5 minute read
Retail Matters
We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year! We are stuffed with all of the amazing food we have eaten but here at Online4baby and we are now ready for another busy year providing families with help and support, product knowledge and information for their upcoming special arrivals.
January is the biggest month of the year in the nursery industry, where expectant parents and other family members can focus on other important purchases now that Christmas has passed.
We find in January that customers tend to purchase the higher value categories, such as nursery furniture and travel systems, which are our two biggest categories. Our customers prefer to purchase the nursery furniture value bundles, such as the two piece or three-piece sets, and then choose to add on extras such as bedding, rocking chairs and soft furnishings. We get a lot of great feedback on our bundles, which prove each year to be really welcomed with our customers as they do not have to personally look for the sets or additional items themselves.
One of the key trends we have noticed at Online4baby is the desire for colour within the nursery category. Greys, natural wood, and navy have all proved increasingly popular over the past couple of years, however, white is still predominantly the best seller with 70%-80% of our sales. The décor of our customers’ houses has a bigger weighting on the furniture they choose for their nurseries, with most liking to match the nursery to the dominant colour scheme of the house. Grey and White will always remain popular, these neutral colours are timeless which make them perfect for matching the rest of the home.
As well as colour, we are noticing a slight shift in the shape of products too. Curves and round edges are becoming much more popular, and manufacturers are creating pieces which include eye-catching shapes, sleek lines and bold colour choices. Scandinavian woods and contrasting colours are peeping into the market and catching the eyes of the customer who would usually stick with the whites and greys, we can’t wait to see how our customer style them!
Within the nursery industry there are two types of products: essentials and luxury. Here at Online4baby, we focus on providing key essentials for newborns, at great prices. However, we are continuing to scope out the luxury end of the newborn sector with the latest brands, which is very exciting. Regardless of where the product lies in the brand pyramid or price point, we
Online4baby’s Managing Director Christy Foster takes a look at emerging trends and the potential for the year ahead.
are noticing that Moses’ baskets and cribs are becoming much more popular, as well as bouncers and swings.
Even considering the recent cost of living crisis, we are noticing that the top established brands are still as important to customers as they were before and continue to be purchased even if finances are tight, due to the trust the market has with these brands. Forming strong relationships with our brands is key for us this coming year.
Online4baby are delighted to be a Which? Recommended Provider for Baby & Child Retailers 2021.
Meet the new Silhouette
from Cosatto
Delivering to demand, Cosatto introduce a new collection - with all their trademark styling and craftsmanship… but jet-black.
It’s been a long time coming. After years of building their famous brand styling and honing their designs, Cosatto - the brand known across the industry for their quality and functionality, have responded to increasing demand - unleashing ‘Silhouette’ design - the sum of all their expertise and experience – with an unexpected surprise…it’s jet-black.
At the top of their game, this seemed the right time, explains Vicky Morley, Cosatto Creative and Marketing Director. “Silhouette had to happen. It was a natural consequence and celebration of all Cosatto’s craftsmanship – the sum of all styling, standing out perfectly in plain black.” As Stephen Shaw, Associate Creative Director reflects, “designing Silhouette was like a perfect puzzle – it’s plain black, but it’s anything but plain.”
Cosatto have described their new Silhouette design as a democratic design, ‘a design for everyone’, making it available across their range of bestselling travel systems, strollers and car seats. From the top-end award-winning luxury Wow family to the essential travel system bundle and their bestselling All in All Rotate i-Size car seat, it’s for those seeking Cosatto’s distinctive style but pared down. The Silhouette design is a timely response to that growing demographic.
“We wanted to address a bigger sector of the market, reaching a wider range of consumers – to really amp up our sales even more,” says Laura Wells, Cosatto Associate UK Sales Director.
This is the Cosatto you know and love, but jet-black. More an addition than a departure, Silhouette still reflects the same Cosatto ethos. “Same brand heritage, same design expertise, same distinctive quality, still baby sensory, still design driven – this is signature Cosatto, with the thought, craftsmanship and functionality customers have come to expect,” adds Morley.
Cosatto’s attention to detail gets even more of a spotlight against a plain backdrop. From polished enamel pips to high gloss and premium finishes, Silhouette design has a refined feel. With vegan leather trims, exquisite embroidery, coal-black chassis and flashes of chrome, it gleams with the glow of luxury.
Amid this atmospheric aesthetic, Cosatto’s classic sensory hood takes centre stage - with their trademark baby-engaging patterns within. From working with the UK’s leading baby labs, to harnessing early sensory skills with designs that encourage engagement, they’re committed to their ‘Better for your Baby’ ethos and the Silhouette collection is no different.
With a fantastic retailer response at Harrogate Nursery Fair and pre-launch feedback indicating huge traction potential, Silhouette’s future is bright. Its marketing plan is primed to be unleashed at key points in the launch calendar, for maximum engagement. As a brand with twice the industry average followers on social, plus industry-leading assets and world-class support, Silhouette is set to be a great commercial success.
