We knew when we launched that the mummy network works fast but we have been delighted by how quickly the word about BerryClever is spreading. The community really is growing fast. Facebook has been a great place for us to start introducing people to BerryClever and has been a very effective way for us to launch the community refer any visitors to your site to a retailer site?

We do not sell products. We only refer our members to the retailer directly.

How do you determine where the visitor should go ‘to buy’?

What’s important for us is that our members have choice. As a new business we do not have extensive links with suppliers and manufacturers so most of our products are bought through Amazon. But we hope that over time we will build direct relationships with suppliers and manufacturers so that we can bring our members even more choice.

How do you determine what products to feature?

First and foremost we only feature products that we would contemplate using for our own children. Obviously we have not used all of them! But we have to think that they are good enough that we would consider using them to want to share them with our community.

Over time we are also getting more and more suggestions from parents who have discovered products they would like to see featured on the site.

You list yourself as an alternative social media site – tell us a little about this? Would you classify yourself as an interactive website?

BerryClever is a social shopping site.

We have created an environment where people can connect with both their existing social network through Facebook and also find new, likeminded friends to help them discover

the perfect products for their babies and kids. We also have an algorithm which ranks which products a members sees first according to their social profile. This makes the experience both personal and highly effective.

Do you run an online blog?

We do have a blog which can be found at www.berryclever.com/uk/kids/blog/.

Our blog is there only to support our business and our partners. As a result its aim is to help parents make the best product selection for them.

What about parents/parents to be, how do they get involved?

Parents are our site! It is their site! We see ourselves as the caretakers. Our job is simply to ensure that we have the best product range available for them. They are the ones reviewing and advising their social network on what to buy. We think this is why we are proving to be such a popular choice with mums because they know that the content is real and from people they can trust.

What are your hopes for the future?

Our vision for BerryClever Kids is to be the go to place on the web for parents to find the very best products and get trusted advice when shopping for their baby and children.

Pacifiers and Soothers - the psychological difference between a ‘Reset’ plug and a best friend

T

he sound of distress brings out different responses in all of us - depending on how comfortably we can sit with the stress reactions that it stirs in us - but one thing is for certain: No one feels able to just sit and do nothing. Actually, it’s the reason why babies cry rather than communicate in any other way: because it cannot be ignored. But have we ever asked ourselves the difficult question about why we have created objects to help us silence communication?

Now, surprisingly, I am not Anti dummies. My Son had one in his first two years. Yes I read the books, and I knew the issues. I started my life of parenting with full intention to sleep ‘feet to foot’, on his back, in the crib whenever he slept, and to never put him down asleep - only nearly asleep.

What actually happened from the first night home, and for the next six weeks in fact, was that we slept sitting up in bed, with him on my chest and the help of a dummy. He only ever slept during the day in his pram or sling; often outside the back door in fresh air, and usually drunk on milk - comatose despite all attempts at active winding. He rarely fell asleep on his own. I never admitted it to anyone at the time, for fear of being criticised for my lack of parenting skills, and the ensuing advice that of course would follow. But I soon realised that the key to surviving the baptism of fire that is new parenthood, was to be flexible. But being flexible is also about changing a response in line with development and capability.

When Kieran (said Son) was two, we collected all his dummies in a shoe box, and sent them to Father Christmas with the help of a very bemused Woolworths

54 nursery today

Written by: Dr Fin There is nothing more compelling than a baby’s cry, even when it is not your own.

For all of us it elicits a reaction and response that ranges from an impulsion to provide care and protection, to an impulsion to gag or silence.

Pacifiers and Soothers, it seems, are the terms we have come to apply to objects that do both

checkout assistant - each one in exchange for a brand new ‘Power Ranger’. Why? Because at two, Kieran had become a good little communicator: He had names for each of his feelings, he was OK at experiencing them, and he trusted me to help him with it whenever he got stuck and overwhelmed: The dummies were no longer needed.

So what are the solutions?

And this is exactly what we should be aiming for whenever we think about making, marketing and distributing Pacifiers or Dummies: They are tools - just one of many - in our parenting box, which help us and our babies regulate our emotions during the times when we feel too overwhelmed for anything else. Think of it like a ‘reset’ button where you get the opportunity to start again; Press the reset too often and too quickly, and you can never benefit from the value of learning or communicating differently. By the time a child is two, we should have acquired enough learning and communication not to need them.

Soothers on the other hand, are objects that are generally kept (and remembered) for years. They are what Psychologists might call ‘Transitional Objects’: objects - selected by the child, not the parent - that have been imbued with some sense of their primary caregiver (usually mother), which provide comfort in situations where the primary caregiver is not immediately available. It could be anything - a favourite teddy, a silky blanket, or anything that the baby has regular access to and is chosen. Despite popular belief, you cannot have two of these. So for all our clever tactics of buying one for now and one for the wash, if a baby accepts both readily, then neither is a true transitional object. These are the blankets and toys that end up stinking and grubby because putting them through the wash is an

operation not even MI5 could pull off.

Transitional Objects are usually ‘acquired’ from about 4-6 months of age, when infants are just starting to recognise a sense of ‘otherness’ They are a completely Psychologically healthy adaptation to babies and children feeling able to tolerate separateness and should never in any way be taken away in anger, frustration, or discipline. Furthermore, they are often the objects that are still taken to bed, if at least at the end of the bed, well into teenage years in a completely acceptable way - not because they silence a child’s distress, but because they resemble the love, comfort and protection of mother for the child. And like everything that is loved for a long time, it ends up tatty, threadbare, and a little rough around the edges, in a way that the manufacturer never intended. But, if you only knew the joy, comfort, and protection that a child had experienced because of something you created, you wouldn’t care. Looking for the next marketing idea? Ask your community to send in pictures of all the beloved, bedraggled, stinking objects and proclaim proudly that your brand has become the chosen best friend of so many children!

Dr. Fin Williams is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, Businesswoman and a mother.

She is founder of Parent Perspectives Ltd: A company dedicated to supporting parents to discover and develop their own way of parenting – without the manual. Fin is able bring together the voice of the online parent community, and her expertise in Child Development and Psychology, to work alongside businesses who are really serious about developing their products and brand to nurture better relationships and engagement with consumers. You can contact her through the website at www. parent-perspectives.com, or at fin@parent-perspectives.com

goumi kids

hats . mitts . boots 01903 507084

Focus Pacifiers & Soothers

Keeping Calm There is always parental anxiety when a baby cries.

Parents are happy when baby is happy – so for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers who provide any form of pacifier or soother aimed at ‘keeping things calm’ is great news for generating additional sources of revenue and footfall.

I

n days past, babies had only a dummy to comfort them and stop them crying. Now there is a whole industry devoted to pacifiers and soothers to help them sleep and reassure them.

We approached a number of manufacturers and retailers to gauge their views on this fascinating and fast-growing area.

One area of high concern for many parents is the effect that soothers, or dummies as they are better known as, can have on the development of teeth, a similar worry by parents whose children choose ‘thumbs’. A good orthodontic soother is highly recommended as these are designed so that they do not hinder the healthy development of baby’s teeth and jaw.

GfK has plenty of experience in the pacifier and soother market. Since the beginning of this year, the company has seen more than 5 million sales in the Soothers category Chris Clarke of NUK commented: ‘There is still some apprehension from parents when it comes to allowing their child to use a soother in those situations when they need comforting, e.g., between feeds or when they are tired. Much of this apprehension stems from the traditional round or “cherry top” soothers which could cause misaligned teeth and other dental health issues.

‘However technology has moved on and now brands such as NUK offer asymmetric orthodontic shaped soothers, which are modelled on a mother’s nipple during breastfeeding. These are designed to both soothe the child but crucially they also encourage the correct development of the teeth and jaw and are a much better solution than allowing the child to suck their thumb or fingers which is known to cause teeth misalignment.

‘NUK’s entire range of soothers are endorsed by the British Dental Health Foundation, which provides parents with further reassurance that they doing the right thing for 56 nursery today

their child. For retailers, there is now a solution to the problem; if they can effectively allay consumers’ fears about soothers by communicating the benefits of the new generation of orthodontic soothers then there are sales to made.’

NUK have spent time and money developing Freestyle – the skin friendly soother.

Chris adds: ‘There is hardly anything as delicate as a baby’s skin. This is why NUK developed the Freestyle Soother which has fewer skin contact points to cause less irritation to a baby’s delicate skin.

‘Freestyle features a small surface area with large ventilation zones which help channel saliva away from the mouth; it also features a frame which is strengthened by invisible safety membranes for added safety and peace of mind.

‘As with all NUK Soothers, Freestyle features a specially designed orthodontic baglet that adapts to the shape of baby’s mouth, helping to exercise the lips, tongue and facial muscles which promotes the healthy development of the teeth and jaw.

‘Freestyle not only ensures that the child calms down but that they also develop healthily all-round so that parents can rest easy too. In a recent survey of 100 mums, 88 of them agreed that Freestyle was skin friendly with 92 claiming it perfectly fitted their child’s face.’

The good news about soothers is very evident for retailers – it is not a ‘one item’ purchase as consumers recognise the importance of these being hygienically clean – therefore, when one is in use, others are in all probability in the steraliser or being stored at the ready in the ‘change bag’!

Also, these (we’ve all seen them on the ground of many High Streets), are often lost by infants too meaning mum will come back and purchase again!

Soothers and pacifiers have noteably increased in their popularity and can range from a favourite blanket or soft toy through to a musical cot mobile – the list of products that are

purchased can be quite astounding.

Leysa Hardy from Tiny Herts Babywear reveals that while she does not stock a great deal of pacifiers or soothers she does find that Neckerchews and Gumigems are popular among her customers. ‘People often buy Neckerchews but I try to promote the Gumigems because they are safe around people’s necks. For me, Neckerchews sell better but I have found that if people just want a general pacifier then they get one from a superstore.’

GfK has plenty of experience in the pacifier and soother market. Since the beginning of this year, the company has seen more than 5 million sales in the Soothers category.

More than three out of five units sold are for babies in the six to twelve months age group followed by birth to six months. Silicon teats are more popular than the latex ones and fewer than 1 per cent of the soothers are licensed.

Tullika Bhalla, GfK spokesman, adds, ‘The use of Soothers vary widely largely dependent on the comfort of the baby and the conviction of the parents.

‘The average baby uses up to six soothers or more in a year. What is interesting though is the use latex versus silicon teats which is very different within the EU countries, though the trend is towards increased adoption of silicon since it is longer lasting and easier to keep sanitised.’

Focus Pacifiers & Soothers

Milton XXXX Milton’s line of sterilisation and hygiene products meets today’s parents’ demands for effective and easy-to-use solutions to keep baby’s feeding equipment and surroundings clean and germ-free. The company has recently seen strong consumer support for its Mini Portable Soother Steriliser, which is the only product on the market that offers a portable sterilising solution using the proven cold water Method of sterilising to kill 99.9% of germs including bacteria, viruses and fungi. In just 15 minutes a soother is sterile, and ready to use. Its stylish design, which comes in a range of three vibrant colours, portability and practicality of use have made it a popular must-have amongst mums today. The Mini is lightweight and watertight, making it the safe home for a child’s soother and it can simply be popped into a handbag, changing bag, or attached to a pushchair using the included Velcro strap. The Mini has already won numerous consumer-parenting awards, most recently the Loved By Parents Best Travel Invention (Silver) Award and the Bizzie Baby 2014 GOLD Award. Milton’s products have been trusted by millions of parents in homes and hospitals for over 65 years.

Tel: 01223 969718 Web: www.milton-tm.com

Mam XXXX MAM Silk Teat: a silky, skin-soft surface that babies like at once, because it feels familiar.

Thanks to its silky skin-soft surface, babies instinctively like the teats on all MAM soothers and MAM bottles as they feel familiar and are loved by babies.

This is confirmed by several global market research studies: 94%* of babies accept the MAM Silk Teat, which is why, the change from breastfeeding to bottle is especially easy with MAM. *18 Home-Use Tests in 7 countries with 2,236 babies from 2010 to 2014.

MAM Soothers are come in various sizes, shapes and beautiful on trend designs and colours!

What is also handed is that the Soother case they come in can act as a mini steriliser for when you are travelling with your little one. Just add water to the soother box and pop in the microwave for 3 minutes!

Another soother to look out for is the MAM Night Soother; this glows very brightly and makes those night time soother hunts especially easy.

Web: www.mambaby.com

58 nursery today

NUK

SSSS

There is hardly anything as delicate as baby’s skin. This is why NUK developed the Freestyle Soother which has fewer skin contact points to cause less irritation to baby’s delicate skin. Freestyle features a small surface area with large ventilation zones which help channel saliva away from the mouth; it also features a frame which is strengthened by invisible safety membranes for added safety and peace of mind.

As with all NUK Soothers, Freestyle features a specially designed orthodontic baglet that adapts to the shape of baby’s mouth, helping to exercise the lips, tongue and facial muscles which promotes the healthy development of the teeth and jaw. Freestyle not only ensures that the child calms down but that they also develop healthily all-round so that parents can rest easy too. In a recent survey of 100 mums, 88% agreed that Freestyle was skin friendly with 92% claiming it perfectly fitted their child’s face.

Email: mail@nukbaby.co.uk Web: www.nuk.co.uk/freestyle

Slumber-Roo Jellystone Design jChews and silicone jewellery are free from BPA, Phthalates and PVC, with a fabulous soft feel and texture, so perfect for little hands to play with safely. The jewellery collection includes pendants and beads with custom clasps that separate easily when tugged or snagged, and bangles in a rainbow of colours which are soft on the wrists and quiet against desks.

For the little ones the Jellystone range is non-toxic, durable, strong and easy to clean in a steriliser, dishwasher or soapy water. The pendants are available in shapes for both boys and girls including an owl, heart, robot and skull, and there are also bright and colourful beads and bracelets in junior sizes too. If parents are looking for teethers, jChews are ideal and come in a number of fun shapes including smartphone, chocolate bar, handbag, skateboard and new this year, the uber cute moustache for little hipsters!

Designed in Australia, Jellystone Designs have been distributed in the UK by SlumberRoo since September 2013. With retail prices ranging from £9.50 to £24.50 and wholesale starting at £4.00 net, there is something to suit all tastes and budgets.

Tel: 01803 782 959 Web: www.slumber-roo.co.uk

Happy Birthday 2012 Ltd 2012 Ltd, Distributors of Innovation, are excited to be celebrating their 10th birthday this month as one of the leading Distributors of quality and innovative baby & maternity brands to the UK and Irish markets.

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et up in 2004, with a vision to bring innovative, quality and good value products into the UK and Irish markets; the company now exclusively represents 10 brands. Many of their products are award winning and some are even the only of their kind in the world with loyal consumer and retailer fan bases.

“We are so excited to have reached this milestone of a decade in the Nursery Industry and we want to thank our customers, suppliers and staff for all the support and memories we have created along the way.

We have had an amazing journey and look forward to many more decades of success and innovation.” says Lia Murrain one of the company Directors.

• PullyPalz: An innovative American brand that not only entertains baby, it keeps a pacifier in view and easy reach. Works like a pulley system. Every time baby drops the pacifier, another one is in sight.

• Gunapod: A unique fleece sleeping bag with a patented 4-way zip allowing you to access baby from top, bottom and sides.

• Pura Stainless Infant Bottles: The world’s only 100% plastic-free bottle. Made of stainless steel and silicone, Pura bottles evolve and grow with your child (launching in 2015).

2012 Ltd’s award winning brand portfolio includes: • Baby K’tan Baby Carrier: A wrap without the wrapping!

The unique double-loop design offers parents the muchloved wrap style, yet it does not require any complicated wrapping or buckling as it has no hooks, clips, clasps or adjusters! Often referred to as a “gateway carrier”, which helps introduce parents to the world of Babywearing.

• Lulujo: A Canadian collection of beautiful cotton or bamboo swaddling muslin wraps, muslin squares, security blankets and organic face cloths of exceptional quality and design.

• Carriwell: Maternity and nursing wear, which has been specifically designed for nursery goods retailers. Easy to stock, multi award winning, functional and competitively priced. A holistic range of maternity and nursing bras, panties, support bands, breast pads, nursing wear and much more.

• Cuddle Co’s Comfi Cush: An anatomical memory foam pushchair liner, which adapts to baby’s individual body

shape providing lasting comfort and keeping them calm and cosy for longer. Designed to help avoid musculoskeletal stress.

• Cinch: A celebrity favourite, the Cinch Tummy Wrap is a post birth abdominal wrap that helps reposition the womb, increase weight loss, prevent hernias and enhance waistlines helping mums regain their pre-pregnancy shape.

• Kalencom Changing Bags: A popular and trusted brand from the USA that encompasses fresh and fashion forward designs without compromising on practicality. Each changing bag includes a zippered pouch, a Thinsulate insulated bottle bag and a matching changing mat.

• Pipila UV Steriliser: The world’s first portable UV pacifier steriliser. Small enough to fit inside a changing bag and battery operated, this is an essential piece of kit for any parent when out and about. Using a patented UV/O3 sterilising lamp (no water or sterilising tablets needed), Pipila kills up to 99.9% of germs in only 3 minutes.

By offering a vast range of products and a same working day dispatch for next day delivery; 2012 Ltd aim to make product sourcing and replenishment easy for retailers.

All brands are supported through strong marketing, branding and social media campaigns ensuring retailers benefit from the exposure. “We work closely with our retailers and strive to create mutually beneficial results”, says Lia. “We provide product training, POS material, stockist listings on our websites and retailer tagging on consumer ads, PR and social media.”

Having built strong foundations from the onset has allowed the company to grow to where it is today with minimal growing pains. Today a selection of their brands are available through a wide network of independent retailers as well as nationals such as Toys R Us, JoJo Maman Bebe, Asos. com, Lloyds Pharmacy, The NCT, Kiddicare and Harrods concession; with Mothercare and Ocado coming on board in early 2015.

Interested in stocking these brands? 2012 Ltd would love to hear from you. Give them a call for an informal chat on 01202 303 777, email at info@2012ltd.co.uk or visit www.2012ltd.com nursery today 59

Focus The GRO Company

The Home of Safe Sleep

Penny Franks went to meet with Christian Jones, Managing Director, The Gro Company – here we find out a little more about how this brand continues to grow in strength and consumer awareness.

Can you give us a brief introduction to Gro? Gro is the leading brand when it comes to quality and award winning sleep products. Much loved by consumers, we pride ourselves on our innovative products that meet genuine consumer needs.

We’re growing fast and continue to consolidate key markets globally.

What would you say makes the brand as strong as it is?

Innovation and Quality are synonymous with the Gro brand.

Grobag has built the baby sleep bag market, which is seen as ‘the’ must have item by parents due to the quality, safety and choice it provides. Its exceptional brand awareness creates our market leading position - 99% of Grobag users would recommend them.

The strength of the brand is really demonstrated well through the consumer support the brand has. We have a loyal following of 50,000 fans on facebook, and 177,000 on Pintrest, which is a fantastic endorsement of how engaged our consumers are with Gro products. Gro has won over 50 consumer and trade awards, our most recent being a trio of awards for the Grobag, Gro Anywhere blind and the Grolight at the Mother and Baby Awards in November.

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Innovation and Quality are synonymous with the Gro brand. The business has built the baby sleep bag market, and the reputation of the Grobag, which is seen as ‘the’ must have item by parents due to the quality, safety and choice it provides.

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We’re a very fast paced business which also makes Gro an exciting place to work. In fact Gro still has the 1st Employee who started with the company nearly 15 years ago, although we are a totally different business today; we have really strong teams in multiple countries now including China and Australia, not just the UK.

You are known as a company who provide solid, safe, sleep solutions – tell us a little about how you managed to position Gro as a number one sleep brand here in the UK and also in Australia?

The brand has been built through a firm set of principles and credentials.

We seek to offer the best and so we don’t compromise on our quality and standards . Our consumers trust our brand because they know we lead in terms of safety standards.

The Grobag is recommended by The Lullaby Trust due to the expertise and proficiency the brand has established over time.

We always put the consumer at the heart of what we do, with frequent consumer groups ensuring our brand positioning and messaging is relevant and compelling.

Ultimately though our 10 million consumers worldwide are proof of how effective our products are. One Gro-clock now sells every three minutes around the world, it wouldn’t do that if it didn’t make a difference to parents lives.

Can you give us any recent examples of new innovative products? What do you look for when you are identifying them?

2014 has been a busy year for us in terms of innovation. The Gro-hush baby calmer which uses white noise to soothe your baby has been a major launch in the industry this year, being shortlisted for an Innovation award next year – it is unique because you hold the Gro-hush directly to the babies ear, meaning no-one else can hear it. We’ve also re- launched the Gro-light, the 2in1 nightlight which recently had a win at the Mother and Baby awards for most innovative product. Both of those products are completely unique and consumers absolutely love them, the reviews have been exceptional and they will only continue to build.

All our products tend to be a simple solution to a genuine parenting need, and so if a product is meeting an important un-met need in an intuitive and cost effective way, it definitely has the potential to become a Gro branded

product. It also has to fit with our brand ethos and have the potential to lead it’s category as our other products do. That helps us to ensure any innovation we launch is successful, which is well ahead of the industry average.

Do you have any exciting plans on the horizon you would like to share with Nursery Today readers?

Yes absolutely, 2015 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for Gro. We have some great new textile and electrical products launching AW15 which we are very excited about. I can’t give away too many details here though, so you’ll just have to wait and see.

We still have so many more opportunities with our existing range though which is continuing to grow both in the UK and export market, so that is also an ongoing focus.

Of course we are also known for the fashion element of our textile range, we launched an exclusive fashion partnership with design brand Anorak this year which has been a huge success, and we have lots of stylish additions coming up over the next year.

How do you support your retailers?

The key is by providing customers with must have products

which meet consumer needs; being the go to brand for all prospective and new parents. Such as developing social media programmes to share with retailers and consumers our experiences and developments.

Our comprehensive marketing programmes continue to create new consumer demand for our products. We invest in having fantastic ongoing PR, a strong social media footprint, word of mouth programmes and point of sale as well as advertising.

Last year we also launched our Trade Portal which continues to be a success particularly for independent retailers.

You have undergone quite a few changes over the years, what would you say is your proudest achievement as a company to date?

I think our development over recent years into a leading global brand which parents trust. We are a larger business to what we used to be; we reach a much broader audience, with a much wider range of products, but we haven’t compromised our values or safe sleep credentials.

Web: www.gro.co.uk nursery today 61

Focus Mother & Baby Awards

Mother & Baby Awards 2015 - The Winners are announced Who took home the industry’s gongs?

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t a packed Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, the great and the good of the pram and nursery industry gathered to learn which companies won the 2015 awards.

All the major suppliers and key buyers showed their appreciation as the gold, silver and bronze winners were announced.

The winners are shown below and Nursery Today sends hearty congratulations to them all.

Best Pregnancy/Maternity Product Gold: Project-B Silver: Theraline Original Maternity & Nursing Pillow Bronze: My Little Star New Mum Maternity Towels Best New Mum/ Maternity Skincare Products Gold: NSPA Nourishing Stretch Mark Oil Silver: Cussons Mum & Me Bump Stretch Mark Cream Bronze: Bio-Oil Best Breastfeeding Bra/Top or Accessory Gold: Cake Lingerie Cotton Candy Seamless Maternity/ Nursing Bra Silver: Frugi Summer Breastfeeding Dress Bronze: Emma-Jane Maternity Next Generation 365 Nursing Bra Best Changing Bag Gold: BabaBing! DayTripper Deluxe Silver: Skip Hop Duo Deluxe French Stripe Bronze: Momymoo Everyday Changing Bag Best Product for a Newborn 0-3 months Gold: Pop-in Newborn Nappy Silver: Stokke Steps Chair Bronze: Pampers New Baby Nappies Best Reusable Nappy Gold: TotsBots Bamboozle Stretch Nappy Silver: Bambino Mio Miosolo All-In-One Nappy Bronze: BumGenius Freetime All-In-One One Nappy Best Disposable Nappy or Nappy Brand Gold: Mamia Ultra Dry Nappies Silver: Pampers New Baby Nappies Bronze: Tesco Loves Baby Newborn Nappies

Best Bathtime Product Gold: Munchkin Bath Tea & Cupcake Set Silver: Brush-Baby BabySonic Electric Toothbrush Bronze: Cussons Mum & Me Baby Bath to Comfort Snuffles

Best Car Seat Group 1 Gold: Joie Stages Silver: BRITAX KING II LS Bronze: RENOLUX STEP 123

Best Baby Food Range/Product Gold: Organix Soft Oaty Bars Silver: Hipp Organic Pear,Banana & Kiwi Pouch (100% fruit) Bronze: Asda Little Angels Organic Blueberry Flavoured Rice Cakes

Best Car Seat Group 2 & 3 Gold: Concord Transformer XT Pro Silver: Diono Monterey2 Expandable Booster Bronze: RECARO Monza Nova 2 Seatfix

Best Feeding Product for Weaning Gold: Brother Max 1st Stage Weaning Pots Silver: Pop-in Coverall Bib Bronze: BEABA Babycook Solo 4-in-1 Babyfood Maker Best Product for Bottle Feeding Gold: Nûby Natural Touch 6 Pack Bottles Silver: Milton Solo Travel Steriliser Bronze: Philips AVENT Baby Bottle Best Highchair Gold: Graco DuoDiner™ Highchair Silver: Kiddicare Munch Highchair Bronze: Stokke Tripp Trapp® Chair Best Baby Toy - under 12 months Gold: LeapFrog My Pal: Scout and Violet Silver: Mothercare Loved So Much Playmat and Gym Bronze: Sophie la Girafe Best Baby Toy - 12-24 months Gold: Mega Bloks First Builders 123 Learning Train Silver: Little Learners ‘Cow Says Moo!’ Grab Playbook Bronze: Chicco Balanskate Best Toddler Toy - 24 months + Gold: VTech Playtime Bus with phonics Silver: LEGO DUPLO Big Royal Castle Bronze: Early Learning Centre Key-Boom-Board Best Baby Carrier / Sling or Back Carrier Gold: Caboo + organic Baby Carrier Silver: Ergobaby 360 Baby Carrier Bronze: LittleLife Ranger Carrier Best Lightweight Buggy/Stroller Gold: Cosatto Supa Silver: Nuna PEPP luxx Bronze: Mamas & Papas Armadillo Stroller

Best Product for Breastfeeding Gold: Medela Swing Essentials Pack Silver: Lansinoh HPA Lanolin Bronze: Philips AVENT SCF332/01 Comfort Single Electric Breast Pump

Best Multiple, Twin or Tandem Pushchair or Accessory Gold: phil&teds vibe Silver: Bumprider Stroller Board Bronze: ABC Design Zoom Tandem

Best Baby Skincare Range/Product Gold: Mumma Love Organics Silver: Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment Bronze: Little Angels Extra Care Tier

Best Pushchair Gold: Kiddicare Tate Pramette Silver: Baby Jogger City Mini GT Bronze: Out ‘n’ About Nipper Single

Best Potty Training Product Gold: Hippychick Mattress Protectors Silver: Mamia Easy Pants Range Bronze: Disney Steady Potty

Best Travel System Gold: Joie Chrome Silver: Graco Candy Rock Exclusively at Babies “R” Us Bronze: Hauck London Set

Best Baby Wipe Gold: Sainsbury’s Little Ones Sensitive ECO baby wipes Silver: Tesco Loves Toddler Sticky Fingers Messy Faces Wipes Bronze: Mamia Baby Wipes Fragranced

Best Car Seat 0+ Gold: Maxi-Cosi Pebble & 2wayFix Base Silver: Simple Parenting by CuddleCo Doona Bronze: CYBEX SIRONA

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Best Travel Product Under £25 Gold: LittleLife Poncho Towel Silver: The Gro Company Travel Grobag Bronze: Munchkin Toddler Lunch Bag Best Travel Product Over £25 Gold: The Gro Company Gro Anywhere Blind Silver: NSA Deluxe UV Travel Centre Bronze: Mamas & Papas Baby Bud Best Cots, Cribs or Moses Baskets Gold: SnuzPod by The Little Green Sheep Silver: Kiddicare Scrapbook Safari Moses Basket Bronze: Babymore Eva Sleigh Cot Bed Best Baby Monitor Gold: Motorola MBP36S Digital Video Baby Monitor Silver: Summer Infant Wide View Digital Video Monitor Bronze: BT Digital Baby Monitor 300 Best Sleep Product Gold: Tiny Love Magical Night Mobile Silver: AeroSleep Sleep Safe Pack Bronze: Boots Baby Dreamtime Bath Best Nursery Product Gold: Babies “R” Us Alphabed Nursery Range Silver: Bambeano Baby Bean Bag Bronze: The Gro Company Gro-light Best Bouncy Chair/Rocker or Seat Gold: Chicco Hoopla Silver: Nuna LEAF Bronze: Fisher-Price Sit Me Up Floor Seat Best Safety Product Gold: One-Touch 3-in-1 Digital Thermometer Silver: NUK 2 in 1 Baby Thermometer Bronze: LittleLife Disney Toddler Daysack Innovation Gold: Stokke Steps Chair Best Baby Health and Wellbeing Product Calpol Supermarket of the Year Tesco Retailer of the Year Matalan Best Fashion Brand New Look

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The best bed protection for any age

To celebrate our M&B award win we are offering 10% off our Bed Protector range when ordering on hippychick.com Quote MB2015 at the checkout.

Offer ends 31/01/15 or whilst stocks last

Focus Mother & Baby Awards

Cosatto

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Cosatto continued to blaze a trail in the nursery market as their Supa pushchair took top honours at the prestigious Mother & Baby awards last week.

Winning the gold award for the lightweight stroller/pushchair category, Supa wowed the judges with front and rear suspension, lockable front swivel wheels and adjustable height handle, all allowing for a smooth drive.

It remains super-convenient at all times, thanks to its lightweight aluminum chassis with carry handle, compact umbrella fold with auto-lock and free-standing fold feature for space-starved parents.

But the Supa’s big selling point remains its multimedia gadget pocket with in-pushchair speaker, allowing the passenger to watch and listen to their in-hood entertainment while out and about.

The stroller is also covered under Cosatto’s trailblazing four-year guarantee and ‘sell and forget’ policy, retailers are reassured that product upkeep post-sale is Cosatto’s responsibility.

This policy includes next-day collection from the customer’s home, along with inspection by trained technicians and repair and return, all being carried out over a three-to-four day period.

When combined with Cosatto’s tradition of eye-catching, boredom-busting pushchair patterns, prints and colourways, the result is a potent combination of good value, design and engineering.

Avaiable in eight striking colourways and retailing for an SRP of £200, this superb stroller catches the eye with its patterns and keeps it due to its critically-acclaimed design.

Tel: 0800 149252 Web: www.cosatto.com

BabaBing! XXXX BabaBing! the experts in maternity changing bags which look as great on dad as they do on mum bring you the IMPROVED DAYTRIPPER Deluxe Satchel Bag which has just won GOLD in the Mother & Baby awards for 2015 for BEST CHANGING BAG. Designed to sit neatly behind your pram or pushchair, or just slung over your shoulder.

This bag is packed full of well thought out features and the new integrated pocket for your electronic tablet has been well received by mothers and dads alike who always have one with them to catch those special moments when they happen. The bag is constructed in weather and batter proof fabric and has a quick adjust courier strap. The bag has both an integrated and detachable bottle holder, removable supersize changing mat, dummy hanger along with a separate compartment for wet and soiled items. Finally “YOUR SPACE” a parent pocket for all that paraphernalia we carry around every day! In short it’s a changing bag that ticks every box!

Tel: 0845 603 1448 Web: www.bababing.com

Hippychick XXXX Hippychick win Gold for their Mattress Protectors in the Mother & Baby Awards 2015.

Julia Minchin, Founder and MD at Hippychick is delighted with the outcome. “It was a glittering night and we are just over the moon that our fabulous Mattress Protectors have beaten off such stiff competition to win Gold (equivalent to an Oscar in the Baby industry!) in the Potty Training category.”

Hippychick has transformed bedding protection with their comfortable and discreet range of mattress protectors which are a great alternative to sweaty plastic under sheets.

For a child potty training is hard enough as it is, but add in the distress and upheaval of having an overnight accident and it can often set a child back by months. If a mattress gets wet or soiled, the options are limited - change beds (not always an alternative) or turn the mattress over. The best plan is prevention; protect the mattress and bedding from ruin or soaking.

Soft, breathable, absorbent and 100% waterproof, these mattress protectors are essential items for every household. So the message from Hippychick is ‘don’t let toilet training send you potty!’

Tel: 01278 434440 Web: www.hippychick.com

Milton

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Milton, the leading expert in sterilising, is delighted to announce that its Solo Travel Steriliser won the ‘Best Product for Bottle Feeding’ SILVER Award at the Mother & Baby Awards 2015. Each product in the awards is tested by an army of real-life mums whose verdicts help decide who gets the Gold, Silver and Bronze rosettes.

The Solo is a single-bottle steriliser that can be used either in the microwave or with cold water. It can be used to clean and sterilise bottles, teethers, plastic toys, breastfeeding equipment and other small baby equipment from 2 minutes in the microwave and in 15 minutes for cold water. It is ideal when travelling or away from home.

Email: info@miltonbabycare.com

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ABC Design TTTT

Close

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2014 has been a phenomenal year for Close. The last twelve months have seen their ranges blossom with new product lines generating increased awareness for the Pop-in brand and unprecedented demand across both their Pop-in and Caboo ranges.

Close are ending the year on a real high with two Gold Awards and one Silver in the 2015 Mother and Baby Awards, with the highest amount of accolades awarded on the night. Gold went to the Pop-in Newborn Nappy in the Best Product for a Newborn category (0-3m) and to the Caboo +organic Baby Carrier in the Best Baby carrier/sling or back carrier, whilst the Popin Coverall Bib was awarded Silver in the Feeding Product for Weaning category.

Martine Carroll, Managing Director of Close says “The Mother and Baby Awards are the icing on the cake for what has been a truly outstanding year for Close. We are thrilled to have 20 awards under our belt far 2014, bringing our combined total of awards now to well over 50. With accolades from Mother and Baby, Prima Baby, Loved by Parents, Junior, Best Baby and Toddler Gear and Practical Preschool, including 6 Gold awards and another 5 products already shortlisted in the 2015 Prima Baby Awards this success looks set to continue into the new year!.”

Tel: 01992 554045 Web: www.closeparent.com

This year’s prestigious Mother & Baby Awards meant success for ABC Design, as their much loved Zoom Tandem acquired the Bronze award in ‘Best Multiple, Twin or Tandem Pushchair or Accessory’. This is a well deserved triumph for one of the most stylish, innovative and adaptable twins on the market.

The ABC Design Zoom Tandem’s robust aluminium chassis facilitates the use of two travel options simultaneously; offering parents with a growing family endless combinations, meaning they can bespoke their pushchair according to their individual needs. Along with the Zoom’s two seat units, there is also the option of additional carrycots and car seats, which can be mixed and matched on the frame to suit your family.

For 2015, the ABC Design Zoom Tandem will be released in a variety of stylish and eye catching colour options. These are now available for pre order at selected retailers.

Web: www.abcdesign.de/uk

A BIG win for the DAYTRIPPER DELUXE

For stockists and to buy visit www.closeparent.com

www.bababing.com nursery today 65

Sponsored by

New Products MaByLand

Baby Brands Direct Baby Brands Direct continues to excite the nursery industry with their latest launch of feeding products by Fisher-Price, one of the world’s leading pre-school brands.

With over 10 new innovative products, customers will see additions across toddler cups and food preparation and weaning categories. The brand is synonymous with unique design, pure style and high quality, and of course, this new feeding range is no exception. Each product has been carefully designed to ensure that functionality goes hand in hand with an appealing design.

From the exciting addition of sippy cups with rotatable valves, suction bowl and plate sets that stay secure while baby eats, through to wrap around spoons that swivel, twist and bend, Baby Brands Direct’s product range demonstrates their commitment to sourcing and introducing well considered and design-led baby products to independent retailers.

The very core of the collection is the Stack n’ Store Sippy 2 Pack, two cheerful, colourful cups that are smart for sipping, and even smarter for storage. Handles can also be removed as baby grows and cups can be stacked together to prevent cupboard clutter.

Baby Brands Direct’s Head Buyer comments “The launch of the Fisher-Price feeding range is part of our biggest ever unveiling of new products at Baby Brands Direct. We’re thrilled to be giving retailers a huge range of new sales opportunities in the run up to Christmas. This range is truly unique- it offers retailers exceptional value and stylish aspirational products. ”

Tel: 0845 370 8370 Web: www.babybrandsdirect.co.uk

MaByLand is renowned to work closely with parents to develop their product range through parent focus groups, to ensure their designs meet their needs.

The new Snuggle Carrier is the result of over 5 years of research and development with experienced parents and designers; it ticks all the boxes when it comes to ease-of-use, look, quality, comfort, support and special features.

The MaByLand Snuggle Carrier is an easy-to-use, supportive, two position baby carrier, suitable for infants from 3.5 – 11 kg (approx. birth to 1 ½ years). The carrier features fully adjustable shoulder straps, ensuring a perfect fit every time. The padded waist belt offers parents much needed support and distributes baby’s weight evenly, allowing parents to carry in comfort for longer. The attachable snuggle blanket is ideal for wrapping baby up in cool or windy weather, and the large storage pocket at the front is a great place to store your keys/ phone or baby’s dummy/muslins when out and about.

It is a high quality easy-to-use product, with an aim to ensure baby carrying is as accessible as possible to parents. The new supportive waist-belt distributes the baby’s weight evenly, so parents can carry in comfort for longer. The bespoke cross buckle on the back ensures that the shoulder straps fit perfectly to each wearer and an extendible leg/thigh room for baby as they grow bigger.

The look and style has been carefully designed with both genders in mind, offering 4 neutral colours (black, sand, grey and brown) which will appeal to both parents.

MaByLand is the only brand in the market that includes all essential accessories as a complete package. It has also recently been shortlisted for the Prima Baby Awards 2015 under the Front Carrier category.

For more information, please contact Sheena Woods on sheena@mabyland.com.

Tel: 0208 879 0080 Web: www.mabyland.com

Rockin’ baby

Red Kite Baby The Red Kite Baby company are very excited to announce the arrival of two new products and the return of the sought after Push Me Twini which will be available from early 2015.

The Bertie Bear and Princess Pollyanna bedding sets are very popular with their customers and they have received many requests for the matching soft toy mascot. These are perfect for complimenting Red Kite’s Princess Pollyanna and Bertie Bear interior ranges as a decorative piece or as a fabulous gift.

Red Kite have introduced their new ‘Aztec’ range of Cosy Toes. They are available in purple, blue and black and features a modern, funky fleece inner padding to keep baby warm and snug through the colder months. The new Cosy Toes are a must have addition to any stroller and are available now.

The new Aztec Cosy Toes and soft toys are available now.

Tel: 01454 326 555 Web: www.redkitebaby.com

Baby-carrying is a 1000 year old tradition which is being rediscovered by parents worldwide. Rockin’ baby is allowing parents to embrace this custom, with a variety of comfortable and fashionable slings and pouches.

With every sling or pouch sold, Rockin’ Baby will donate a sling to a mother in need in Haiti or Kenya, educating them on the importance of holding their baby close, which in difficult conditions, can improve their child’s life.

The slings and pouches are new to the UK and currently available in Mothercare, come in 30 stylish designs and a range of sizes to fit you and your baby comfortably. The reversible slings and pouches allow the choice of two stylish designs, either a beautiful print or block colour, depending on your outfit selection. Made from 100% ultra-soft breathable cotton, they promise quality and comfort at its best.

There are many benefits to wearing a Rockin’ Baby sling or pouch for parents including back support when carrying you baby, privacy when breastfeeding, and free hands to look after your child.

They are suitable from newborn to toddler (up to 40lb) and with four carrying positions, you can distribute weight to suit you and your baby’s comfort. £45.99 block colour pouch or sling £49.99 patterned reversible pouch or sling

Email: sales@rockinbaby.com Web: www.rockinbaby.com

The brand that parents trust www.clippasafe.co.uk

New Products from

Pop N Play In keeping with their drive to bring innovation to market year after year Summer Infant would like to introduce you to the most innovative product since the invention of the bouncer. Drawing on parents desires to provide a safe and dry environment for toddlers to play and also be highly portable the Pop N Play was born. For year playpens have been the same … plastic, bulky, hard to assemble and claiming to be portable. But Summer has changed that. The Pop N Play can be assembled (and disassembled) in around 5 to 10 seconds. Now parent can create a dedicated safe environment for baby away from the hazards of the house or garden, perhaps even pets. To find out more please follow the link and watch the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t18HOY6s2yI&feature=pl ayer_detailpage. The Pop N Play is launching in January 2015 and has already taken the North American market by storm. Yet another example of Summers drive to offer points of difference and great value to the consumer.

Lil Luxuries bubbling shower and Spa The Lil’ Luxuries whirlpool bubbling shower and spa is the ultimate product for the pampered baby.

Incorporating massaging bubble action, calming whirlpool water and a gentle motorised shower it creates a luxurious bathing experience for both parent and baby. Large double wall tub for clean and modern aesthetic also retains heat much more efficiently than most single wall construction tubs. This great gifting item also comes with a premium sling with plush bolsters to support newborns. It can also be used on the got as a standalone support for new-borns and in all full size baths. Launching in January 2015 this will be a great addition to the Summer bath time range. Both practical and also ostentatious this product is sure to keep both parent and baby happy during those precious early months.

Wide View

Sit N Style Booster The Sit N Style™ booster is ultra-compact, light weight and comes with a great storage compartment for cutlery, wipes and all your feeding essentials. The easy to fold mechanism and substantial but compact footprint means that not only is this booster ready for daily use at home but it can be quickly folded and thrown in the car for those out and about experiences, which challenge parents on a regular basis. It’s a feeding seat and booster all in one. The Sit N Style comes with a removable, dish washer safe tray, 3 point restraint harness and chair straps to secure it to a fully size chair. Compact, convenient, robust and stylish. Everything you need to make feeding time feel less like a trip to the zoo and more like a calming and pleasurable experience.

Just in case you didn’t know the award winning Summer Infant Wide View video monitor is taking the market by storm. With its wide angle lens this is the biggest screen you will find on the market for under £130. But that’s not all. it’s loaded with great features which parents come to expect from Summer such as temperature monitoring, 2 way talk back, digital zoom, black and white night vision, rechargeable batteries, UK & EU adaptors for travel and a great battery life which means you won’t be charging this product two or three times a day. The 5” flat LCD colour screen presents a wide angle view of babies’ room and captures up to 3 times more than standard baby monitors, eliminating the need for remote operated camera adjustment. Why settle for seeing part of the room when you can see it all and if necessary zoom in to see if baby is asleep. The Wide view is another in a long line of product innovations launched by Summer since the very first video monitor was pioneered by them in 2005.

www.summerinfant.co.uk

Tel: 0208 420 4429

USA - the UK’s biggest (and most challenging) export market

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ome see the USA as the holy grail of exporting, with streets paved with gold while others are put off by its reputation as the ‘graveyard of British businesses’ – so which is it? It is in fact both: the paradoxical thing about the USA is that almost anything you can say about it, the opposite is also likely to be true. We have a shared language and many cultural similarities; but at the same time the USA can be surprisingly different in many ways. It is also a very large and potentially lucrative market, but it is also one of the most competitive with high barriers to entry. Although Americans are often open and welcoming as individuals, they can be finicky and demanding customers.

For any exporter considering the USA, it is important to truly appreciate the size, complexity and diversity of the market. It is the fourth largest country in the world, home to 320 million people of virtually every ethnic background, it spans six time zones (or nine, if you include Puerto Rico, Samoa and Chamorro) and hosts most climate types from tropical to Arctic – that is enough to accommodate an almost infinite array of social, cultural and lifestyle factors. In addition to this, there is also the multiple layers of legislation and government, from federal to state to sub-state level. California alone, if it were an independent state, would be

among the top 10 largest economies in the world, made up of several distinct regions and some of the largest and most diverse cities in the world. Even a small state like Massachusetts has the same size economy as Hungary, Romania and Slovakia combined.

Another thing to bear in mind is that Americans are used to finding everything they need in their home market, and therefore dealing with overseas suppliers isn’t as commonplace as it might be here in Europe. As a result, you may find, as a foreign company, that you need to go the extra mile to ensure a customer base in the USA, as well as reassure potential customers of your commitment to the market. (Arguably that is true of any market in the world, but none more so than America.)

The USA is not a ‘quick win’ market, tackling it will invariably take longer and require more effort and investment than what you might think. For example, if you are likely to run out of money, time or interest halfway into a project, you might be better off not starting it in the first place. However, if you are prepared to approach it systematically and thoroughly, as well as willing to commit the resources it takes and determined to make it work, the USA has more to offer than almost any other market in the world.

Written by: Roope Aaltonen, UKTI, International Trade Adviser

Top Tips 1. Don’t think of the USA as one market, think of it as a collection of markets that happen to share the same currency (not unlike the Eurozone). Some states can perhaps be clustered together, others are standalone markets in their own right and some of the bigger ones could even be split into several markets.

2. Work out where your chances of success are the greatest, which may not necessarily be on either of the two coasts or in any of the major cities. Make sure things run smoothly here before taking on additional opportunities in the market.

3. Don’t give any one distributor nationwide rights, at least not exclusive ones, not until they’ve proven themselves.

It is virtually impossible for even a large distributor to cover the whole country, despite what they might tell you. In reality most distributors can cover their own state successfully and a neighbouring states passably, but beyond that they often struggle.

4. Try to become as much a ‘local player’ as you can. This makes it easier for your American customers to deal with you in practical terms. It also puts you on a level footing with US suppliers, and reassures buyers that you’re committed to the market long-term.

5. Do your due diligence, and have it double-checked by experts. What technical standards, consumer safety regulations, approvals and so on are required? Does the

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the government organisation helping exporters succeed in overseas markets. We provide practical business advice and information on all aspects of trading internationally. To find out more about exporting and how UKTI can help you, please visit www.gov.uk/ukti or contact our customer service team on: TEL: 020 7215 5000 EMAIL: enquiries@ukti.gsi.gov.uk 68 nursery today

product need to be amended in any way? What import duties and other charges are levied? Will your existing business insurance cover you for US product liability risks?

What can you do to protect your intellectual property, and are you sure you’re not infringing on any existing rights?

Focus Spielwarenmesse 2015

Spielwarenmesse 2015 highlights kids’ trends and lifestyle 28th January - 2nd February Welcoming a baby does change a family’s shopping list. However, there is no need for parents to change their good taste. Fashionable products and trendy articles have long ago found their way into the children’s rooms.

T

he toy manufacturers have adjusted to today’s children, who are far more fashion and brand sensitive than they used to be.

As a consequence Fashionable and Trendy Articles became a new product group at Spielwarenmesse in 2014. Now the manufacturers of Fashionable and Trendy Articles are going to have a display area of their own. They will be prominently situated in entrance Mitte at the 66th Spielwarenmesse. Moreover, retailers are going to find an extensive overview of 2,700 exhibitors at the Nuremberg exhibition centre and a large selection of new products, toys and baby products from January 28 to February 2, 2015.

Exhibitors presents the lifestyle of kids in entrance Mitte More than 160 companies will exhibit products relating to Lifestyle and Trend Articles at Spielwarenmesse. The number of suppliers focusing on this range is constantly on the rise. For the first time companies such as Samsonite GmbH, the leading brand for luggage, and the Italian fashion brand Perletti S.p.a. will exhibit their kids collections in Nuremberg. Jonathan Dory, General Manager Kids category of Samsonite, is looking forward to the importance given to lifestyle products at the Spielwarenmesse 2015: “With our new Disney by Samsonite collection in the kids segment, toy retailers can sell vibrant bags, backpacks and luggage in the most popular Disney designs. That’s why we felt we needed to be present at the Spielwarenmesse with a great booth in the lifestyle area.” International Business Manager Roberto Reguzzi sees the new product group as the key to new customers for Perletti S.p.a.: “Concentrating the lifestyle products at the Mitte entrance means we meet our exact target group at the Spielwarenmesse, namely retailers who value Italian style and quality. They can extend their range of current licenses with our umbrellas, kids accessories, rain coats and rain boots.”

Extensive selection of babies’ toys at the Spielwarenmesse 2015 The product group Fashionable and Trendy Articles adjoins Halls 1, 2 and 3 which focuses on toys for babies and infants, textile articles for children, prams and furniture. They are nudging shoulders with product groups of a similar theme, dolls, cuddly and wooden toys. As exhibitor Claudia Lässig, CEO, Lässig GmbH remarks: “We are especially happy with the grouping of the sector, as distances are shorter and the quality of the buyers has increased. The common theme linking Halls 1 to 3A is a very good reflection of this market’s development and interested buyers find their way directly to us.” Marion Korte, owner of Mama & Co. Dress in Style from Frankfurt am Main also appreciates the selection: “The infant sector has got much bigger in recent years. Nowhere else in the world can you make so many new discoveries in the one place as at Nuremberg.” Around 350 exhibitors present articles for babies and infants at the trade fair.

Toy Business Forum equips toy industry for the future From 28 January to 01 Feburary 2015 Spielwarenmesse invites trade visitors to attend the Toy Business Forum in Hall 3A. Experts explain new and worthwhile aspects of market developments and marketing trends each day from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Wednesday: ToyKnowHow – experiencing future trends & technologies Thursday:

Licenses – recognizing worldwide trends

Friday:

Online Marketing – understanding

in 2015 strategies on the World Wide Web Saturday:

TrendGallery provides update on toy trends in 2015 The TrendGallery in Hall 3A presents the most exciting trends and new products in one area. An international TrendCommittee of nine experts travels all over the world before Spielwarenmesse to track down the latest toy trends for the TrendGallery.

“Little Scientists” - A wide range of toys familiarize children with STEM – that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

“Beyond Reality” - New trends in the entertainment and electronics industry are gaining traction in the toy sector.

“Express Yourself ” - Express Yourself describes the processes of self-discovery and self-realization through creativity.

Further information on the special show is available in the Internet at www.spielwarenmesse.de/trendgallery.

Marketing – discovering potentials for the trade

Sunday:

Visual Merchandising – creating experience worlds

The presentations can be followed in English and German. For programme see: www.toyfair.de/ toybusinessforum Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg: Date:

28 January – 2 February 2015

Location:

Nuremberg

e-mail:

spielwarenmesse@pattern.co.uk

Overview of ticket prices and additional information: www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/buy-tickets

nursery today 69

2014 Salary Survey - Toy and Nursery Industries This survey is based on salaries earned by sales, marketing, product and senior management employees within the toy and nursery industries, the figures are averaged out across the sector in general.

Salary Trends by Individual Role Sales Representatives Salary £25,000 - £30,000 + commission and company car or car allowance The average basic salary ranges from £27,000 to £35,000, the higher end reflects three things (a) the area where an individual lives i.e. London or commuter belt area; (b) long term tenure in a role where salary rises in line with inflation and (c) where the sales rep has some key account responsibility and could be deemed as a Key Account Manager.

Commission schemes vary between 0.5% to 2% and are paid monthly, some companies pay bonuses on a quarterly basis which equate to 10% up to 20% and this is set on an individual and company performance. There are other earning opportunities based on monthly incentives being run by the company. Notice period will invariably be a month on either side, once probation period has been satisfactorily completed.

Key Account Managers/ National Account Executives Salary £35,000 - £40,000 + 10-15% bonus, car or car allowance (allowance c£400 p/m) A Key Account Manager will deal with smaller turn over group accounts e.g.

Fenwicks, Kiddicare, Amazon, JoJo Maman, Harrods, smaller grocery accounts. They may also have some large independent retailers such as Winstanleys, Glasgow Prams, The Entertainer.

Invariably a KAM will not have responsibility for P&L. Notice period will invariably be a month on either side, once probation period has been satisfactorily completed.

National Account Managers Salary £38,500 - £55,000 + 1520% bonus + car or allowance (£500 - £700 p/m) NAMs assume greater overall responsibility for their customers and will often have

70 nursery today

P&L accountability. Salary typically sits around £45,000 for a NAM and for a Senior NAM £55,000. If a NAM has responsibility for the top house accounts their income is more likely to be at the top end of the pay scale. Equally they may have responsibility for a Key Account Manager or Key Account Exec. NAMs who manage the second tier accounts will command more in the region of £40,000 to £45,000 but this depends on their overall turn over and whether they have P&L responsibility or not. A NAM’s bonus potential is somewhere between 10% to 30%. Notice period varies from one month to three months, once probation period has been satisfactorily completed.

National Sales Managers/ National Account Controllers Salary £53,000 - £75,000 + bonus + car or allowance National Sales Managers or Field Sales Managers or National Account Controllers will ultimately be responsible for managing a team of reps or account managers.

Invariably they have their own customer base to nurture and in some cases a National Account Controller will look after the top house accounts which have the greatest turn over. The salary range is wide depending more on the size of organisation the employee works for and exactly what the remit of responsibility is.

Bonuses tend to be from 15% - 30% and are paid annually in line with company performance as well the individuals. The most significant difference at this level is the notice period required to give which can be up to 6 months on either side.

There are also expectations for a higher grade of car or allowance (around £750 - £980 per month). Also a contributory pension scheme and family healthcare are expected, if these are not available through the business then the salary will be reflected accordingly.

General Managers Salary £85,000 - £120,000 + benefits Responsible for the business unit as a whole including financial control, strategic planning, team management

across all aspects of the business. Salaries vary depending upon the size of an organisation’s turn over, product range, headcount. There will be bonuses of up to 30% as well as company cars or a car allowance along with pension contribution, healthcare and possibly increased holiday entitlement.

Sales Directors and Commercial Directors Salary £70,000 - £90,000 + bonus, car + profit share Fully autonomous for P&L, budgets, team management and reporting to the General Manager or Managing Director or CEO of the company. The salary difference falls to the size of organisation and the value of the business in terms of sales generation.

Bonuses of around 10% to 36% are paid annually and some Directors will receive share options or profit related pay. Where the position is a Board level role with strategic involvement in the business salary will be at the top end.

Marketing Managers/Brand Managers Salary £35,000 - £60,000 + 10% bonus + car or allowance Fully responsible for the marketing or branding function of the company and often managing a team of product managers or marketers. Salaries range due to the level of responsibility and the size of the brands involved. Bonuses tend to be on average 10% based on personal and business performance and larger organisations may provide a company car or allowance for the Marketing Manager.

Marketing Directors/Brand Directors Salary £60,000 - £100,000 + bonus + car Overall responsibility for driving the marketing or branding function, generally a Board level role requiring a greater degree of commercial acumen and strategic involvement with the business perhaps on a global scale.

Written by: Rowena Shorey

Product Development Managers and Product Designers £30,000 - £50,000 A Product Developers or Product Designers salary is on average £35,000 however this does vary quite significantly from £25,000 upwards to £50,000 depending on level of experience and size of organisation also where the location of the business. Product Development Managers are generally responsible for taking a concept from a design stage through to completion liaising with the manufacturers and logistics departments.

They may have specific categories or licenses depending on the size of the company and its brands or product ranges. Reporting to a Marketing Director or Product Development Director they generally don’t have team management responsibility. Company cars are generally not provided as part of the remuneration package but often a profit related bonus of around 10% is given and some companies may provide benefits such as healthcare and pension.

Product Development Directors Salary £60,000 - £85,000 + car allowance + benefits Responsible for managing the product team and having overall P&L and budget responsibility. Generally reports at Board level so has strategic involvement with the business.

Quality Assurance Managers and Directors Salary range £40,000 to £60,000 + benefits + car Responsible for the QA and QS function possibly with responsibility for a Hong Kong team.

BENEFITS

Company Pensions With the government now making it mandatory policy for employers to contribute towards employees’ pensions, employees will begin to reap these rewards by 2018 when pension contributions

will have risen from a minimum 1% to a minimum 3% by the employer. Minimum contributions are based on a band of gross annual qualifying earnings, currently £5,715 up to £38,185 per annum – this includes salary, commission/bonus and over time. Currently pensions vary from 3% up to 15% depending upon the level of seniority of the employee. The new pension schemes are being rolled out depending on number of staff in organisations so where there are 49 or fewer employees, these companies will not be affected by the pension system for another few years.

Holiday Entitlement Most companies offer 23-25 days annual holiday with some days required to be taken over Christmas shut down periods.

Company Cars The majority of people still have company cars and would elect this over a car allowance scheme if they incur high mileage. Company cars are generally more desirable because:-

It is a necessary part of the benefits package in recruiting and retaining quality staff.

It is a visible reward and confirms status.

It is more convenient and removes worry of break down or servicing.

Despite tax implications it has financial value which is independent of salary limitations.

Generally its what sales professionals expect.

This information was taken from The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, should you require further information regarding company car schemes you can visit the www.cipd. co.uk website.

Sock Ons Sock Ons are expanding their Mocc Ons range even further in 2015 with the addition of the brand new Nautical and Ditsy Floral designs. The new styles will also complement the stunning Dribble Ons bibs so now babies and toddlers can be co-ordinated from head to toe.

Mocc Ons are moccasin style slippers, made from a machine washable, non-slip leather sole, making them safe and snuggly for babies and toddlers to wear around the house. Made from a lovely soft and stretchy cotton, they come in sizes from six months right up the three years. At this time of year in particular they are ideal for ensuring that little toes stay toasty, however cold it might be outside.

As well as the gorgeous new designs, Mocc Ons also come in blue zebra stripe, pink spot, cow print, rainbow, sneaker style and cowboy and ballerina.

Should you wish to discuss any salary or benefits packages or have any queries arising from this information, please call Rowena Shorey on 01590 674212 or email Rowena@tinderboxconsultants. co.uk.

Follow us on twitter.com/ tinderboxjobs

Tel: 0208 451 1516 Web: www.sockons.co.uk

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For stock enquiries, contact our Distributors, bébélephant www.bebelephant.com | info@bebelephant.com | 020 8202 1467 nursery today 71

In the public eye Getting your news out into the world can sometimes prove quite tricky for businesses with an endless list of pressing things to do, but this is where PR companies come in, they take the pressure off and do all your promotion for you. From contacting the necessary press to marketing online, PR companies know exactly who and how to get your news, deals, offers and promotions read by the right people, something that will only help you and your sales succeed.

PJP PR PJP PR is the sector’s only communications and sales consultancy.

Their collective industry experience gleaned over many years means they are able to develop specific sales or communication strategies to ensure steady growth and long term sales for their brand partners, including those from countries wanting to break into the UK. Digital & Social Media Campaigns, Creative Direction, Content Creation, Blogger Engagement, Sales/National Account Management Their Brighton team has unrivalled knowledge of the sector and have helped numerous brands communicate their message. Not only do they enjoy the challenge of introducing or rebuilding a brand from the ground up, they completely understand the diverse challenges of the markets their clients operate in and the media platforms they need to target. Their passion is sourcing directional and new parenting/lifestyle brands and leading them to the forefront of the marketplace. Their capabilities stretch far beyond those of traditional PR agencies to ensure that their clients receive maximum quality expose and engagement with tangible results.

Tel: 07768900072 Email: info@pjpartnership.co.uk Web: www.pjpartnership.co.uk

Panache PR Public Relations with Panache!

Panache PR will push you and your products into the spotlight!

A small but creative communications agency offering energy, inspiration and a dynamic push for your products, based upon years of experience and specialist skills, particularly in the nursery industry.

Panache provides creative credible communications that keep your products and opinions in the place you need them to be – in the eye of your customer in a format they find informative, interesting and easy to understand.

Specialising in media relations Panache has a team of formidable, fun and focussed individuals with years of Public Relations experience behind them – using tried and tested methods with an individual spark of inspiration to make each client individual and unique.

Panache was set up by Sue Wilkins, a former print and broadcast journalist to provide the individual services of fine writing, exciting ideas and creative communications. She offers a fun environment, bags of personality, humour and a determination to work together with clients to shift products and opinions through successful communications.

Tel: 01306 877772 Email: sue@panachepr.com Web: www.panachepr.com

72 nursery today

Lil’ Spin Five reasons to consider Lil’ Spin for your future PR requirements: • Lil’ Spin is a specialist PR for the family market – they know the ins and outs of this industry sector; with a wealth of industry specific media contacts, through to a unique understanding of how to best communicate and engage with the target market • They work across all media platforms, encompassing traditional, digital and social media, to ensure the message is delivered to those that need to hear it • Lil’ Spin is run by a team of parents, each of whom has firsthand experience in journalism and an in-depth knowledge of the marketplace and the PR industry • Lil’ Spin is a rarity among PR companies in that they pick and choose which clientele to work with, ensuring they hold genuine enthusiasm for, and ample commitment to, each brand that they represent • They consistently achieve coverage for their clients with national, regional and local media outlets.

Tel: +44 (0) 330 223 1409 Email: pr@lilspin.co.uk Web: www.lilspin.co.uk

Sally Meredith - Freelance PR and Marketing Consultant Following a spell as in-house Head of PR for Mothercare, and as PR Manager for Bray Leino advertising agency, Sally Meredith now has over 20 years’ experience as a freelance PR and Marketing Consultant specialising in the nursery, toy and related sectors, and has worked for many companies. She offers a professional service that covers all aspects of PR and Marketing, from product launches, Press Release writing, gaining free editorial coverage in newspapers, consumer and trade print media and online, competitions, awards’ entries, social media, to negotiating ad space in print and online media, and ad and brochure copy writing. As part of the service Sally attends trade and consumer shows to handle press queries, has excellent contacts throughout the industry so can offer business consultancy advice, and has handled overseas launches. ‘Highly Commended’ in the Nursery Industry Awards 2013 ‘Best PR Company’ category, Sally is happy to consider short or long term projects.

Tel: 01825 740412 Email: sallymeredith@btinternet.com

Corporact

Bump PR

Need to tell your story to the world?

CORPORACT is an awardwinning online communications agency specialising in improving brand visibility.

CORPORACT uses its storytelling skills, photographic expertise and journalistic roots to create content that people want to share.

They create and package brand messages in ways that engage, educate and inform.

They use their digital capabilities and bestof-class communications solutions to deliver content across multiple channels around the world, to the right people, in the right places.

CORPORACT is the agency of choice for online PR and brand communications solutions for the nursery industry.

Find out more now and tap in, immediately, to over 30 years’ of awardwinning best practice in the field of professional communications.

Whether you are still sat at the kitchen table designing your product, you are in the midst of your first year of trading, or your brand is already a hit with parents’ worldwide, bumpPR can help you. The award winning agency is truly passionate about supporting great nursery and family brands and offers a flexible approach to get the best results for the individual requirements of each client.

For all your PR needs, including social media, bumpPR is the answer and for those watching the budget minibumpPR is ideal!

They’re a friendly team and always happy to advise, so give them a call – if nothing else they are bound to put a smile on your face!

You can join the #bumpdaily discussions, try your luck with the #BumpprBlogTrail, or put your bets on the next celebrity baby to arrive!

Tel: +44 (0)20 7917 6804 Email: info@corporact.com Web: www.corporact.com

Tel: 0207 494 0543 Web: www.bumppr.co.uk

Love PR

Evolution PR Evolution PR is a leading toy industry PR and marketing specialist and has recently opened a brand new Nursery Division. As social media specialists and owners of UKMums.tv, the agency is equipped to reach new mums and mums-to-be directly. Integrated marketing campaigns using all platforms and event planning are both affordable and more importantly effective when using the Evolution team. Plus crisis management is also taken care of with great effect. If newly considering PR or looking for an alternative, then contact Evolution for a truly different approach.

Tel: 01327 227010 Email: michele@evolution-pr.co.uk

Alison Love provides big agency PR and marketing experience without the big cost. With lots of experience in parenting and health products and a background heading teams in major agencies, Alison now offers clients a closer and more cost effective option as a freelance PR and marketing consultant.

Current client, Judith Hough, whose Dry Like Me potty training pads are now in all the major supermarkets says: “Alison delivers huge ‘bang for buck’ and has really got under the skin of our product and brand, quickly becoming an integral part of our team. I would highly recommend her to any business, small or large, that wants to see fast results, and work with someone they can trust to deliver value.”

Alison provides media and social media PR campaigns, as well as offering marketing planning support, design, copywriting and website content.

Tel: 01299 896766 Email: alison@love-pr.co.uk Web: www.love-pr.co.uk

Practical Media Services

Azaria

Nursery PR, part of Practical Media Services, offers a cost effective PR service, a low cost, fixed fee, simple ‘pay on results’ basis without restrictive and expensive retainers or contracts.

This no-nonsense approach ensures that your press releases get to the correct journalists each and every time, ensuring continuing brand awareness and avoiding the costly sending out of samples to media that simply do not offer the kind of coverage you should be expecting.

We can also get involved in a multitude of other marketing activities dependent on your requirements. These include award entries, brochure text, web site text, social media management, copywriting, media planning and a host of other areas.

Spreading the word is what Azaria do best. With ten years’ experience in this field they know how to reach and influence mums, dads and children. As a fully integrated agency specialising in the nursery sector they can look after your PR, social media, advertising, awards and everything in between.

Azaria become an extension of your team and work with you to reach your business goals. They have packages to suit most budgets, the tools to measure outcomes and they are very passionate about what they do and who they work with.

Tel: 01604 217002 Email: amy.scott@azariapr.co.uk Web: www.azariapr.co.uk

Tel: 01892 667314 Web: www.nursery-marketing.com

nursery today 73

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In the February 2015 issue of Nursery Today we will include the following features/ previews: Nappies & Changing Equipment Bath & Bath time Accessories Toilet Training Logistics Baby showers Swaddling Nuremberg preview Copy deadlines :16th January for editorial 21st January for creative Call Christine on 01442 289936 or email christine@ lemepublishing.co.uk for more information.

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