News 18 Retailer Profile 28 Supplier Snapshot 48 New Products 50 The Baby Products Association

Influencer Olivia Bowen selects Gaia Baby for the Nursery

Olivia Bowen recently gave a sneak peek into her beautiful safari-themed, gender-neutral nursery. Olivia, who is a successful influencer with over 3.8 million followers across her Instagram accounts, chose the Serena Rocking & Nursing Chair along with a matching footstool from Gaia Baby that compliments the soft muted tones in the nursery.

The chair is available in 4 more contemporary colours with matching footstools. Ergonomically designed with lower armrests and a removable cushion for added lumbar support, this chair offers an extra-wide seat for endless cuddles and bedtime stories.

Contact karl@gaia-baby.com to become a stockist today!

Liverpool launch off to triumphant start

The Baby & Toddler Show organisers have just wrapped up their fourth live consumer show this year, with exhibitors reporting record sales and high footfall in Bristol, Manchester, Greater London and Glasgow.

Don’t miss the opportunity to get involved with their Liverpool launch show on 28-29 May. Their visitor promotion campaigns are well underway and are highlighting the demand for the first Baby & Toddler Show in the area. Reap the benefits of high volume direct sales, sampling and promotion to an untapped audience of new and expectant parents.

But be quick – stand space is becoming limited. Email ellie@ babyandtoddlershow.co.uk for further information.

Rockit is honoured

with two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

Bristol based N2M Ltd, which trades as Rockit is one of only seven companies in the UK to achieve two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in 2022.

Rockit has been recognised for its excellence in both international trade and also innovation.

Rockit inventor and co-founder Dr. Nick Webb said “I invented our first product to help my own daughter to sleep when her pram stopped moving. All our products including the Rockit stroller rocker have innovation at their core and are now sold all over the world, so it is particularly satisfying to win both the innovation and international trade awards.” Rockit designs, manufactures and markets sleep aid devices for babies and toddlers. They launched their leading product, the game-changing Rockit portable baby rocker in 2017 and have achieved exceptional success both in the UK and in international trade with sales to over 40 countries.

rockitrocker.com

focussed on FIFA 2022

Alami International is proud to be an official FIFA World Cup 2022 apparel distributor across Europe and Africa.

The FIFA World Cup 2022 is scheduled to take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December 2022.

Alami is currently a distributor for a large number of nursery brands, however, this is their first venture into distributing licensed clothing. Alami was strategically chosen by the global licensee to cover two large regions due to its history and success with working in the nursery sector across both continents.

“We approached Alami to distribute FIFA World Cup 2022 nursery apparel due their large footprint across Europe and Africa. We are delighted they partnered with us, and we can already see the benefits of working with them due to their ability to reach each corner of Africa and key accounts in Europe. We have also extended the offering to Alami for them to distribute all ages of clothing for all 32 countries who will qualify for the World Cup (adult, kids, toddlers and babies). As this will be a long‐term partnership, we look forward to a successful World Cup 2022 campaign and future tournaments that we will partner again with Alami”, commented Ian Peace, Outerstuff EMEA Sales Director representing the global licensee for the FIFA apparel brand.

“A new step into licensed apparel is very exciting for us. With England having done so well in the last couple of tournaments, excitement is building for this year’s World Cup and so it was the right opportunity to partner with Outerstuff for distributing official FIFA apparel. Our main focus has been nursery clothing as it sits well with the other nursery brands that we currently distribute, but given our success so far, we are excited about covering all age ranges. Especially as we have a strong footprint in key areas of Africa, we were able to leverage this to good effect with introducing this year licensed clothing to our retailers and wholesalers.

“There are more exciting announcements coming up in the licensed clothing space from Alami but for now, our focus is on this year’s World Cup”, commented Shai Vora, Alami’s Sales Manager.

If you are interested to know or how you can stock licensed clothing for this year’s FIFA World Cup, please contact Shai Vora, shailan@alami.co.uk

A Little Green… Dream

The Little Green Sheep is a brand passionate that every baby should sleep in a naturally safe space, and its multi award winning range of Moses baskets, currently featuring on a hit BBC drama and spotted with the likes of Spencer Matthews and Harry Judd, does just that!

Beautifully crafted with natural materials, the stunning Moses basket provides a super snug environment for baby to snooze from day dot, up to four months. Lovingly woven from natural palm leaf, the baskets are strong, durable, and breathable for precious new arrivals. The material is also extremely lightweight, so the basket can be easily moved around the house to keep baby close by. Thanks to the fact they are effortlessly stylish, with warm, calming tones, they also look perfectly placed anywhere in the home too!

For a truly classic look the organic Natural Knitted Moses Basket chosen by Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews, is ideal and promises all the cosy vibes. Available in linen, grey, white and honey, the beautiful cable knit will be perfectly placed in any traditional interior.

For retail enquiries, please contact 01789 734022 or email trade@greensheepgroup.com

The ‘Fab’ Four – Introducing Retail100

Turning traditional consulting on its head!

It is very rarely that four people with a combined buying and merchandising knowledge from working for a major retail group come together to offer their 100 years of experience to both suppliers and retail buyers to aid them in their working practices.

Turning traditional consulting on its head by working collaboratively with clients, together they will work to drive sustainable and profitable growth for the brands that they engage with.

The Major that all four worked with for so many years was John Lewis and their belief is that there is a better way to do business by forming a bespoke solution to fit client’s business needs. The ‘fab four’ are:

Elaine Hooper Anna Berry Neil Amer Sara Allbright During their work with John Lewis the categories that they covered were toys, gifts, homeware, tableware, glassware, Cookshop, seasonal & beauty.

Over many years working in most of the above product categories, many would consider The John Lewis Partnership as a major business partner, therefore the ‘fab four’s’ knowledge of buying and merchandising should be of huge help to both the supplier and retailer.

With a hands-on approach their aim is to provide professional guidance to clients both large and small.

They realise that one size does not fit all and that every solution is handcrafted and uniquely tailored to each different case.

Retail100 are able to cover business planning, assortment review, sourcing, customer, brand, on-line and sustainability. This also includes private label product development, licensing, critical path management and innovation.

They are already working with a number of clients and would welcome hearing from interested parties. Please take a look at their website www. retail100consulting.co.uk and you can contact them directly at:

Hello@retail100consulting.co.uk

New distribution

partner for Orchard Toys

Orchard Toys appoints Kayes of Cardiff as its Exclusive Distribution Partner to the Independent Toy Sector covering England and Wales and Scotland. Under the terms of the partnership, Kayes will carry the entire Orchard Toys product portfolio; and independent retailers will continue to be able to order split pack quantities of Orchard Toys games and jigsaws, and benefit from the same pricing they currently receive. Additionally, it will benefit many small independents who have a lower minimum order quantity. Customers who will be moving across to Kayes have been notified.

Simon Newbery, Managing Director at Orchard Toys, says: “By supplying through Kayes we ensure we can protect our price points with the independent sector, and not pass on price increases. The past two years has presented a number of challenges for the industry but has also provided us the opportunity to review our business and operational practices. We’re excited to be entering this new partnership with Kayes, as they seamlessly take on this part of our operation”

For independent sales enquiries please contact: orders@kayes.co.uk

After their recent appearance on BBC’s Dragon’s Den in March, Toddle are going from strength to strength.

Toddle’s founder Hannah Saunders kept her cool during her recent appearance on Dragon’s Den securing the backing of not one, but two Dragons – Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett.

With the force of Deborah’s knowledge of sustainability and eco-friendly credentials and the backing of social media giant Steven, will there be anything stopping the fantastic future for Hannah and her business?

Toddle is known as an innovative skincare brand, offering products that are vegan friendly and considerate to the planet, including their award-winning probiotic hand gel, which cleverly works by leaving good bacteria on the hands, helping support the natural immune system.

To view other great products within their range visit: www.toddlebornwild.com

A Stroller that Shines

NION PR hosted a UK press launch for the soon to be launched THULE Shine Stroller.

A host of top UK press, stakeholders and celebrities were invited to have a first look and experience the THULE Shine in person. The purpose of this event was to build brand loyalty within existing and new parenting media and social community and promote the new city stroller for parents on the go.

The press and Influencers were able to test the stroller, speak with the THULE team about the collection and discuss future collaborations as well as enjoying delicious food. The event had 80 guests including babies in attendance and was held at East Apartments, Soho House The Strand, London.

The event was in partnership with Fuse Communications, which hosted the SS press day at the same location.

www.thule.com

Skincare brand Toddle gains momentum after securing Dragon’s backing Medela Launches Full Bump to Birth Journey at John Lewis

The perfect ‘mix’ for AdorableTots

Breastfeeding brand, Medela, is delighted to announce its essential and expert range of products dedicated to supporting women through pregnancy and breastfeeding has now expanded within major retailer, John Lewis. The brand’s iconic maternity lingerie is now available on the retail giant, alongside their best-selling breast pumps and accessories. This exciting development makes it easier than ever for new mums to get all of their Medela essentials, taking them from bump to birth in a simple click of a button! The supportive apparel range sits alongside Medela’s flagship range of pumps in John Lewis. John Lewis’ buyer said of the expanding Little Mix sensation Perrie Edwards chose Northern Nursery Retailer “AdorableTots” for Baby Axels Nursery. collection:”We are so pleased to grow the

Little Mix sensation Perrie Edwards and her partner Alex Chamberlain welcomed their gorgeous baby boy Axel Medela collection within John Lewis in stores Oxlade – Chamberlain in August last year and in the lead up to his arrival, Perrie and Alex worked closely with and online. The brand is trusted by midwives interior designer Bethany Riley Interiors and Adorable Tots to create the most perfect timeless nursery. and loved by mums across the country, so we AdorableTots, well known for their luxurious nursery furniture collections and are delighted to be able to offer mums even celebrity clients, were approached by Bethany Riley to help with the nursery more essential items to support them through furniture design and installation at the pop star and footballers home. their journey into motherhood.” AdorableTots worked alongside Bethany Riley Interiors, as she added touches The news follows wider developments for of French inspired detailing to one of Adorable Tots established furniture ranges Medela as the brand also recently announced and opted for a rustic, worn finish. that its iconic Solo and Swing Maxi breast AdorableTots owner’s Victoria and Conrad said “We are absolutely thrilled and pumps are now available in key retailers Mamas flattered that Perrie and Alex choose us to furnish Baby Axels Nursery. We’re and Papas and Argos, making it even easier for sure you’ll agree that the end result is absolutely stunning. Perrie, Alex and Axel new mums to pick up their breastfeeding now have the most relaxing, practical and stunning space for them to enjoy in essentials. the years to come.” www.medela.co.uk

It’s easy to see why Sarah Ouellette set up Kindora

Unlocking New Revenue for Nursery Brands

Kindora unlocks hidden capital for premium brands with luxury sustainability at its heart

Consumers globally are adopting a raft of different measures to shop and live more sustainably - from cutting down on single use plastics, buying refurbished tech and shopping for brands with environmentally sustainable values, to limiting their fast fashion purchases.

Fashion and luxury brands have been working with premium outlet offerings like the OUTNET and Vestiaire Collective for years, guaranteeing their brand is presented beautifully whilst selling otherwise difficult to sell stock effectively instead of having to dispose of or endlessly warehouse stock.

Kindora is leading the way for the nursery industry to play a part in the same lucrative space for luxury baby goods. It’s the UK’s first premium platform for outlet luxury items such as wheeled goods, baby tech and cribs - allowing brands to unlock revenue from returns, open box, overstock and ex demo items whilst safeguarding the brand in a luxury environment. These brands sell their outlet items through Kindora - they may be ex-display retail items or may simply be new products in last season’s colours, and through exclusive partnerships, Kindora offers incredible discounts on new items that are not available elsewhere for parents whilst safeguarding the brand experience.

Launched in beta in late 2021 and growing rapidly, Kindora is already driving new revenue worth thousands of pounds for some of the best and most innovative brands in the market.

By using consumer data to source stock, Kindora is able to unlock revenue and customer insights for brands who are looking for new ways to grow their market as well as create better relationships with secondary customers… and this is just the beginning.

Kindora’s next offering later this year will be launching the industry’s first certified pre-owned program for buggies and travel systems (excluding car seats). For decades, second hand baby goods have been sold in marketplaces with no oversight on quality, safety or cleanliness. On top of that, brands have been missing out on potential revenue by playing a part in the resale of their items. Kindora’s proprietary process helps to ensure the best, safest and most wanted items are brought back into the market.

Working with industry leading cleaning and service provider, Buggy Pitstop, as well as directly with brands, Kindora will be launching a buyback/ refurbish/resell model to give parents immediate return on original investment whilst ensuring clean, safe and warranty guaranteed top quality pre-owned products to the next buyer. For brands, this creates a new opportunity to share in the revenue and customer data for the second and third buyers of their products by partnering with Kindora on this program. Not to mention creating an immediate way to be more sustainable.

For brands, retailers, and stockists who want to work with Kindora the process is simple: the consultative merchandising team will work with you to assess the available stock, offer a purchase price and execute an agreed marketing and merchandising plan.

Kindora is working with nursery brands such as Cosatto, Didofy, Roma and JUNIORJONES as well as more in the pipeline joining the platform. Not to mention retailers and other industry players using Kindora to unlock capital in a new way.

For the exclusive brand partners, Kindora also ensures that the products that can’t be sold through main retail methods, don’t go to landfill or sit in warehouses gathering dust, costing brands money for the privilege.

Sending perfectly usable products to landfill is something that brands have got into hot water with before. Last year, a Tik Tok user filmed themselves unboxing accessories from fashion brand Coach that appeared to be ‘unusable’ and would have been “deliberately slashed so no one can use it.” The fashion brand has since apologised and announced that it will no longer destroy damaged or “unsaleable” goods returned to its stores - but for the brand who claimed to be sustainable, their reputation has been arguably irrevocably damaged.

It’s key that Nursery brands embrace purpose and sustainability and learn from the fashion industry, both in terms of inspiration but also ensuring they don’t make the same mistakes.

For more information head to www. kindora.co.uk or email Sarah Ouellette - sarah@kindora.shop

By creating Kindora, founder Sarah Ouellette has tapped into the ongoing trend for conscious consumerism, giving items that would otherwise have gone to landfill a new home and extending the lifespan of premium children’s products. So far, Kindora has saved the equivalent of a million coffee cups in waste in less than 12 months.

eggZ – Explore Perfection Introducing the latest (and smallest) member of the egg Stroller family which launches soon.

The team behind the egg brand have always been smitten with the smallest of details. That button; this stitch of fabric, those buckle clasps, the treads on that tyre. It’s the dozens of tiny individual decisions that make their complete finished products so perfect. After all, they always say that everything they do is based on looking after babies, the smallest of people, so every miniscule part is important and makes a difference.

When they had the big idea to create another egg Stroller they asked themselves ‘how small can we go?’.

There are lots of tiny strollers available though, so they tweaked the question and considered how small they could go without compromising the luxury, convenience and safety that the egg brand offers.

The answer turned out to be the eggZ which was revealed at Harrogate last Autumn and received lots of praise from independent retailers who visited the BabyStyle stand.

The eggZ development journey started with a focussed review of everything that is loved about the larger egg2 Stroller; such as the easy push and smooth ride, the exquisite tailoring of the fabrics, the curves of the chassis. Then they devoted a lot of attention on maintaining the maximum comfort for the passenger and the ease of use that has become one of egg’s hallmarks, along with that smooth push and ride. The end result oozes that sumptuous egg DNA that new parents’ often fall in love with…

A unique curved chassis profile invites the very clever z-fold system that is at the heart of the stroller. A deceptively simple one-hand process using discrete buttons on the hand-stitched handlebar ends with a small freestanding fold. The handlebar area also houses two convenient hooks for hanging a changing backpack.

The extendable basket offers great length and depth on such a small stroller and can easily fit everything a parent needs for their next expedition or offers more than enough space to bring back the groceries.

Compact puncture free tyres feature a unique egg-shaped tread pattern, with the stroller leaving its mark wherever it goes. Designed for superior handling and the optimum smooth ride, eggZ also benefits from a brake pedal that is flip flop friendly with an extra visual ‘traffic light’ green and red indicator.

Suitable from birth with a 3 position recline, the eggZ seat offers a cocoon like environment for baby and a sumptuous sit for toddlers up to 22kg with its soft-touch fabrics and deep padding. A simple one-touch handle recline makes life much easier than the strap recline systems you usually find on other strollers, and a parent’s ease of use is pushed to the max with BabyStyle’s ingenious magnetic buckle system on the harness, a feature that parents are really appreciating.

The seat canopy features a ‘hidden’ ventilation net, which can also be used as a viewing window, and is easily extended to offer large coverage with UPF 50+ sun protection. eggZ will be available in Quartz, Feather, Just Black and our new colourway Seagrass. The egg2 luxury fur seat liner accessory and egg changing backpack are compatible with the eggZ – which retails at £399.

For more information or to place an order you can contact your usual egg representative.

www.eggstroller.com

Connected Home

Introducing the new Maxi-Cosi Connected Home range - a stylish group of smart, sensory products that connect via one simple, easy-to-use app. The range consists of the Breathe Humidifier, the See Baby Monitor, the Soothe Light & Sound and the Glow Crib Light. Smart technology designed to comfort, soothe and watch over baby and give parents peace of mind.

Each of these smart products is packed with automated routines and personalised features to be adapted and programmed to suit each families lifestyle. A range of smart sensors enable our Connected Home range to work in full autonomy. For example, when the Breathe Humidifier detects the humidity level of the room is too low, it will automatically turn on. The Connected Home app allows users to stay close to their baby 24/7, giving reassurance that their little one is safe, happy and calm.

Designed to complement the modern home, each of our new Connected Home products feature sleek lines and a soft, natural style.

Soothe

The Soothe Light & Sound creates the perfect sensory experience for a calm, relaxed nursery.

Users can personalise baby’s sleep routines with soothing lights, sounds and sleep-inducing lullabies. Parents can begin with calming lights and sounds for their newborn, and as their little one grows from newborn to toddler, they can help teach them when to get up with personalised timeto-rise settings.

Via the app, users can control, programme and adjust music, light and colour brightness and create their own sensorial nursery scenes. Parents can choose from over 20 music tracks and soothing sounds combined with a full spectrum of calming colours to help soothe their little one into a peaceful sleep.

RRP £69.99

See

With the See Baby Monitor connected to their phone, parents will have peace of mind that their baby is safe and sleeping comfortably. Parents can keep a close eye on their little one at any time thanks to day and night vision, and never miss a moment or a smile with 1080p HD live streaming and remote-controlled pan, tilt and zoom.

Safe and secure, streaming data is fully encrypted so family moments remain private. Users can relax knowing they will be notified of any movement, sound, temperature or humidity changes via the app.

For peace of mind, parents can programme a variety of comforting lullabies or soothing white noises to comfort their little one.

RRP £89.99

Breathe

Thanks to the Breathe Humidifier, parents can ensure their babies nursery is always at the perfect humidity for a blissful sleep. Users can switch it on from anywhere via the Connected Home app to get the nursery ready before bedtime. A range of smart sensors enable the Breathe Humidifier to operate fully in Auto Mode, or if users prefer, they can adjust the humidity, mist levels and timers as they go.

The Breathe Humidifier can also be used as an essential oil di user for a scented, relaxing snooze.

With a generous 3.8 litre tank capacity, the Breathe Humidifier can run uninterrupted for 24 hours. When water levels are low, parents will be alerted on their phone via the Connected Home app.

RRP £89.99

Glow

The Glow Crib Light gives parents peace of mind that their baby can continue to sleep undisturbed when checked on throughout the night. A smart motion detector turns soft lights on when parents approach the cot, and automatically dims when they leave the nursery. Via the Connected Home app, parents can personalise settings to control distance, timers, schedules, light colour and brightness.

RRP £34.99

Total treasure

From left: Sally, Lisa & Jayne

Little Treasures have been operating from their independent store located in Abergavenny for more than 16 years. Nursery Today caught up with owner, Jayne Balmond to find out more

Can you tell us a little about Little Treasures Baby Shop and the inspiration behind opening your doors?

Like many baby shops, Little Treasures started life buying and selling secondhand products. It was the perfect fit being a new mum (although little did I realise what I’d let myself in for!). That was 16 years ago. Gradually the second-hand was phased out and now we have around 45 prams and pushchairs on display along with car seats, a nursery furniture showroom and everything you could possibly need for your baby! What would you say was your largest challenge since opening?

Trying to balance running a business with being a new mum was the biggest challenge initially, who knew this wasn’t going to be a 9-to-5 job eh!

Now it’s the ‘Price Wars’, it seems like making as much profit as possible has seriously gone out of fashion. And what has been your biggest success?

Little Treasures has an amazing team that I’m super proud of! The girls are always keen to learn about new products and continually deliver award-winning customer service. My Mum as an integral part of the team, she has stuck with me riding the highs and enduring the lows whilst coordinating a lot of behind the scenes stuff for us. What type of floor space do you operate from and how do you manage this?

Our shopfloor area is approx. 2000 sq ft and clearly sectioned into different product areas. Wheeled goods take up the largest of these. Do you operate online and if so, how does this compliment your business?

Our website is currently under review, but it will primarily be a shop window to showcase what we have in-store, only selling those products we can drop-ship (and able to price match of course). What about social media, are you active and also operate across these platforms? How important is this to your business?

We use Facebook and Instagram, they’re hugely important to our business however I’m getting older and our customer base is getting younger, so learning how to engage on social media is getting harder. And although I’m not quite a dinosaur yet, a big thanks to Cosatto for their training sessions on this….they are invaluable! Do your customers have an idea of what they would like prior to contacting you, do you feel they are better informed and educated about nursery products that are available?

Some of them do, they’ve done all their research online and know what they want (although that does sometimes change when they physically get their hands on it and it wasn’t quite what they were expecting, or they see a different model in-store that they weren’t aware of beforehand). Other customers are completely baffled from looking online and come in with a look of sheer terror on their faces!

With Nursery being such an emotive industry how important is customer service to your business and how do you manage consumer expectations?

It’s MASSIVELY important! Every business wants to capitalise on ‘word of mouth’ advertising. We ‘have’ to deliver consistent levels of customer service to be able to do that - the team here is great, the girls are enthusiastic and passionate about what they do and it really shows in their interactions with both customers and suppliers alike. Have you sourced any interesting products recently that you have added to existing brands that you currently stock?

Yes recently we have tried a few new products as suppliers have offered ‘Sale or Return’ which is a great option for us, MyHummy is a good example. Also a free demo sample is extremely useful and gratefully received. What are the key attributes that you look for when sourcing new products?

We all know the next few years are going to be challenging so we’re cautious about committing to new products/brands unless they have a USP or we’re already getting customer enquiries for them. To those of you who already email regular social media content to us, a big ‘Thank You’ and please don’t stop as they’re fab!

However, it does feel like some brands can’t decide whether they want to work with the Indies or not. Whilst some feel the need to sell direct via their own website (and in some cases with exclusive products/colourways, exclusive promos and/or finance options), there are brands such as BabyStyle who have proved otherwise.

With the current pricing issues online, both brands and Indies are acutely aware of the need to support bricks and mortar stores to avoid losing shopfloor presence, or indeed shopfloors full stop, as none of us can afford to have products that we spend time demoing only then lose the sale to a cheaper online deal or suppliers website.

I totally understand that brands need to sell off previous stock collections and an online outlet platform for doing that is a great solution, however competing head to head with Indies on current ranges will, I fear, benefit neither party in the long term.

Saying that, I’m hopeful that as the pandemic gradually takes a back seat, businesses settle down and have breathing space to assess what’s happening, we’ll be able to find a way forward that works for all of us. Is there anything more they could offer to assist you?

Covid brought about the need to review how businesses operated and customers were very understanding that it was sometimes taking longer to get answers etc. However, in some instances it is still harder, or impossible, to get hold of Service Departments by phone. This means emailing and then waiting for a response which can take a few days, not great when you are stood in front of a faulty product and its unhappy owner wanting an answer as to how we’re going to resolve their

issue. If there is a way to re-open the telephone communication channels for an initial speedier response please, that would be great. Do you feel that your customers have altered the way they shop and if so, do you feel this is a sign of the future?

It has changed and will probably continue to do so. Footfall has dropped off a cliff this year however the turnover is still there for us which is good news.

We have always been a destination store but notice now that customers are not visiting as many times as they used to do before placing their order, and they are not coming in with the whole family entourage either. Although a lot more people are shopping online I believe that Wheeled Goods still very much have a place on our shopfloor as most Little Treasures customers want to research online, then touch and feel before they buy (hopefully from us too!). Are your customers looking for a price-matching service from you?

Yes, in fact they often get their phones out and google it whilst stood in-front of us. It has always baffled me how end-users in our industry want to haggle a ‘best price’, you’d think we were selling used cars! Would love to know how this came about. I have never yet seen anyone haggling the price of an Apple product. Do you feel that your customers are informed as to which products they need?

First time parents are often confuddled following lots of ‘helpful’ advice from friends/family and are looking for some clarity. Most of our customers are happy to take all the information they can from us as there is new research and new products coming to market all the time that they’re possibly not aware of. Will you be attending any nursery trade shows this year and if so, what benefits to you feel you receive as a business by visiting?

We’re already booked in for Harrogate and can’t wait. It was fabulous to have such an inspiring show last October, hopefully it’ll continue to grow year on year. Plus, as much as I love Cologne, I like the notion we’re helping other UK businesses in these tough times with all the hotel rooms, food and the odd beer or two!! #supportlocal Have you taken on any additional products/brands recently that you feel will perform well for you?

We’re looking forward to introducing Inglesina onto the shopfloor in the near future and very excited about the new releases coming from Silver Cross, iCandy, Joie and Cybex plus the AINR Vista2! Do you feel we have sufficient innovation and new product launches within our industry?

Technology is moving increasingly faster, brands are working with different factories to deliver new techniques and specialists/universities to understand how our brains work, whilst successfully putting all of that into new products. We’re excited about some of the new launches due this year and can’t wait to see what the brands have got in the pipeline for the future! Finally, what do you feel the future will hold for you? Do you have any plans on the horizon you would like to share with Nursery Today readers?

Hopefully another 16 years at Little Treasures, although by then I really will be a Dinosaur! I love this industry and the people in it. Inevitably as a country we are in for a tough few years and I wish all my fellow Indies and Suppliers the very best…..if we work together and stand strong, magic really can happen.