Nursery Today

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

Month: November 14 Issue 3 Volume 18

www.nursery-today.co.uk

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

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Next2me and Boppy

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Happiness is a journey that starts when you’re a baby.

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For information on these products, contact us at orders.uk@artsana.com, or please call 01623 750870

Regulars

CONTENTS

November 2014 Issue 3 Volume 18

5 6 10 14 16

Leader News Licensing News BPA Intelligent Retail This issue David Fairhurst looks at how to ‘box clever’ online this Christmas

38

the team

Nigel takes a look at the wheeled goods category

Editor

44

Penny Franks penny@lemapublishing.co.uk

Penny Franks

46

Caroline Eyles caroline@lemapublishing.co.uk Caroline Eyles

Christine Contreras

Page 18 Wheeled Goods

48 66

Gfk Dr Fin What to expect when you are expecting

Design Production Director

67/73/74 New Products 68 Colin Pattison

Paul Naish

Colin looks at the ever changing faces of a Brand

Christine Contreras

Page 36 Multiple births

Circulation Robert Thomas

70

72

Mark Naish

UKTI Roope Aaltonen takes a look at the opportunities behind exporting

robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Publisher

Nursery Natter Is time to look at your website? We ask a selection of independents their thoughts

christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Retailer Profile We had the pleasure to speak with Emma Charlesworth of Baby Birds

Assistant Editor

Ad Manager

Nigel Plested

NSG Yasmin Ali takes a look at how to successfully upsale

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Product Features

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

18

Paul Naish

Page 50 Kind Und Jugend

Wheeled Goods & Accessories Take time to set your wheels in motion

36 60

Multiple Births Pregnancy & Maternity How to ‘bump’ your profits

Malcolm Naish

Lema Publishing Ltd

Show Reviews

1 Churchgates,

50

The Wilderness, Berkhamsted,

We take a look back at the success of Kind Und Jugend 2014

Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

www.nursery-today.co.uk

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

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Kind Und Jugend 2014

P Page 60 P Pregnancy & M Maternity

70

ABC Kids Expo 2014 Malcolm Naish reports from Las Vegas

Special Features 76 78

Get to know your PR’s Brand Directory

29th - 31st March 2015 Harrogate International Centre

The UK’s only international nursery industry trade show!

Space is selling fast - don’t miss the chance to show your products to 1000’s of buyers! ““BabyStyle has never missed a show – Harrogate provides the ideal platform to display our latest and existing products to both new and old friends.” Andy Crane, BabyStyle

www.nurseryfair.com

message from the editor...

certainly busy! Kind Und Jugend is a great opportunity for UK retailers to see upcoming trends, colourways, fabrics, etc. – giving everyone a head start before the much loved UK Harrogate Nursery Fair - to see in advance what will be on offer here in the UK and what type of product selections you can expect to make in March 2015.

We bring you a roundup of the show (page 50), together with who won the coveted Innovation Awards (page 56) and a selection of what were the ‘Stars of the Show’.

Moving on, this issue we also bring you a number of features. We take a look at the Wheeled Goods & Accessories sector. With this continually being a growing category for nursery, have you got all the facts, seen the latest products available and made your buying decisions for next year? From Kind Und Jugend we could clearly see trends with regard to colourways that will emerge over the coming months. Muted shades appear very much in vogue! Turn to page 18 to read more.

The Original swaddlebags

www.

“

This issue we take a look back at Kind Und Jugend 2014 – what were the highlights? For those who didn’t attend, you missed a treat. With a record number of 1,052 exhibitors from 51 countries and around 20,000 trade visitors from 109 countries taking the opportunity to visit the event, it was certainly busy!

“

N

ot long now and we should start seeing festive cheer arrive to the High Street (I’ve already heard those catchy Christmas songs being played and seen the array of Christmas wrapping paper and Christmas crackers!).

Preparations are now fully underway in many towns across the country, with Christmas lights starting to appear and window displays turning festive to lure customers from the pavement into stores.

Hopefully you’ll all experience an uplift in customer footfall, or increased traffic to your websites, by people looking to buy those all essential baby/toddler gifts! The soft toy, play essentials and bathtime product ranges should all fare well (that’s the good news as babies can’t operate ‘apps’!). The other good news is that as an industry we aren’t really ‘seasonal’ in buying patterns, but by focussing on those little gifting extras you could generate higher margins at this time of year!

This issue we take a look back at Kind Und Jugend 2014 – what were the highlights? For those who didn’t attend, you missed a treat.

With a record number of 1,052 exhibitors from 51 countries and around 20,000 trade visitors from 109 countries taking the opportunity to visit the event, it was

We also take a look at the pregnancy and maternity category. This is a superb opportunity for you to really engage with the customer before baby arrives, gain their trust and demonstrate your knowledge – remember, new expectant mums are information hungry and buy an array of products from three months into pregnancy.

Use this time as a great platform to really understand what their requirements are – what are they likely to want as a pushchair solution, nursery furniture, etc?

The Bag sleeping bags

Finally, it may feel too early, but it’s time to start thinking about Harrogate Nursery Fair.

Big pushchair brands are already committed to launching new ranges including Hauck, Jané, Graco, East Coast, Out n About, Little Saints, iCandy and of course BabyStyle which returns to Harrogate year after year.

Andy Crane, managing director, comments: “BabyStyle is a firm supporter of Harrogate International Nursery Fair and we’ve never missed a show. It has built its reputation as the friendly show, due to its informal atmosphere during the day, combined with lively evenings! It is the ideal platform to display our latest and existing products and we are delighted to be exhibiting our 2015 collection to both new and old customers and friends. We will be back on our regular stand in Hall B.” With just four months until the doors to Harrogate International Nursery Fair open from 29th to 31st March 2015, stand space is filling fast, so companies planning to attend, but haven’t yet confirmed their space are advised to complete the online booking form as soon as possible at www.nurseryfair. com – the earlier booked, the better the position.

As our next issue will fall after Christmas, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

The Gogo babywrappers

.co.uk more than a good night’s sleep Leader 5

NEWS

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B Kids are having a splashing time B Kids were overjoyed to be awarded the Right Start Best Baby Essentials Silver award recently for the new Spray n Play bath toy.

The Right Start awards have been running for over 9 years now and they seek to reward the Best, highest quality, versatile products for babies and toddlers. Every item submitted each year is thoroughly tested by a team of parents and children. B Kids were over the moon to be presented with the prestigious Right Start Best baby Essentials Silver Award.

The Spray N Play is designed to entertain, educate and let children just have fun. This innovative bath time toy offers an array of activities including water displays, floating characters and helps with hand eye coordination, colour recognition and builds confidence in the water. This was a new addition to our bath time collection and we were delighted

our designers produced an award winning bath toy. As one Right Start testers stated “A really cute toy which adds so much fun at bath time. The octopus is definitely my baby’s favourite – lots of laughter guaranteed” Ian MacCrimmon B Kids UK President commented “The bath time sector is very competitive and we are delighted our new Spray n Play bath toy scooped silver award. We would also like to thank the team at Right Start for giving us the opportunity to enter these fantastic awards each year and enjoy the benefits of being a winner. These awards help parent to make that all important buying decision for the future” B Kids Spray N Play in now available online Amazon.co.uk and Argos stores. Suitable 12 Months Plus RRP £12.99 Find out more about B Kids collection by clicking onto www.bkids.co.uk

Maxi-Cosi celebrates 30 years New appointment at Halilit Halilit are delighted to announce the appointment of Camille Ashforth as their new Sales Coordinator. Camille is looking forward to meeting customers old and new and can be contacted on 01254 872454 or camille@halilit.co.uk

Maxi-Cosi is marking its 30th year in business as one of the leading innovators in child car seat safety with the launch of the first infant carrier to meet the international i-Size (R129) safety standard.

In 1984, Maxi-Cosi became one of the first manufacturers to introduce an infant car seat to the European market.

Since then, Maxi-Cosi has been at the forefront of car seat safety and innovation, notably: creating the first stroller-car seat hybrid; being the first to launch the concept of the 3-in-1 car seat travel system; creating IsoFix base solutions across all age ranges; and developing pioneering lights-and-sound LED display to warn parents of unsafe installation.

Maxi-Cosi has also worked with UK hip dysplasia charity STEPS to launch the Opal HD, a car seat specially designed to give children with hip dysplasia more support, flexibility and comfort.

Significantly, in 2013, Maxi-Cosi became the first to introduce an i-Size car seat to the UK market - the 2wayPearl with 2wayFix Base. This groundbreaking car seat and the industry-leading Pebble infant carrier

with 2wayFix Base were both awarded Which? Best Buys in 2014.

The first infant carrier to meet i-Size regulation, Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus - Maxi-Cosi’s latest innovation - offers newborns a better fit and lying position with its innovative baby hugg inlay. Industry-first 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.

Andrew Ratcliffe, MD of Maxi-Cosi UK, said: “Maxi-Cosi is extremely proud of its reputation, built up over the past 30 years, as a leading innovator in car seat safety.

“It is for this reason that we worked so hard to support the development of i-Size legislation and it has been very rewarding to be the first to bring an i-Size compliant car seat and, now, an i-Size compliant infant carrier to the market.

“Developing and introducing the Pebble Plus is testament to the commitment to innovation and safety that Maxi-Cosi has become renowned for over three decades. Long may that continue.”

Azaria celebrates its 10th Birthday!

A

zaria is celebrating its own milestone this month, the communications agency is ten years old! From its conception a decade ago, the agency has gone from strength to strength and continues to dominate the nursery sector with its vast expertise in this arena.

Celebrating in style, the Azaria team are set to have a birthday party with close friends and family -no doubt their trademark cakes will be involved! And watch this space journalists and bloggers; edible treats will be making their way to Azaria’s nearest and dearest to say thank you for supporting them over the years.

Amber Steventon, Founder of Azaria states: “Ten years has flown by, it only seemed a minute ago we were thinking about setting up the agency. I am thrilled with how the last ten years have gone; we have worked with some brilliant brands and built up a fantastic

6 nursery today

reputation for ourselves amongst both brands and journalists. I will always think of Azaria as my baby but I am looking forward to what we have planned and seeing it to continue to flourish.”

For more information on Azaria visit www. azariapr.co.uk.

A Mini adventure!

The Italian Job is an annual European touring event started in 1990 from a passion of the classic 1969 movie of the same name. Minis of all different shapes, sizes, age and colour go across Europe on a 10 day driving adventure with a twist!

Ian and Sue, owners of The Baby Barn Pram & Nursery Centre based in Warwickshire decided to have a little bit of fun whilst raising money for “Variety” the Children’s Charity, take a look at their website www.varityclub. org.uk, who support disabled/disadvantaged children in the UK. The Italian Job team (www.italianjob.com) are celebrating their 25th Anniversary and have so far raised £2.3 million and would love to achieve £3 million this year - many Sunshine Coaches have been purchased and they hope to be able to raise enough money to purchase a few more this year!

They decided to take part as although this meant they would be involved with wheels of a different kind - (hopefully less stressful!) - they felt as they were in a business so closely connected with children this would be an amazing opportunity to have a lot of fun whilst knowing children will benefit too!!

Ian and Sue left on the 20th October from Dover with at least 30 other Mini Teams and met up with the remaining teams in Italy to take part in the touring event which also included three days of Timed Trials – causing a bit of worry as they weren’t allowed Sat-Nav, starting from the Dolomite mountains of Trentino to the Alps of Piemonte, visiting the cities of Trento, Modena and Turin. Then going through an off the beaten track through wine growing areas and finally testing their driving skills at Modena Autodrome, Grand Prix Circuit of Monza plus a spin on the Lingotto roof test track too!

Never wanting to miss an opportunity to promote the business and car safety – Ian and Sue thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for some of their car seat suppliers to advertise on Sue’s car - a big thank you to BeSafe, Recaro, Mamas & Papas, Chicco & Rainbow Designs who have already sponsored or donated toys for the orphanage village they visited. Ian and Sue have a personal target to raise a minimum of £1500 so If anyone would like to support this charity donations can be made on their Just Giving page by following this link www.justgiving.com/Team86/ or please get in touch by calling Sue on 01926 634704 or via her email address babybarn.ltd@gmail. com.

Cosy little slipper socks!

Protecting babies knees!

Do you have a winning new product design?

The Baby Products Association (BPA) is calling for entries to its 2015 Concept & Innovation Awards, where budding designers will not only receive recognition for innovative baby product ideas, but potentially a platform to market too.

The deadline for entry is 5th January 2015, after which shortlisted entries will be invited to London to present their idea to a panel of judges, who are all experts in the baby products industry. This year they will also be joined by 2011 BBC’s The Apprentice winner Tom Pellereau, which among his many inventions is the Stylfile Nipper Clipper which safely cuts babies’ and children’s finger nails.

Four finalists will be chosen – two with Concepts, which will be product ideas still in their visionary stage; and two with Innovations, which may almost be market ready, but must not be on sale prior to 29th March 2015. These will be invited to present their entries to the entire nursery industry, including major nursery buyers, at Harrogate International Nursery Fair from 29th to 31st March 2015, where the winners will be announced.

Last year, the Innovation Award went to Jonathan Feingold and Marc Kelly of CuddleCo for the revolutionary Doona – an Isofix car seat which has fold out wheels converting it instantly to a pushchair and which went on to receive awards internationally and is now widely on sale.

The Concept Award went to Tom and Tamar Clarke with an innovative Bag Rider design – an airline cabin bag which has an integrated seat to sit baby on once their pushchair has been checked in.

The Concept & Innovation Awards are open to everyone from university students, entrepreneur mums and dads, to companies with new product ideas.

The link to the entry forms is: www.thebpa.eu/bpa-org/Assets/Documents/ Application_Form_and_Guidance_Notes_2014-2015.pdf

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NEWS Trend based products ...A passing fad or the next big thing?

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.

With the Mother and Baby Awards rapidly approaching, in this month’s column Christian Jones Managing Director of The Gro Company, talks about the importance of entering industry awards. Is the desire to win commercial vanity or sanity?

E

ntering awards provides a useful opportunity to evaluate what is great about your product or service, and if it is really up to scratch. If you are not sure how to approach entering, there are even businesses who will manage your submission for you. Winning obviously has its rewards, but many businesses don’t understand how to maximise the value of industry awards. Purely entering an award is a very simple way of improving your companies’ visibility, by utilising social media platforms, sharing the entry before and after, and the associated networking you can benefit. A win obviously provides an opportunity to exploit on pack, online and in-store. If you get it right, increasing brand recognition and witnessing a spike in new business sales is also a very clear advantage. To maximise the benefit companies should be choiceful, only entering the right awards for their business,

ensuring they are relevant and compelling for their target audience.

What’s so important about industry awards?

Awards are a useful tool in any industry, but especially within nursery, where competition is strong and new parents are seeking recommendations and endorsements to help inform purchase decisions. Awards allow companies with high quality, innovative products to stand out amongst the crowd and provide an opportunity to re-communicate the benefits of their product with a credible voice.

Entering national and local awards plays a large part in raising your company’s profile; but one of the biggest benefits of winning company accolades is the boost in staff morale.

It allows us to recognise the hard work and commitment of individuals across all departments of the company as everyone can share in the success.

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

sponsored by

Red Kite brings you limited edition The Red Kite Baby Company take the views and feedback from their customers very seriously and as a result they have decided to introduce a heavily requested product into their fantastic range.

This product is the matching soft and cuddly toy that complement the Princess Pollyanna and Bertie Bear Nursery interiors. Red Kite are scheduled to offer these limited edition soft toys before Christmas which make them the perfect gift for the festive season. Customers have been requesting these toys after seeing them on display at the Harrogate

Nursery Fair trade show and in Red Kite’s images of their new nursery interiors.

They will make a perfect gift for boys and girls this Christmas or as a thoughtful decorative piece for nursery interiors.

Red Kite are also proud to introduce their brand new Cosy Toes in three wonderful ‘Aztec’ designs. The Cosy Toes have adopted a fresh and funky design to compliment a wide range of push chairs.

These will be available in the coming weeks, just in time to beat the winter weather. Available for pre order now through Red Kite Baby on 01454 326 555.

PHP Gift and Baby Goes Global PHP Gift and Baby, specialists, manufacturers and suppliers to the baby and nursery sector, are gathering pace in their pursuit of global expansion.

Renowned for their innovative, imaginative and entrepreneurial baby products, PHP Gift and Baby has been a significant distributor into the UK majors and grocers for many years. A stellar year for sales in 2013 and an aggressive programme of new product development in 2014 have set the stage perfectly for an entry into international markets.

Among the first products to be marketed overseas will be the UK’s marketleading nursing pillow, the Widgey and its new sibling, the Widgey Plus.

Other own-brand products developed by PHP Gift and Baby include Mummy Mitts, Buggy, Teddy and Toddle Tugs plus the premium Silver Star range of beautiful muslin cloths and swaddle sets.

Director, Jane Johnstone says of the expansion: ‘We’ve had a terrific summer in terms of UK sales, especially for our own-brand float-seats and arm-bands. The Widgey and Widgey Plus continue to be phenomenal sellers so it makes sense to take these much-loved brands, and others, into new territories.’

These plans along with a continued programme of NPD are going to catapult PHP into a new hemisphere. The nursery sector, both home and away, can look forward to some exciting new arrivals in 2015.

Tel: 01784 225 925, Web: www.phpgiftandbaby.co.uk

The RHSM Group - your Right Hand Side management team Recession and a tough trading environment have forced many company’s to cut back on staffing and in particular this has hurt many smaller, growth companies in the Nursery industry who cannot take on experienced or executive level staff at the speed they may wish to. The RHSM Group can help to fill this void by providing an outsourced business management solution.

Formally trading as RH Sales & Marketing, the RHSM Group is an alliance of experienced professionals who bring a wealth of industry knowledge, experience and strong relationships to the table.

As founder Rachelle Harel explains “We specialise in the very areas which address a growing company’s needs: growth planning, domestic and international sales, back-office management, supply chain, logistics, marketing, range planning, product development and compliance and Far East sourcing” Aside from Rachelle, an industry veteran, who has held executive management positions at Dorel and Summer Infant, the growing team at The RHSM Group includes Jill Holland and Kelly Jones Jill Holland is an experienced, effective and highly respected Sales professional with 18

years experience in all areas of FMCG consumer goods.

Jill has considerable experience working with major retailers in the UK as well as internationally with both distributors and retailers across the globe and her experience in International sales, plus being fluent in French and Spanish is a huge asset to any business looking to expand into other markets.

Kelly Jones is a Marketing professional with over 15 years experience in both traditional and modern day marketing strategies. With a strong background in Nursery and Toys, she is expertly able to market a brand or product in a cost effective manner. Experienced in Social Media, PR, Product Marketing, Event organisation and above the line methods, Kelly can launch or build a brand to the UK or international markets.

Together, The RHSM Group can sit at your right hand side and offer both practical solutions and strategic advice to growing business’s and we welcome the opportunity to create new partnerships.

For further information please contact rachelle@rhsm-group.com

LICENSING NEWS Golden Bear score new nursery deal with Forever Friends Hallmark’s agent The Licensing Company have big plans to reestablish and ignite heritage brand Forever Friends in the UK market and are kicking off their recently signed representation by signing Golden Bear as master nursery plush partner.

Golden Bear’s AW15 launch will encompass plush led baby infant toys including teethers, rattles, mobiles, cot and pram toys.

Christine Nicholls, Vice Chairman, Golden Bear said “We are delighted to have been awarded the Master Nursery Plush License for Forever Friends and look forward to working with Hallmark and TLC to create a baby collection that encapsulates both current trends and the classic heritage of this much-loved brand.

Our range will feature soft-touch fabrics and the attention to detail

that really brings these wonderful characters to life. With over 3 decades of experience within the nursery sector and our extensive plush expertise, this exciting new multisensory collection will offer something very special and unique, delighting parents around the world for many years to come.”

The original cute bear has been in consumers’ hearts for over 25 years and Golden Bear will join a wide brand extension program of best in class partners including Aykroyds, Design Objects, Green Core, Paul Dennicci and Carousel Calendars.

For further Forever Friends and Hallmark brand extension opportunities please contact Senior Brand Manager, Sasha Lerner at TLC, Email: sasha.lerner@tlc.international Tel: +44(0)2082226142

sponsored by hardenbergco.co.uk 01785 503 305

Totseat Teams Up with Paddington Bear to Unveil First Licensed Design To celebrate ten years of being in business, Totseat Ltd is thrilled to unveil new designs featuring everyone’s favourite bear, Paddington. The two adorable 100% cotton prints, in Duck Egg and Ecru will be packaged in an enchanting cardboard box offering a truly wonderful gift for every parent.

Totseat is undoubtedly one of the best family travel essentials and as fans will know, Paddington Bear is a true explorer and loves nothing more than a good adventure, making this collaboration truly fitting!

Exclusively available in the UK through Hippychick, the new designs will be hitting the shelves of Boots and Ocado, as well as the Totseat website. One thing’s for certain, mealtimes just got all the more adventurous, but with limited stock, you will have to order quick, as they are already flying off the shelves!

The multi award winning Totseat is an essential travel product for every family.

The utterly unique washable, squashable highchair safely and comfortably anchors tots into any adult chair, making mealtimes easy and hygienic, wherever you are.

Rachel Jones, Founder and Managing Director of Totseat comments: “I have always loved Paddington and we are thrilled to

be partnering with such a well known character in the lead up to his movie debut on 28th November. We are looking forward to introducing Paddington to lunching tots everywhere.”

For more information please visit: www. totseat.com or contact Rachel Jones: rachel@ totseat.com. For sales enquiries, please contact sales@hippychick.com or ring Hippychick on 01278 434440.

Award-winning collection from Angelcare

A

ngelcare, market leader and most trusted brand in Movement & Sound Baby Monitors worldwide, offer parents an award-winning collection. Known for innovation in movement monitors and providing product excellence and peace of mind to parents.

The new AC701 Digital Touchscreen Movement & Sound Monitor is the digital replacement for the UK’s bestselling AC401 monitor. A stylish 2-in-1 monitor delivering crystal clear sound and movement detection, monitoring even the most subtle of breathing movements with an under-the-mattress movement SensorPad. This monitor recently won the Mom’s Choice Awards in the US. Also replacement to the AC401, the new AC403 Movement & Sound Baby Monitor was proud winner at the Mom’s Choice Awards 2014 and took first place

10 nursery today

within the ‘Makes Life Easier’ category at the Gruner + Jahr I Family Consumer Awards 2014 at the K+J Show 2014. This model offers the same features as its predecessor but with a more sleek, contemporary design and advanced technology.

And lastly, the most decorated and superior of baby monitors, the AC1100 Digital Video, Movement and Sound Monitor. This 3-in-1 model provides parents with everything they need. Baby is displayed on the digital video screen, day and night using infrared night vision,

it detects all movements using the patented SensorPad and clearly monitors the most subtle of sounds.

They’re delighted that the entire range is recognised by both industry professionals and parents. Other recent awards include; Bounty Mums Love, Loved By Parents, Prima Baby & Pregnancy, Mummi, Mumsnet and Practical Parenting & Pregnancy awards.

Tel: 01785 503 305 Email: info@hcotrade.co.uk Web: hardenbergco.co.uk

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Suppliers to the UK market for over 35 years, Dawson Rodgers & Co. Ltd are the longest established and largest provider of palm moses baskets.

Produced in North Africa, Dawson Rodgers oversee and control quality and production of this cottage industry. This provides peace of mind for their customers in the knowledge that their baskets have been strictly controlled to the safety and reliability standards of BSEN 1466:2004+A1 2007.

For further information please contact Dawson Rodgers on 0161 491 9800 or email sales@clair-de-lune.co.uk Dawson Rodgers & Co. Ltd Manufacturing in the UK for over 70 Years

BPA Notice Board Everything you need to know about exporting The BPA’s three UK Pavilions at international trade shows proved hugely successful for all involved in 2014 and whilst there is a lot of interest from members wanting to exhibit in China, the USA and in Germany again next year, understandably there are lots of questions to ask when entering new markets.

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

The BPA Exporting conference, which takes place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London on

The BPA has gathered together leading experts who can explain and answer questions about all aspects of exporting, from what can be gained in new markets, the legal implications of intellectual property and product liability and a first-hand experience from a previous exhibitor who joined the UK Pavilion in Shanghai.

The BPA Exporting conference, which takes place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London on Thursday 20th November is open to anyone in the nursery industry with an interest in exporting internationally and is free of charge to attend.

Athena Gong from CBME Shanghai will explain the enormity of the Chinese baby product market, with the population of 0-14 years in China exceeding 223 million at the end of 2013. In past years, China’s birth rate has increased by 10% and with a relaxation of the one-child policy, an additional one to two million newborns are expected to be added each year. This, together with new parents coveting European and British baby brands in particular, makes China a lucrative sector to break into.

14 nursery today

Thursday 20th November is open to anyone in the nursery industry with an interest in exporting

Yoomi, which produces a self-warming baby bottle which gently warms a baby’s feed to the natural temperature of breast milk in just 60 seconds, was one of eight participants in the BPA’s UK Pavilion at CBME Shanghai in July 2014. The company received an outstanding response to its product in China and Dr Jim Shaikh of Yoomi will share his experience with attendees at the conference and explain why Yoomi will definitely be returning in 2015.

Of course, there are many legalities to consider once you have stepped out of the UK comfort zone – with different cultures, complicated rules and unparalleled legal systems, so companies would be wise to do their research and ensure that they enter any new international markets armed with up-todate information.

For example, in China it is possible for anyone to register a brand (even if they don’t own it) and from that point on, no other company will be able to sell into China using that brand – even if you are the rightful owner. In the past, this has led to ‘copied’ and ‘fake’ products being sold using a registered European brand. Therefore, protecting your IP is essential before entering the Chinese market.

In addition, agent and distributor agreements are very different in other countries, and something signed and agreed in the UK with an overseas agent may not stand up in the courts of that country.

John Sykes of law firm Lupton Fawcett will give more information on a number of subjects like this and will be able to answer any queries companies may have.

What about product liability?

One question which has been raised on numerous occasions to the BPA team is product liability in the USA and in particular insurance. With an ever growing compensation culture and because of the very nature of the products produced in the nursery industry, insurance can be extortionate and is creating a barrier to particularly smaller companies wanting to enter the US market. However, as Elaine Lamb of La Playa International will explain, the USA is a huge continent and one of the world’s wealthiest markets so British companies should not be deterred. La

Player International has offices in London, Cambridge and New York and heading up the company’s international division, Elaine understands the issues around exporting, particularly to the US and will be able to offer information and advice to companies looking to expand globally.

The dates of the three international trade shows which the BPA will be taking delegations to in 2015 have been announced as: CBME Shanghai – 22nd to 24th July; Kind und Jugend, Cologne – 10th to 13th September and ABC Kids Expo, Las Vegas – 18th to 21st October. Full information will be available at the conference including UK Pavilion plans, space available and prices.

At the time of going to press, the UKTI has not announced the levels of funding available to companies participating in the UK Pavilions in 2015, but we hope to have an update for attendees on the day. Visit the ‘News’ section of the BPA website at www.thebpa.eu for full information about the conference and how to register.

BBC Apprentice winner Tom Pellereau takes his new position behind the judges’ desk Having battled against numerous candidates all vying for the position of the BBC’s The Apprentice 2011, Tom Pellereau scooped the role as Sir Allan Sugar’s right hand man having impressed the judges with his innovative mind and creative inventions.

Now a successful entrepreneur, Tom has agreed to lend his expertise to equally creative individuals entering the BPA’s Concept & Innovation Awards and will join the panel of judges in London in February 2015 to help choose the finalists in these much coveted awards.

Past winners have gone on to launch their baby product ideas successfully to market with the guidance of the BPA and support of industry colleagues impressed with their entries.

Four finalists will be invited to Harrogate International Nursery Fair in March 2015 to present their product ideas to the industry where the winners will be announced. Full details about how to enter the Concept & Innovation Awards can also be found on the BPA’s website at www.thebpa.eu in the Awards section.

WE’RE TEN! WE’RE TEN!

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WE HAVE WORKED WITH.

10 YEARS

WWW.AZARIAPR.CO.UK

Special Feature Retail Technology

Gearing up for a Bumper Christmas Written By David Fairhurst

B

It’s a fair bet that if you’re an online retailer in any sector (except very specialised sectors, like for instance Halloween costume supplies!) then you probably see your biggest volumes of sales at Christmas – even nursery stores aren’t immune to the ‘X(mas) Factor’, which is surprising as you would have thought that the need for baby clothing and equipment would be sort of a ‘year round’ requirement!

16 nursery today

y analysing data from Google Analytics showing the traffic trends of hundreds of retail websites, it’s relatively easy to point out the busiest selling periods online for most retailers and if you’re reading this at the beginning of November then you may already seeing an uplift in online sales, but what if you’re not? Is there anything you can realistically do at this late stage?

Normally organic Search Engine Optimisation takes months to kick in, so what you do now may only take effect several months down the line. Thankfully organic SEO isn’t the only game in town when it comes to promoting your business online and in fact you should be thinking about utilising both changes in user behaviour and other marketing methods in the run-up to Christmas.

Boxing Clever with Google Shopping Campaigns Imagine if you only ever had to pay for advertising when someone walked through your door and you had a chance to try and sell to that person. Sound like a good deal?

That’s what you get with Google Shopping. This spin-off from Google AdWords displays an image and short descriptive title, price and contact details in a block at the top of search results. You can see an example on this link http://goo.gl/5MpmeF . So what’s the catch I hear you ask? Well this used to be a free service from Google, but now it’s part of Google AdWords which works on an auction system, so you pay every time someone clicks on one of your ads.

Google Shopping has been giving much better ROI than traditional Google AdWords for most of our clients and the beauty of this system is that if you have a product feed you can submit to Google (through their Google Merchant interface) then

potentially you could be displaying great adverts at the top of page one in Google’s search results today, for some very competitive keyphrases!

could be losing out on clicks from your emails if you don’t. Which leads me neatly onto my next point…

Email Isn’t Dead It’s All About MOBILE! Unless you haven’t set foot out of your ‘bricks and mortar’ store since 1972, you’ve probably heard of the inexorable rise in the popularity of smart phones. Smartphone usage in the UK is on the rise, with 32% of UK users regularly making a purchase.

That makes us the most prolific mobile shoppers on the Planet, well ahead of our US cousins.

Speaking to one of the Google team last week, I’m again informed that there has been such a large upshift in mobile search traffic this year that if you don’t have solid strategies in place to deal with both the display of your website and the advertising of those mobile web pages then you really are going to be missing out on some great sales.

So what to do? Make sure first of all that your website displays well on mobile devices of all sizes, that’s smaller screen sizes (320px) right up to the latest modern widescreen tablets – actually go through the navigation and make a purchase yourself if your web designer hasn’t done this, if there are any blocks to purchase you could be missing out on your busiest trading period of the year!

Secondly, if you are thinking of using Google AdWords or especially Google Shopping Campaigns, be aware that you can now segment your campaigns per device, so that you can prioritise advertising spend where it’s needed most – this can make sure you get the very best ROI and mean you make the most of the festive trading period.

Don’t forget… people also read emails on their smartphones, so make sure you use email templates which can be read on a mobile screen, you

Yes I know… email marketing is so last decade. Except it isn’t. If your business has been trading for many years, you’ve probably built up a very nice list of email addresses from previous customers who may be receptive to receiving emails from you.

Email marketing can give fantastic returns on investment if it’s done properly, so if you don’t know how to do this effectively I’d recommend outsourcing to a specialist, but there are also tools out there online which you can use to do this for yourself for very little cost. Just remember that in the UK now we have some pretty Draconian laws regarding email spam (see http://goo.gl/fl5xZD ), so do use a service like Campaign Monitor or Mailchimp as these services have monitoring tools to filter out un-subscribes, bounced emails and duplicate email addresses, saving you time and money. Using Outlook to spam your email users really isn’t an option!

It’s worth mentioning that even if you have the best email list going and you’re a great writer, crafting that perfect marketing email relies on you implicitly knowing the mindset of your recipients, which means you have to really get into the ‘nuts and bolts’ of what people are looking for.

Email marketing therefore works best with people who are already friendly to your store, so for that reason, use in combination with social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc) usage, so you can create a feeling of service and community… you’re not really trying to sell things, you are informing your friends of a great offer via the handy medium of direct email!

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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In the January issue of Nursery Today we will include the following features/show previews: Car Seats & Accessories Pre-school Toys PaciďŹ ers & Soothers Nuremberg Preview London Toy Fair preview Copy deadlines 28th November for editorial and 5th December for Advertising Call Christine on 01442 289936 or Email christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Focus Wheeled Goods

The wheeled good sector has always demonstrated growth, and it doesn’t look set to slow down, here we take a closer look at what’s hot!

Wheels in motion

F

rom the minute baby is born, the need for transportation is evident. With so much choice brands really keep ahead of trends to ensure they have the perfect solution for new parents’ needs.

From three to four wheels, lightweight, setting trends in style and colourways, this is a category where all manufacturers keep ahead of what current requirements are and what mums (or dads) are searching out online.

Giulia Toselli, Brand and Strategy Manager at Chicco told Nursery Today: “There’s a definite trend in wheeled goods to have a product that not only offers great practical benefits, but also looks fantastic! We think that’s why the Chicco Urban has proved so popular – with sleek styling and a choice of coloured accessories for parents to choose from, it’s the perfect combination of practicality and design.”

But what about upcoming trends for 2015? Guilia continues: “Looking ahead to 2015, the big colours for the year have moved towards more muted earth-tones, softer beiges, greens and browns. There are a few brights thrown in too – particularly purple and deep red. We’ve embraced this in the new Chicco collection, with the introduction of earth tones in our Summer Urban colour packs and brights in our Winter colour packs and new standard packs. So we’re sure there will be something to suit everyone next year!

“It’s great to see more experimenting with fabrics in the industry – at Chicco we’ve introduced more breathable fabrics into our summer Urban colour packs to offer more comfort in hot weather. Meanwhile for winter we’ve gone for a super snug and cosy padded material that will make cold days out much more comfortable. It will be exciting to see how this trend works across other products in the nursery sector.”

With the desire for information, and we’re confident this comes mainly from expectant mothers, the internet is a huge resource when it comes to finding out what is needed, what’s out there, and to a certain degree, which items celebrities

18 nursery today

are pushing! Peter Holmes, Sales Director, Little Saints, UK distributors of Bumbleride pushchairs commented: “There is now so much information available for parents when choosing the best pushchair for their needs, that they know what design features they are looking for in a particular

overcome - this is why we believe the travel system market belongs to that sector. We have also struggled to sell 3 wheel prams and strollers, we believe this to be as a result of our location and the geography in the region. Who truly knows?

We will continue to offer them to our customers as we

“There’s a definite trend in wheeled goods to have a product that not only offers great practical benefits, but also looks fantastic!”

Giulia Toselli, Brand and Strategy Manager at Chicco model, and appreciate them. For some parents 3-wheelers are the perfect solution, while for others 4-wheelers suit their needs better. Just this month, Bumbleride are launching in the UK the Indie 4, a four wheel version of their successful Indie three wheel pushchair, with the Indie 4 designed as an urban stroller with all-terrain capabilities.”

We spoke to independent retailer, John Barker of Pramland, Hull about his thoughts on this ever expanding category and trends that he has noticed and how he manages this category in his store, and for them, what works well, what doesn’t and more importantly, why? “The travel system tends not to work well for us and we feel the market has moved on since their heyday 5/6 years ago. We took the decision a few years ago to let the travel system be the domain of the catalogues, multiples and online sellers. In the store we can discuss the benefits of the alternatives and have great success selling on this basis. We have a huge advantage over these channels as we can upsell in the store, likewise we can easily demonstrate why the customer, and their child would be better off by avoiding the simple “all-in-one” solution.”

John continues: “When the consumer is making a purchase online or via a catalogue their decision will be influenced by price and aesthetics, no objects can be

believe the consumer needs the choice.”

Fortunately, there is a wealth of options available for independent retailers in this category. Moritz Walther, Business Unit Manager Travel Systems at Britax told us: “At Britax, we consistently strive to offer products that combine style and practicality as we understand that for many parents their stroller is an extension of them. That’s why we offer a variety of colours and fabrics to suit all different styles and tastes. The Britax Affinity pushchair perfectly combines fashion and function, as we offer three different coloured chassis and six different colour packs to choose from, so parents can customise their stroller and create a look that reflects them and their personality. Early next year, we’ll also be launching a chrome chassis for the Britax Affinity providing an elegant and modern choice for parents. With that in mind, our mantra here at Britax is about creating products that give families back some of that freedom so they can explore and enjoy life together.”

What about the facts and figures in this category? Tullika Bhalla, GfK, told Nursery Today: “Q3 has been an optimistic quarter for the Nursery Industry in general.

The total Baby Care market is up by 3.2% year on year and sales for equipment categories are also on the rise. The Stroller category however has seen volume growth slowing

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Focus Wheeled Goods

down to 2.6% quarter on quarter. Innovation remains an important element, be it in the design of the strollers or keeping up with fashion. In fact, GfK has recently changed its definitions on the Strollers category to reflect the changes where a lightweight stroller is used from birth without any attachments and therefore, any additional costs.

“Parents are demanding better value for money and looking to the internet to compare features and get peer reviews. Average purchase price on the Internet remains higher, indicating that parents may not be just looking for deals but to trade up.”

So this information takes us back to the travel system – surely this is a great way for the consumer to gain that great value for money perspective? Peter Holmes gives us their view on this. “It makes it easy for parents to choose a pushchair and buy it as a travel system, if all the features are clearly explained to them, and the travel system can be bought as a good value package. This is where retailers can use their knowledge of infant car seats to help sell the most suited travel system to new parents. As babies heading home from hospital by car are not allowed to leave unless in a car seat, this is an essential purchase.”

And trends, what have Little Saints noticed from consumer uptake of their current product ranges? Peter told us, “Plain colours are still the most popular rather than

20 nursery today

patterned, with pink, red, aqua and shades of blue as well as the ever popular black currently best sellers for Bumbleride.

“It is important that suppliers train retailers in the benefits of their respective range of pushchairs, so that they are confident when helping prospective parents buy what is

competitive market margins are naturally being squeezed, particularly now that most customers have smart phones and are more knowledgeable about other offers from the competition than they have ever been. Offering accessories for wheeled goods is the perfect way for retailers to set

“There is now so much information available for parents when choosing the best pushchair for their needs, that they know what design features they are looking for in a particular model, and appreciate them.”

Peter Holmes, Sales Director, Little Saints often the most expensive essential item for their new baby.”

And lastly, remember those all important accessories – this is a great way to upsell in store for many independents.

Debbie Grant, Sales & Marketing Director at Maguari knows and understands how important this category is to retailers, but also how competitive it can be. “With wheeled goods being the bread and butter for most nursery retailers it is a crucial part of this industry. However as it is such a

themselves apart from the competition, helping customers to customise their wheels and offering them great value packages without having to sacrifice margin. Most modern parents are also looking to put their own spin on a buggy or find items that will make their lives easier so they are more than willing to part with cash in this area! We have many innovative accessories which are the ideal upsell for wheeled goods and the margins are great too!”

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Focus Wheeled Goods

Bo Peep XXXX

Chicco SSSS Innovation, style and expertise combine in Chicco’s Urban pushchair and pram system that gives mums the freedom to personalise it as they wish. Providing an extremely versatile solution, Urban offers many different configurations making it ideal for the modern family.

The seat can be easily switched from rear facing to forward facing and offers various recline positions to ensure maximum comfort for baby at all times even when newborn. The seat also transforms into a pram without the use of an extra carrycot, enabling the stroller to be used from birth. With a spacious basket and soft internal lining, the pram provides a cosy place for baby to travel in during its first couple of months.

As well as being practical, Urban is ultra stylish as it comes with a choice of bright colour packs so parents can customise the look of their stroller. The black stroller can be combined with different coloured accessories including the hood, soft padded pillow, shoulder pads and crotch strap so parents can feel free to change the colours whenever they like.

To bolster the flagship product a new range of colour packs will be launched for 2015 allowing parents to dress the stroller differently to suit their moods and also the weather. There will be two new winter colour packs, which offer an extra-padded reducer and pram apron, along with a hand muff for baby or mum, making sure everyone can stay warm and cosy in the colder months. The winter packs will be available in two bright and stylish colours; Winter Sunset and Winter Night (electric pink and electric blue).

The two new Urban summer colour packs feature a lighter material suitable for warmer days and nights, with a net opening in the hood canopy and an opening in the apron to guarantee a better circulation of air. These will be offered in two fresh colours, Summer Nature and Summer Sahara; mint green and beige respectively.

Completing the 2015 Urban range will be two standard colour packs in bold and exciting colours; Wimbledon, which is lime green, and Cyclamen.

Thanks to the car seat adaptor, Urban is also compatible with the Autofix car seat, which can be purchased separately. When it isn’t in use, Urban is also highly practical as it is super compact when folded making it easy to store in the home or car. It also features a handle so that it is simple to carry around when in the folded position.

RRP is £349.99 for stroller, £49.99 for standard colour packs and £59.99 for the Winter and Summer colour packs.

To use Urban as a travel system, the car seat adaptor is £24.99 and the Autofix car seat is £119.99.

Web: www.chicco.co.uk

22 nursery today

A new product to the buggy accessories market is the very stylish and multi-functional ‘Bo Peep’. Bo Peep is a universal buggy cover that has been created to help parents individualise and co-ordinate their buggies. Bo Peep launches with a core range of exclusively designed patterns carefully chosen to appeal to a wide range of tastes. The ‘Bo Peep Original’ is a large spot print that comes in neutral colourways including beige and grey, perfect to go with any buggy brand. ‘Bo Peep Adventure’ takes inspiration from global trends and is a diamond repeat print that comes in bright ‘Ibiza Blue’ or ‘Emerald Green’ colourways. Finally ‘Bo Peep Safari’ is an eye catching leopard print in original colours to really make a statement, perfect for adding to that limited edition buggy.

But it’s not just about looks. The team behind Bo Peep have spent nearly four years creating a stream-lined look to ensure the buggy cover can fit snugly to any buggy, pushchair or travel system and create a cocooned and comforting environment for any child. The cover has high protection from UV rays, blocks out direct sunlight and visual distraction when a baby needs to sleep and is even lightly shower proof. Perfect for hot days, holidays or rainy days!

Amy Murray Jones Director and Founder of Bo Peep says ‘parents spend a lot of time and money choosing the buggy that suits their needs and tastes and the Bo Peep is an extension of this. We have created what we believe to be the first on-trend stylish covers that don’t compromise on form and function. We aim to grow on our core range and create more designs to cater to the tastes of our growing customer base.’

Web: www.bopeepworld.com

Maguari WWWW Maguari is looking forward to bringing the brand new X-Qlusive Covers to the UK‘s pushchair market early next year. With each X-Qlusive Cover pack containing a smart and colourful, leather effect buggy handle and bumper bar cover, this product allows parents to cleverly customise their little one’s pushchair. X-Qlusive Covers are the first range of handle and bumper bar covers that are tailor made to fit specific brands. A number of popular pushchair brands and models will be catered for initially, including Bugaboo Cameleon, Silvercross Wayfarer, iCandy Peach and Babystyle Oyster, with more set to join the range in the near future. When placed on a new pushchair, the X-Qlusive Covers give a unique look to the buggy, while providing a comfortable grip and protecting the handlebar and bumper bar from heavy use. When placed on a more heavily used pushchair, the covers give it a fresh look and feel, providing a cost effective way to give a new lease of life to a tired-looking buggy. With an RRP of £30, the X-Qlusive Covers are quick and simple to fasten, easy to keep clean and available in six different colours to suit all tastes, including blue, red, pink and tan.

Tel: 01293 774924 Web: www.maguari.com

Focus Wheeled Goods

Innovative Design And Excellent Customer Care Keep Giggle 2 Top Of The Class With its perfect balance between adaptability, practicality and eyecatching design, Cosatto’s best-selling Giggle 2 remains top of the class for retailers looking for high-quality 3-in-1 travel systems.

Available in eight eye-catching patterns with free four-way footmuff and raincover, Giggle 2’s lightweight chassis, compact fold and lockable, removable front wheels make it a byword for convenience.

The chassis is also compatible with the Cosatto Hold car seat and offers seamless transitions between rear or front-facing pushchair mode, car seat mode and carrycot mode, with included, separate carrycot.

And with Giggle 2 covered under Cosatto’s trailblazing four-year guarantee, customers can rest easy knowing any hiccups or issues will be resolved free of charge during the time period.

Under this system, as well as Cosatto’s ‘Sell and Forget’ policy, retailers can be reassured Giggle 2-based queries go to the manufacturer, meaning post-sale, product upkeep becomes our responsibility.

This policy also 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.

With a free coordinating changing bag included, this award-winning travel system has an RRP from £430, with the matching Hold car seat – retailing for £140 – not included.

Tel: 08000 149252 Web: www.cosatto.com

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Focus Wheeled Goods

Britax XXXX Britax, one of the leaders in child safety, has announced the launch of the new, sleek and practical Britax Smile pushchair available from early 2015. Designed with busy, modern families in mind, this cleverly crafted stroller provides parents with the freedom to look and feel great whilst having a practical pushchair to support them on the move.

The Britax Smile comes complete with integrated Click & Go adaptors to create a travel system with an infant carrier from birth and then to approx. 3 years old. Extra features include a large shopping basket and reflective stripes on the chassis, giving parents the freedom to take a safe stroll in lowlight conditions.

The ventilation window in the hood will also help keep children comfortable on warm and sunny days.

In the second half of 2015, an electronic brake will be added to the Britax Smile as an additional, safety feature. This brake system is designed to automatically engage if a pushchair continues to move without someone controlling the handle. This innovation has been specifically designed to prevent pushchairs from rolling away without anyone in control. This prototype concept was displayed and demonstrated at the Britax stand at this year’s Kind and Jugend Fair in Köln.

Web: www.britax.com

Little Saints/Bumbleride

Web: www.littlesaints.co.uk

26 nursery today

SSSS

What makes your store different from all the others?

Why put all your eggs in one basket?

NOW, a strong alternative to complete your Travel System sales…

BeSafe iZi GO: * Fits all leading Pushchairs, * Advanced 5-point harness system, * Luxurious interior for Baby, * Light and just £139.99 Paul Sirett, UK Country Manager: “With so many genuinely strong alternative brand options now available to Nursery Specialists across all sectors, the opportunities for profitable growth and differentiation have never been better for the retailers who choose to take control of what they sell, what they are and what margin they earn.”

Tel: 01606 814 638 Web: www.carseat.co.uk

XXXX

The latest addition to the award winning range of Bumbleride strollers from America, the Indie 4, is now available to order in the UK. Offering the size and convenience of a lightweight pushchair, the Indie 4 is a compact four wheel stroller designed as an urban solution with all terrain capabilities, the four off-road ready wheels in compact city friendly sizes have pneumatic tyres and the all-wheel suspension offers peak performance whatever the surface. The Indie 4 comes with a carrycot as standard, a long and roomy fully reclining seat which is ideally suited for growing toddlers, and Bumbleride’s space saving fold and new automatic frame lock for free-standing when folded. An adjustable handlebar, a generous easily accessible storage basket and a high canopy are just some of the other features included. The Indie 4 features Bumbleride’s eco-conscious fabric, made from recycled PET and bamboo charcoal, and available in an array of bright fresh colours. The Indie 4 joins the Indie and Indie Twin distributed exclusively in the UK by Little Saints, and more exciting launches are planned for this successful brand.

Tel: 0208 392 2665

BeSafe

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Focus Wheeled Goods

phil&teds

Hippychick

SSSS

TTTT

The BRAND NEW Hippychick Footmuffs come in Baby and Toddler sizes and have 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 our 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.

The nights are drawing in and it’s important to make sure a pushchair is visible, even in poor light. Buggi Lights are a fun, simple way to make a pushchair seen and safe after dusk. Each box contains two Buggi Lights. One has white LEDs to face forwards, and the other has red LEDs to face backwards – both have three flash settings.

Not only are these lights great for being out and about with a buggy, they are so versatile that they can be used on a child’s bike, scooter or ride on toy adding another element of fun.

Tel: 01278 434440 Web: www.hippychick.com

Tel: 0203 0519264

East Coast Nursery - Tiny Love TTTT With their innovative adjustable arches, Tiny Love’s stroller toys are the most advanced and versatile available.

The My Nature Pals Stroll features this clever adjustable system, allowing parents to position the arch perfectly according to baby’s age and ability. The universal attachment clips fit a wide variety of strollers, pushchairs, car seats, and even highchairs and travel cots. The enchanting toys will keep baby amused on long journeys and days out, while stimulating their senses and developing their motor skills. From birth, baby will enjoy the bright woodland characters, contrasting colours and geometric patterns, and parents can tilt the arch to allow baby to bat and kick the hanging toys. From five months, baby can spin the ball full of tumbling beads and pull the handle to spin the propeller, teaching cause and effect.

My Nature Pals Stroll is just one of Tiny Love’s range of stroller toys, for developmental fun on the go. The original Sunny Stroll and Tiny Princess Stroll feature the same engaging toys and adjustable arch system, while the Woodland Take-Along Arch folds easily, making it the ultimate portable product. The extensive range of Tiny Smarts are little characters packed with fun features; they all have a sturdy clip to attach to strollers, and are handily priced at impulse buy prices.

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

28 nursery today

SSSS

phil&teds show stoppingly good looking pushchairs with effortless manoeuvrability are now available!

For those who seek a pushchair that has effortless style and is a pleasure to use every day, phil&teds two new Inline pushchairs, vibe & verve have arrived.

Both beautiful and fully featured, the 3 wheeled vibe, and 4 wheeled verve allow the ability to offer that fundamental choice to your customers. Whatever decision they make, the styling and premium features that vibe & verve deliver will turn heads.

With almost all double pushchairs, one or two seats need to be removed to fold & pack away. Vibe and verve are different, with a unique one-piece fold that allows you to fold them up very compactly, keeping both seats on.

Using the double kit, vibe and verve can transition from a single to double pushchair in seconds, or even adapt to become a parent facing pushchair. With a carrycot and capsule adapters also available, parents can tailor their vibe or verve to suit their family.

Along with seamless versatility, vibe and verve have spacious seating that’s taller than most and is beautifully lined with plush fabrics. Vibe and verve are ideal to use from birth to school age.

Focus Wheeled Goods

Bébécar XXXX Bébécar have been transporting babies around the world for 50 years, and in that time they’ve really got to know what parents and babies need from their pushchairs.

The Spot is an exciting new addition to the Bebecar range – an umbrella-folding stroller that combines great features with compact folding.

Unlike many umbrellafolding strollers, the Spot can lie flat, so it’s suitable from birth.

With adjustable suspension, an extra-padded seat, and ergonomic handles, it’s comfortable for parents and baby on long days out. The patented folding mechanism protects little fingers from being trapped, and includes a security lock on both sides of the chassis to prevent accidental folding.

The front wheels can swivel or be locked, and the rear wheels contain ball bearings for a smooth ride. All four wheels can be easily detached, making the Spot chassis truly compact to store and transport. Its clean, structured look is deceptively simple – the Spot features an adjustable/removable hood with a zip-off rear section to convert it to a sun canopy; it also has a large shopping basket – the first thing most parents seem to ask for!

The Spot is in stock now in four colours, with exciting developments planned for next year. In addition to the range of matching footmuffs, parasols, rainwear and changing bags, there is also a cup holder available for the Spot, giving the retailer the opportunity for add-on sales. Bébécar products are designed and engineered to an extremely high specification, and are made in Europe.

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

Red Kite

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Winter is fast approaching and with this comes the bleak, cold and rainy weather. At Red Kite, however, there is everything you need to make stepping out in the winter weather a warm and delightful experience.

One such product is the Push Me Urban which is their sturdy city jogger and is available in two gorgeous colours named ‘Poppy’ and ‘Panther’. A rain cover and shopping basket comes as standard with the Push Me Urban which collapses neatly with its super slim folding design when not in use.

Red Kite’s new Change Me bags, featuring the ‘Illusion’ and ‘Bali’ patterns are beautifully designed and perfect for when you are out and about in the winter weather. They have large and spacious pockets and compartments allowing you to take everything you need in one bag.

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

Obaby

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For parents in pursuit of a stylish and versatile pushchair, which is packed full of exciting features but also doesn’t break the bank, Obaby presents the Chase Pramette in six vibrant colour options. Currently standing at a recommended retail price of £249.99, the Chase offer parents a variety of different modes, changing quickly and effortlessly between a high quality pram which is suitable from birth, and a modern, sleek, forward or rear facing stroller.

There is also the added possibility of adding the Obaby 0+ Chase Car Seat, to provide parents with the versatility and convenience of a travel system.

With an ingenious pneumatic folding system and a compact fold for storage, the Chase’s lightweight aluminium frame is one of the most up to date chassis’ available. Alongside this, comfort and well being is another essential attribute of the Chase. The addition of a snug pram liner and other handy features such as a 5 point safety harness, adjustable leg rest and a removable bumper bar and apron, ensures that children are in safe and cosy hands, while thoughtful enhancements such as a height adjustable foam handle and a large shopping basket mean that parents haven’t been forgotten either.

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

30 nursery today

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Getting little people and tiny people out this winter

Focus Wheeled Goods

Joolz

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Joolz, designers of the ergonomic and attractive Joolz Day, proudly introduce some new additions to the family, the Joolz Day Quadro Collection and the Joolz Day Studio Graphite.

Inspired by a love of luxury Italian design, the Joolz Day Quadro, is a mixture of pure functionality and style.

The Joolz Day Quadro is available in four shades: Blu, Carbon, Denim and Grigio, with a stitched check pattern and a soft grey mélange lining.

A shady grey chassis, anthracite wheels and the detailed leatherette trims of the handle and bumper bar complete the design.

Enthused by French romance, Joolz have added a new colour to the successful Studio Collection. The chic new Graphite fabric has a grey mélange lining and is decorated with a black, double-stitched, leatherette handle and bumper bar.

Based on the complete and comfortable Joolz Day, the Quadro and Studio Collections include positive design features such as a high seat and cot position, all-round suspension and compact fold.

Available to order now, the Joolz Day Quadro and Studio come complete with a chassis, cot, seat, shopping basket and raincover, at an RRP of £799. Matching accessories are available separately including nursery bag, footmuff and parasol.

The Buggysnuggle Company XXXX The Buggysnuggle Company have won a Silver and Consumer Choice Award for the Buggysnuggle in the Best Footmuff category of the Mumii Best Baby & Toddler Gear Awards. They also won Gold for Best Liner for their Pushchair Liner which was launched earlier this year.

Mumii, the entertainment space for mums, used VIP testers to thoroughly check out all the products and thousands of parents then voted on the new website to choose their stand out products of the year.

Sarah Wickins, Director, said “these awards mean a lot to us because all products are given a thorough testing & then it’s the consumers who vote. I’m especially pleased to win the Consumer Choice for Best Footmuff – that really is a vote of confidence!”

Email: sarah@buggysnuggle.com Web: www.buggysnuggle.com

Tel: 08455 280 638 Web: www.my-joolz.com

JANÉ

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The EPIC is one of the lightest most compact pushchairs of its kind on the market. By using an innovative tubular chassis there has been a 15 per cent weight reduction, making it easy to fold, store and take out and about.

The EPIC boasts JANÉ’S new breakthrough smooth-ride system. By incorporating dual mountain bike shock absorbers this pushchair leads the market in suspension technology.

The tyres are designed using a new puncture-proof material, similar to car tyres, which makes the EPIC ten times more resistant on rough surfaces than similar pushchairs. This helps create the ‘floating’ JANÉ experience.

Design devotees will love the EPIC. It’s sporty, compact and dynamic. Its urban pioneering design stands out with a striking tubular chassis that has a hard-wearing innovative character.

Just like most JANÉ pushchairs, the EPIC offers extraordinary versatility and transforms into a safe comfortable travel system in seconds using the Matrix LIGHT 2 or another compatible JANÉ infant car seat of your choice.

But, as they say, the devil is in the detail and when it comes to great finish the EPIC has it all. It has excellent manoeuvrability - thanks to the balanced front wheel set that give smooth, precise turning.

The JANÉ EPIC is a superb, well-priced all-rounder and comes in a striking range of ontrend colours.

Tel: 028 9084 9045 Web: www.johnstonprams.co.uk

32 nursery today

Joie

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The brand new Chrome Plus is a master multi-tasker which combines all the best features available in a multi-mode pushchair with Gemm car seat, carrycot and parent and world facing seat units. It offers total versatility for parents leading a busy lifestyle and featuring an instant gravity fold which is easily activated with or without the seat attached and in either direction, it ensures ease of use in every mode. The modern floating chassis with clean tailored lines creates a sophisticated and streamlined look and the fully reclining, cocoon-shape seat is perfect for sleeping newborns facing parent or facing the world. Full of parent must-have features including a single-step scuff-free brake, all-wheel suspension, plus a large, integrated shopping basket. Another new addition is the Chrome Plus colour packs in five gorgeous shades which give parents the option to change their pushchair colour as often as they might like! Featuring pushchair hood, seat liner, footmuff and harness pads and available in tomato red, green, royal blue, sand and classic black ink there is a choice for every style conscious parent.

Tel: 01889 808 900 Web: www.joiebaby.com

A nimble yet robust urban solution with all-terrain capabilities, the Indie 4 is the latest addition to the Bumbleride range, and comes complete with a padded carrycot and a raincover

sales@littlesaints.co.uk www.bumbleride.com/uk

Wooden Highchair Range

Folding Highchair

Multi Height Highchair

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

EastCoastNursery

@EC_Nursery

Think Baby For 25 years, ABC Design is driven by the conviction that creating the perfect stroller is a result of correlating innovative strength and engineering expertise with the sense of responsibility towards baby‘s special needs.

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his is what formed ABC Design‘s character in its beginning and what is still the core of all its work today. What started back in 1989 in Germany with a team of seven employees, evolved into a global operating company being one of the world’s leading providers of high-quality baby and toddler articles. Today, the market leader in the pram sector distributes in more than 40 countries.

With its products, ABC Design accompanies parents and their offspring from the first day of their new life together, contributing to a pleasant feeling of safety and facilitating families’ everyday life. Parents from all over the world place their trust in ABC Design’s products. „From the first sketch on a blank piece of paper to the last grip in manufacturing, every thought and action are inspired by and oriented towards satisfying the needs of babies. To understand

34 nursery today

what is best for baby´s well-being, is our motivation“, that’s how Bernd Fischer, Managing Director, describes product development at ABC Design. Together with Jörg Zehe, he heads the medium-sized family-owned company, located in Southern Germany.

Practising responsibility “We are committed to high quality standards and are uncompromising when it comes to meeting them. Indeed, the design aspect may be very important for the manufacturer, but no feature can ever be so attractive as to justify compromising the safety of a child”, says Bernd Fischer and emphasizes the importance of quality at ABC Design. Not surprising then, that all products are tested beyond international quality standards. ABC Design works with highly respected testing institutes, like Intertek and

TÜV in order to guarantee total product safety.

Every detail of every single product is tested - from the frame to the fabric - for conformity with the high EN requirements, DIN quality and safety standards as well as conformity with the EC Regulation on chemicals (REACH Regulation).

The quality process begins during the product development stage and continues until the final production run. ABC Design goes even one step further. “Each model is put through its paces on our own ‘real road test track’, an intensive test course”, Bernd Fischer continues. „We are well aware of the high level of responsibility we bear in our work. To deal with this trust in a responsible way is both a requirement and an obligation for us. “

New collection 2015

Broaderr range of accessories

Fashion-forward design, technical refinement and innovative developments of proven models result in a convincing portfolio for 2015. The new collection is completely on trend.

Daring trend colours and timeless classic designs perfectly complement each other.

Parents can choose from a total of 36 colour versions for the Mamba and Cobra models as well as from the changing kits in nine colours for more individual colour combinations.

The versatile and compact double/ twin buggy Zoom, which received several international awards for its unique design, also captivates due to its new colour combinations.

Parents can decide on a bicolour design with two seat units in different colours.

Together with its new collection, ABC Design also broadens dens the range of accessories. Besides the changing ging kit, customers can look forward to a footmuff muff for the cold season, memory foam seatt pads for additional comfort, spacious stowage space thanks to the new diaper bag courier ass well as colourful universal cupholders.

All accessories sories are coloured according to the new collection ection and can be optimally combined with all models. Proven articles in the accessory range such ch as the sunshade or the parasols have been adapted pted to the new colour designs and will reach h the market with an extended offering.

What is new?

Looking g ahead

“We are actively driving change in our markets and keep surprising the market with innovative solutions and technical refinements,” with these words Jörg Zehe summarizes not only the spirit of the new collection 2015, but also ABC Designs innovative energy. Aside from the new colour designs, functionalities and construction designs were adapted with the change of the collection. The popular strollers Avito and Takeoff now both provide an extended inner width at face value for extra comfort. While Takeoff further provides an adjustable and extended backrest, Avito convinces with a nearly fully horizontal lying position. All benefits in convenience are without compromising the space-saving character of these two strollers.

Thanks to their minimum folding size, both fit in almost any trunk. In just two simple steps, the lightweights can be folded down to their extremely compact minimum size.

Three-wheeler Cobra and pram Mamba now offer already integrated UPF 50+ (Australian Standard) sunshades and mosquito nets. Thanks to a narrow wheel base on rear axle, the new width is reduced on 64 cm. Furthermore, the new blind fitting rear wheel fixation makes it easier to fit the wheels. For the new collection 2015, ABC Design further perfected its proven double/ twin buggy Zoom. Thanks to a new adapter system, Zoom now has a bigger distance between two fitted carrycots for highest flexibility in positioning. It also offers an extended sunshade UPF 50+ already integrated in the canopy and the new blind fitting system.

“We currently ently view the global baby care market ket as a highly innovative and forward-looking ard-looking market environment, ment, which gives us plenty of room for new developments and innovations, vations,” says Bernd Fischer. “From From our point of view, developments ments are continuing to move towards wards even more babyoriented products. Innovations will be more ore oriented towards satisfying g the needs of babies. For sure, design gn and aesthetics will remain important, nt, but we think that greater emph emphasis ph hasis ha asis will be placed aced on baby´s well-being.” This confirms ABC Design’s alignment and perfectly suits to itss character.

ABC Design esign will further strengthen its position among the world’s leading providers of high-quality baby and toddler articles.

In 2015, ABC Design is planning to realize more international marketing campaigns and activities to further increase brand awareness.

New POS shop-in-shop systems will create attractive sales environments for targeted product presentation worldwide. With its new tagline “Think Baby” , ABC Design not only strengthens its approach, but moreover creates a bridge between the company values and the future challenges of the global baby care market, ABC Design is ready to face.

Mamba - grape

Profile Profile ABC Design is among the world’s leading providers of high-quality baby and toddler articles. For 25 years, we have been successfully developing, producing and marketing strollers, stroller accessories and other baby articles such as high chairs and car seats.

In UK, ABC Design is represented by its distributor Obaby, one of the leading and most sort after brands in the highly competitive UK baby and nursery market.

nursery today 35

Focus Multiple Births

Double your market Gfk gives Nursery Today an insight into the twin/ multiple product sector – are you missing a great opportunity?

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ven though only in 1 out of 20 Strollers sold in the last 12 months were Multiple/ Twin Strollers, the category itself has seen an overall volume growth of over 11% in the last 12 months. Also, while the number of brands selling Twin/Multiple products has increased over the last month, the number of brands that account for 80% of the market has not changed, which indicates that parents tend to go for trusted/ recommended brands. However, the number of different models within the Twin/Multiple category has grown by 17%.

The category has also seen a price drop in the last year making it cheaper to buy these strollers, handy for parents who have more than doubled their nursery expenses.

In the overall Strollers category , the

BabyStyle

popularity of 3 wheel strollers continues to wane as less than one out of 10 strollers sold have three wheels. This is a 11% drop from last year.

However, Strollers in general have become more expensive in the last 12 months, the mid-price ranges are growing. In the case of Twin/Multiples, £50-£150 remains the most popular price bracket.

According to Tullika Bhalla, GfK, “It is increasingly clear that the growth in the Strollers market is being through price increases at the moment. As the demographic of parents changes, the affordability and the desirability factor is leading to a higher number of branded purchases and wider ranges. Although, the mid-price ranges are growing, there has been a subtle growth in the £700+ category that manufacturers will do well to focus on.”

TTTT

Recipient of the coveted Which? Magazine Best Buy Award, given 5/5 by Pushchair Trader and described by BestBuggy.co.uk as ‘one of the best tandems we have tested to date’ the Max has firmly established itself as the tandem of choice for parents of twins.

Able to take two infant carriers, two carrycots or two pushchair seats the Oyster Max is the perfect option for transporting twins from birth right the way through until they no longer need a pushchair.

The Max is manoeuvrable, lightweight, simple to fold and extremely versatile. Colour packs allow your customers to personalise their Max and it is compatible with a selection of car seats – Oyster Car Seat, MaxiCosi Cabriofix and Pebble, Britax BabySafe and BeSafe iZi Go. The Oyster Max ensures that parents no longer have to make compromises and can benefit from the impeccable pedigree that the Oyster brand is synonymous with.

Tel: 01509 816444 Web: www.babystyle.co.uk 36 nursery today

Chicco

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Suitable from birth the Chicco Echo Twin Stroller makes getting out and about with multiples that little bit easier. With a practical width of only 78cm and a lightweight frame that makes it easy to manoeuvre, the Echo Twin Stroller is perfect for everyday use.

Stylish and comfortable, the wide seats feature fully adjustable 5-point safety harnesses, with shoulder pads and each seat can reclined to 4 different positions. In addition, both leg rests and hoods can be adjusted independently, and the rear section of the hoods can be removed for ventilation in the summer.

Unlike many twin strollers the Echo is ultra-compact when folded and is easy to carry around due to its practical handle. It has an umbrella closing system with auto lock that prevents it from opening accidentally.

RRP is £189.99.

Web: www.chicco.co.uk

The Red Kite Baby Company

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The Red Kite Baby Company are proud to announce the re launch of their popular twin, side by side pushchair, the Push Me Twini. Back by popular demand, this fantastic pushchair will be available very soon and of course includes twin foot covers, twin bumper bars, shopping basket and of course a raincover.

The main features of the Push Me Twini include independent reclining seats, multiple lie back options for snoozie babies and independent bumper bars. Also, the usual features you come to expect from Red Kite products such a 5 point harness, super lightweight and front swivel wheels are also included. Check out the fantatastic reviews online from happy customers.

The Push Me Twini will be available soon.

Tel: 01454 326555 Web: www. redkitebaby.com

Bébécar XXXX

Emmaljunga

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The One&Two pushchair from Bebecar is ideal for twins, or a growing family. This versatile chassis can be used as a single or double pushchair.

It comes complete with two lie-flat convertible pushchair seats, which include an extended bumper bar and a padded liner to convert the seats to carrycots, which can be used from birth. The pushchair seats are reversible to face in either direction, allowing parents to position each child according to their individual needs. The One&Two chassis is also compatible with the Easymaxi Group 0+ infant car seats, which can be placed forward-facing or rear-facing (or one of each), offering even greater flexibility.

Keeping busy parents of multiples in mind, the chassis has a one-handed folding mechanism, and features the Easylock system, which allows the convertible seat and car seat to be securely attached and removed in a single movement. The chassis can even be converted and used as a single pushchair, if one child prefers to walk, making the One&Two the perfect choice for a growing family.

The One&Two is available in a selection of three colours. Bebecar carefully select their new fabric colours every year, and a range of matching footmuffs, parasols, rainwear and changing bags are also available, giving the retailer the opportunity for add-on sales.

Bebecar products are designed and engineered to an extremely high specification, and are made in Europe.

Emmaljunga, the Swedish brand renowned for the quality and strength of its products has a fantastic range of combinations for twins and siblings in its new range. This includes the strong yet lightweight Double Viking which can be combined with spacious seat units, cosy carrycots and car seats as required. Maxi Cosi and Britax travel system adaptors will be introduced this year for even greater flexibility. Double Viking is available in a variety of colours from stylish black to Emmaljunga’s ever popular White Leatherette. And there is a choice of chassis now featuring new tough ‘Ecco’ wheels and also an air wheel option. The pram can be complemented with an array of accessories in a rainbow of colours and designs. These include vibrant Pink, Zebra print, and classic Navy Dots, giving consumers the chance to create a pram that perfectly reflects their personality. The new Double Viking accessory package includes additional colourful hood fabrics, soft seat pads and the new Mood Changing Bag. With its reversible front panel, the Mood bag can be converted into a stylish accessory that any ‘dad’ would be happy to carry and is also perfect for use as a laptop bag. Accessory packages are now available for all of Emmaljunga’s current models, so even the price tag is attractive. For more information on the new range and becoming a stockist please contact Emmaljunga.

Tel: 01692 408801

Tel: 01159 646 979

Web: www.bebecar.co.uk

Web: www.emmaljunga.co.uk

Little Saints/Bumbleride TTTT

Obaby – ABC Design

Launched as Bumbleride’s first side-by-side stroller, Indie Twin provides the best of both worlds by accommodating both infants and older siblings and combines the off-road ability of a multi-terrain stroller with the lean agility of an urban jogger. With all the features and functionality of the Indie single, Indie Twin’s independent seating system allows you to accommodate each individual child. The backrests, canopies and footrests can all be adjusted independently from one another, giving your children a ride as custom as their personalities. At 74cms wide, Indie Twin glides through doorways and its dual front swivelling wheels make manoeuvring a breeze. This multi-award winning twin stroller from the American brand Bumbleride is easy to push, comfortable for babies and toddlers, easy to fold when not in use, and comes in a great choice of colours.

Accessories that come with the Indie Twin include: raincovers, SPF45 sun canopies, extra large shopping baskets, cup holder, jogging strap, carrying handle, shoulder pads and bumper bars.

German company ABC Design are one of the key market leaders of cutting edge child mobility products, using technical innovation and inventive solutions to secure their place at the forefront of creative pushchair design. 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.

When adding two ABC Design Carrycots to the Zoom’s cleverly engineered frame, families can carry two newborns on the same system. Then, as children grow, either can be replaced in favour of the Zoom’s stylish seat units, with a choice of parent or forward facing directions. Finally, the addition of the ABC Design Risus car seats can convert the tandem into one of the most sophisticated travel systems on the market, while each option can be mixed and matched to suit your family.

With all these combinations, many would imagine that the Zoom Tandem would become cumbersome or unmanageable, but ABC Design has utilised their unique engineering expertise to add a range of ingenious features that ensure movement and manoeuvrability has not been compromised and using the Zoom is a thoroughly enjoyable experience for both parent and child.

Tel: 0208 392 2665 Web: www.littlesaints.co.uk

Tel: 0845 078 0290

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Web: www.obaby.co.uk

nursery today 37

Special Feature Nigel Plested

Time to push our agenda A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away… no sorry, let’s start again.

By: Nigel Plested

A

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.

38 nursery today

long time ago, in an all boys Grammar School somewhere in the north of England, I was eagerly gearing up to earn my Design & Technology GCSE. It was somewhere in the middle of 1988 to be more specific, and Design & Technology was very much the new thing, both to the national curriculum, and a rather stuffy school where woodwork and metalwork had been regarded as a way of occupying less academic individuals who reveled in making nunchcucks instead of learning French verbs, (you all know who you are).

It was here in early summer, sat in a pristine new classroom smelling of yet to be graffitied white washed walls, in our newly built D&T block, that Mr. Cunningham introduced me to a book that would stay with me forever. It was a bit dog-eared, and rather unassuming, and it was entitled Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change, by Victor Papanek. This book was as old as I was. It had been published in 1971 (the year I was born) and yet it seemed to promise to something new.

Now anyone who might have studied with design at any level has probably come across this Author. He went onto become synonymous with inspiring a generation or three, with the ideas underpinning sustainability in design, especially with his later book, The Green Imperative: Natural Design for the Real World. This truly helped to establish the idea that designers should and could be responsible for change, and for shaping things that improve the quality and the ecologically of the environments that we inhabit. At that time toward the mid 90’s, indulgence, money and lavish aesthetics were engrained in our cultural psyche, and somehow his writing came alive and began to mean something. As I

journeyed through several Universities the narrative developed into cradle to grave, then cradle-to-cradle emerged idea about change were firmly on the agenda. My role as a designer shifted from a boy who wanted to draw nice looking things into a man who had some responsibility for stuff that eventually got made, shipped, sold, used and possibly skipped.

so goldfish minded that they forget their children’s transportation after 2-3 hours on a budget airline. Instead this is planned obsolescence on a gargantuan scale. Parents plan to go on holiday, buy a £60 buggy and use it for 14 days (£4.28 per day) and that seems like good value, well it must be because

If as an industry we put the same amount of energy into what goes into the strollers, buggies and travel systems we leverage, as we do safety, then things would be very different. We would be leading the world with products that set new standards in materials and manufacturing, technologies and processes, assembly and disposal, recycling and re-use

So what am I telling you this?

Have I had an attack of the nostalgias for streaked hair, Big Track and Pacers? (Of which, I must admit that since turning 40 I have a tendency to do from time to time.) Or is it because the stories that were established

by Mr. Papanek over 30 years ago still sit uneasily with our insatiable ability to consume, and no more so than when we have newborns in our lives.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a born consumer. I love stuff. Not only that, I have in retrospect been the architect and author of far too many products with larger than life carbon footprints. But I am looking at this through some different lenses lately and it occurs to me that I am not doing my job as well as I could, so how can I expect others to take interest in designing strollers with a more considered set of ingredients?

I have spent a decade frustrated as I walk past that huge pile of “Lost, not found,” in the corner of every baggage reclaim area, in every ubiquitous airport in the world. Why? Well, because it usually consists of at least 50% strollers, buggies and prams. This is not forgetfulness; the human race isn’t

the effort required to take it home after it’s sojourn around Majorca, seems too much like hard work.

Terms such as convenience and inexpensive, have been confused and muddled up with disposable and temporary, yet if we look at these products they are certainly not designed to be either.

Alongside this gesture of parental wastefulness, as an industry we have continually tried to “out-innovate”, each other rather than collectively pioneer more sustainable products. Where as in other industries the opposite has been true. If as an industry we put the same amount of energy into what goes into the strollers, buggies and travel systems we leverage, as we do safety, then things would be very different.

We would be leading the world with products that set new standards in materials and manufacturing,

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In our industry where pushchairs dictate such a high global value, and a value that will continue to grow as China and India demand more wheels, we need to push this up the agenda. It is a product that is engrained into the lives of modern parenthood, and our obligation to think differently is certainly upon us. Whilst we rely on similar production sources and methods, things are unlikely to change much, and in a world where the DNA of one stroller to another is pretty much the same, we have a long way to go. We have been slow to pick up Victor’s mantle and change the way we do things for the betterment of our environment, and for the betterment of the people tasked with making the things that we push, create more sensitive ways to make the wheels go around.

There are of course green shoots, with the appearance of a couple of smaller brands who are putting ecology and materials issues at the heart of what they do, but it has been slow to establish as something that matters in the world of wheels.

With these small beginnings hopefully we can all begin to think wider about how we design strollers with more holistic considerations, but like most culture shifts, we need to think about this collectively in order to impact on the way we make, value and discard the pushchairs we own.

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technologies and processes, assembly and disposal, recycling and re-use.

What this highlights is that this story from the 1970’s is still with us, and it was not about quick fixes. Not only that but the landscape for change is rich, and the market is aware, informed, primed and interested. Parents are certainly one of the most receptive audiences when it comes to product life cycles, product origins and materials; yet this has still not translated into a popular shift from the cutting of metal and the injecting of nylon to meet a price point, into wheels and frames that are more interesting, inquiring and intelligent.

We could take inspiration out of the automotive industry, where different agendas have been embraced and put into practice. The net result is that the car industry has evolved pioneering products that we all consume and value, not based on faster bigger, but our obligation to make better choices.

From the Prius revolution, to the pre ordained recyclable nature of what we now drive, the appetite for more conscious consumption is clearly there. Alongside this we buy into brands, which put sourcing and ethical manufacture at the heart of what they do, whilst others focus on reinvestment in the communities that make their things.

Exports - a world of opportunities

Written by: Roope Aaltonen, UKTI, International Trade Adviser

Have you ever wondered whether there is potential for selling your product or service beyond these shores, but don’t know how to get started? Or perhaps you’re already trading in a number of international markets and feel that the time is right to take on new challenges, but aren’t sure where to look next?

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he UK accounts for less than 3% of the global economy, and even less of the world population, so for most UK companies the vast majority of growth opportunities are inevitably elsewhere. And while many Western industrialised countries are struggling to get their economies growing again, there are parts of the world where growth rates hardly even dipped into single digits. However, many companies are hesitant to explore these markets as many are rather exotic, geographically far away and can be considered “challenging”. Of course, before you even look into anything too exotic, you should explore opportunities much closer to home. The combined economy of the rest of the EU is already five or six times the size of the UK, and much of that is just across the Channel.

Even in those more familiar markets,

starting to develop exports can still seem daunting, especially if you’re new to exporting and doing it alone. But the good news is, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is here to assist you every step of the way.

We have International Trade Advisers based near you, and an international network with offices in over 100 countries, all with first-hand experience of international trade. We can help you work your way through anything from strategic to operational issues and everything in between. Yes, it will still require careful planning and plenty of effort, but at least you will have someone by your side who has “been there and done it” and whom you can rely on for helpful, unbiased advice.

So why not get in touch? It won’t cost you anything, and who knows, you could be tapping into some of those global opportunities sooner than you think.

Top Tips 1. Think through the customer value of what you’re offering and how your product or service fits into your target market. Then question your assumptions, or better yet, ask your UKTI adviser to play the devil’s advocate.

2. Select your target markets carefully and don’t take on too many at once. Focusing on one or two well-chosen markets is far more likely to result in success.

3. Understand any technical or legal issues such as product safety testing, trademark protection, import duties, labelling, etc., before you ship your first order, to avoid any nasty surprises.

4. Make sure you get paid – that £10k purchase order may look tempting, but what if it turns into a £10k bad debt?

5. Don’t sign up the first distributor who approaches you; it would be quite a coincidence if they were to be the best partner for you. A good way to tell whether they suit your needs is to ask for an outline marketing plan and some sales projections – distributors who come back with something sensible may well be worth talking to further.

Market Focus A few rules of thumb when choosing your next market: • If you cannot narrow down your target markets to five or less, you probably haven’t quite thought through what your USP really is. Your opportunities may be broadly in, say, the Middle East, but Saudi Arabia is a completely different market from Egypt or Qatar. It’s unlikely that every country in that region is equally promising.

• The Nordics, Benelux and the Republic of Ireland are sometimes referred to as ”starter markets”, because, for many, they’re as easy as exporting is likely to get. All are open economies that are used to dealing across borders, English is widely spoken, the business culture is very similar to ours, business is done in a transparent way, the rule of law prevails and payments are usually made promptly.

• Generally speaking, there is a correlation between the size of the market and the difficulty of breaking into it. Within Europe, Germany and France tend to be the most challenging markets for many products and services. On a global scale, the likes of India, China, Brazil, USA and Japan all take considerable planning, commitment and knowhow. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go after these bigger markets, but you need to have a good strategy, and some successes under your belt, before attempting them.

UK Trade & Investment 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

40 nursery today

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Joie has it covered Joie. It’s the brand everyone is talking about. Well on its way to becoming a household name, it’s hard to believe they launched only two years ago. Their name and products have spread far and wide, walk down the streets of any town or city you can’t miss the eye-catching logo on strollers and car seats. Now a multi-million pound business, Joie looks set to double its turnover again this year and shows no signs of slowing down!

A

vailable in stores across the UK, Joie has quickly immersed itself amongst the big players and now easily competes with them.

David Welsh, Managing Director of Joie believes

products much more.”

Joie’s product quality is unquestionable.

The innovative i-Anchor Car Seat system won the coveted Red Dot Award which the likes of Apple, BMW and Dyson have previously accomplished. The latest launch from the innovative company is the i-Gemm. One of the first group 0+ car seats to meet the new i-Size ECE R129 standard.

“

We understand that parents, mums especially like to research, discuss and talk about brands. Our social media platforms David Welsh allow us to talk directly to them, deal with any questions they have quickly and efficiently and engage with them.

“

Chrome Plus

it’s the quality of the products and fantastic price point that has proved such a hit. He says: “Our products are full of features, they aren’t add-ons that parents begrudge having to pay more for, they are jam-packed with innovative details which help makes their lives that little bit easier.

Take the Brisk which has been very popular thanks to its unique one-hand, single action flash fold! Each of our products have their own personality meaning parents can identify and engage with

Serina Swing 42 nursery today

“

Joie are very proud to be paving the way and educating consumers on i-Size. A huge marketing campaign has seen them reach parents across the UK and globe!

“

It has an exclusive Tri-Protect headrest with three layers of security and patented IntelliFit foam for ultimate side impact protection and once again is an affordable solution for parents.

David adds: ““We have a superb product development team that really listen to what parents want and deliver it to them. Alongside the excellent prices we offer, that’s why our products are selling so quickly.”

Joie are very proud to be paving the way and educating consumers on i-Size. A huge marketing campaign has seen them reach parents across the UK and globe! David says: “As a Company we are very passionate about extended rearward facing and we are doing all that we can to show parents it’s the safest way to travel. From in-store training, to point of sale, advertising, PR and social media, we are determined to spread the word and show we have a range which caters for parents with varying budgets.”

Joie’s trophy cabinet is quickly growing thanks to an array of Awards and top notch reviews. This year they are shortlisted in over ten categories in the Mother & Baby Awards alone. Press, bloggers and celebrities all love Joie with tweets, posts and reviews online and in magazines.

Joie has created a fun, friendly and interactive environment for parents on its social media platforms. Their Facebook page is full of parents pictures out and about with their strollers and eager to find out the latest launches. David says: “We understand that parents, mums especially like to research,

discuss and talk about brands. Our social media platforms allow us to talk directly to them, empathise and deal with any questions they have quickly and efficiently.”

Next year is set to be another exciting one for Joie. There will be a massive consumer advertising campaign to promote their products to the customers. Look out for their branded taxis across London, they will be hard to miss! They will also be investing heavily online along with retailers with staff training and in-store displays.

It’s clearly an exciting time to join in with Joie.

Key Staff Hires at Joie:

There’s a safer way to get your little one from here-to-there and it’s called i-Size. i-Size (also known as ECE R129) is the new standard for child seat safety and will run parallel to the current regulation (ECE R44.04) until approximately 2018. This is how i-Size is keeping kids safer: Side Impact Certified Better head, neck and all over protection due to first-ever standardised side impact testing.

Rearward Facing Longer Mandatory rearward-facing travel to 15 months allows baby’s neck to develop and strengthen for forward-facing travel.

Phil Howe Smartest Dummies All new, advanced technology crash test dummies simulate a child’s fragile body with much more accuracy.

Sales Director (Pictured)

Damon Marriott Product Development Manager

Safest Install Required ISOFIX means less room for installation error and ensures i-Size car seats will fit most current ISOFIX vehicles.

Michael De-Cotis Southern Area Trainer

Aiden Hill Northern Area Trainer

Better Fit Formula Seat usage is now classified based on a child’s height instead of weight — ensuring a more accurate fit for growing children.

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Email: uksales@joiebaby.com Web: www.joiebaby.com nursery today 43

Focus Regular Sun,Retail SandProfi & Sea le

Baby Birds have certainly hatched!

This issue Penny Franks speaks with owner, Emma Charlesworth of Baby Birds. Here we find out a little more about this independent nursery retailer.

Can you tell us a little about the history of Baby Birds?

I was pregnant with my first daughter Molly when I opened a tiny 2nd hand shop above my Mother’s shop named Lady Birds selling children’s clothes and equipment for a 50/50 commission.

I started Baby Birds with £100. My stepfather always said that if you start a business with £100 and something goes wrong you have only ever lost £100. I bought a few stairgates, buggies, etc. as I found I could buy them cheaper than people wanted to sell them for. I turned the profit from the £100 straight back into the business and it snowballed from there.

What was the inspiration behind the store?

My Mother already owned a commission business and there was a spare room upstairs. It was a natural progression to open a baby version, the name also came from there. Lady Birds and Baby Birds.

My Mother and Aunt were a great help when Molly and Liberty were born as they ran the shop for me.

Do you have a particular category that performs well for you?

At present, from what I can gather, we are the only retailer worldwide that offers the full range of Silver Cross. We stock not only the standard Silver Cross products but also the spares for the Heritage prams.

So anything from that range really, it depends on the time of year and what promotion Silver Cross are running at the time. At present it’s the Heritage dolls prams ready for Christmas.

Would you say you have a ‘hero’ product at the moment that is performing exceptionally well for you?

The Silver Cross Snow Fairy dolls pram.

It’s the latest design, it’s a limited edition, and it’s been the most viewed product on our website since its launch.

Do you feel we have ample innovation within our industry?

I love visiting the shows to

44 nursery today

see the latest designs. There is so much out there. More than we can ever stock or offer. There’s plenty out there if you look for it! I try and select companies that are offering exclusive ranges for the independents, that in turn gives us an opportunity to compete with larger chain stores.

What’s been the most amusing item that a customer has requested?

We frequently get asked for buggies for dogs, especially in Weymouth when customers come on holiday and the dog can’t handle the long walks! One customer bought a Silver Cross Sleepover Elegance, priced at £600. She pushed her very spoilt, fat Yorkshire Terrier out in it.

How do you keep abreast of trends?

I go to all the shows. I watch to see pram styles, colours and fabrics that are duplicated, it’s usually a sign that they are coming into fashion. Pram colours often follow clothing trends.

Are you seeing any particular change in the way new parents are spending at the moment, for example within wheeled goods or nursery furniture?

Customers are coming back into store for demos and are actually buying more from our shop. The shop is busier then ever.

There are several reasons for this; I consciously only try not to put on the shop floor items 1) I wouldn’t have myself 2) isn’t getting discounted

online 3) we make a margin on. We used to demo all day long and then see the customer walk past with it after purchasing it online. That is avoidable by not dealing with those stockists.

The offending stockists don’t get space on my shop floor - simple really.

In the shop I find if my staff like a product they sell it all day long. One staff member’s daughter has a Vista so she sells them. Another will like iCandy, etc.

The customers tend to come in for advice and although we only have a small shop we offer plenty more from our web site and our stockists web site - Mamas and Papas for instance. The key is to know your stock and what else is available.

Furniture has gone downhill. We only ever sell the cheap £100 cots or £500 or under 3 piece furniture sets, it’s not what we focus on.

How brand focussed would you say your customers are?

We have many customers come in and ask ‘what iCandy do you have’ they still have the biggest brand awareness locally. Not many other brands have that strength in the market. I have to take my hat off to iCandy.

Do you feel you get sufficient support from your suppliers? Is there more they could assist you with?

Absolutely, I wouldn’t deal with them if we didn’t. We have a great relationship

with our stockists and very rarely have any issues.

What about your website – how does this operate alongside your shop?

Quite separate in many ways. The staff in the shop use it for reference on the wheeled goods but the sales side is completely different as we focus on Heritage spares - that would never keep a shop going. It’s all online.

You promise to ‘price match’, whether the order comes via your customers in your shop or your online site – does this ever cause you problems?

We rarely get asked to price match. There is only one other authorised genuine stockist who sells the spares so we have no main competition. The other suppliers that we use don’t sell online or their prices are the same.

How do you monitor competitor prices?

I don’t have to really. We are one of 11 that sell Silver Cross online. All 11 of us sell within terms. It’s not worth risking our account to do anything different.

I think you can easily get eaten up concerning yourself what others are doing. I do my ‘own thing’.

How important is your website and social media to you?

80% of our trade is through our Baby Birds web site.

Obviously it a massive part of our company. We have an IT team now that work on our web site, Facebook and Twitter accounts and are constantly updating all aspects of social media. We are members on coachbuilt prams

web sites as the ‘prammies’ are not only regular customers, they are also fantastic if we have an issue or a customer wants to identify their old pram. There is not a lot that they can’t answer.

Do you attend trade shows?

How important are these to your business?

Yes they are very important, not only to visit stockists but to see other independent companies. We have NSG to thank for that. Not only the admin but also the members. I have never known such close support from other retailers. We get together at the shows and have a glass of wine or two!

Finally, what about the future?

Can we expect any exciting announcements?

My Mother, Roma has moved premises in Weymouth and we have opened a showroom upstairs. It will be useful for my local customers to be able to collect prams from there and extra advertising, especially with the holiday makers. Baby Birds will continue to evolve. After 22 years I followed many trends and stockists but at present I’m focusing on a handful. I would rather know their range inside and out. There is something for everyone with the brands I stock.

I don’t have a crystal ball however I do think that the independents that stay will get stronger.

What are the thoughts on the importance of a website to support their store? Here we ask a selection of independent retailers this very question.

Ian Davidson Babylicious

Gary Watts WH Watts & Son

Yes we have a website that is crucial to the running of our store as we all know the future in the UK is online, which is sad.

We find that our website does bring us good business from much further afield than our local customers and by having key products on there, helps us stay focused. We use google Adwords to promote our site . We also find it useful to rotate ranges on our Adwords campaigns within our website to allow different ranges at varying times of year. Like highchairs and toys around Christmas time.

As for Social Media, Facebook is great for us as we can just blog what we want and get a reaction on ranges before we can stock them.

Without our new website I don’t think our store would still be here. It’s not easy breaking into online - we have had our ups and downs but we are getting there.

Yes we do have a website that runs alongside our store. I think every store nowadays needs some on line presence.

We operate the website in house and have someone employed full time to do this.

The website opens us up to the possibility of national sales and not just the local area, although we are finding that people are prepared to travel further and further to visit stores that are stocking brands they want to see.

We have not invested much money

in building awareness of the site but we have used newsletters, some paper and radio advertising, although this has been minimal. Going forward though it is our intention to do so but no firm decisions have been made in this area but I think they will include social media. We also have managed even without the investment to get good traffic through the site.

Going forward an on line presence will be an absolute must as it will be difficult to grow a business without it.

Warm people, great service

Friendly With customer care at the heart of our business ethics, we provide warm, professional and friendly staff that are on hand to answer your questions, big or small. Our team are proud to offer their support making sure you’re not alone as we bring your business into the 21st century.

ll igent Retail, te In d en m m co re ly pi p ha “I would C onnect. g in us of ts fi ne be he t e and show anyon are t he staf f.” as , at re g is e ar w ft so e Th Catherine - Projects

Call us on 0845 68 00 126 or email info@intelligentretail.co.uk 46 nursery today

Liam, Saswa

Lorraine Hunt Next Generation Pram & Nursery Centre I do have website that runs alongside our shop its www.pramandnursery.co.uk The website is very much our Shop window as we are a destination store, we are located in the countryside and not in a town centre so people will have to look for us. We have not done much in the way of sales from it as we don’t tend to compete with prices with the nationals and as a result with many of the sensitive brands we have put a call for price on the item.

But the sales we to make are actual local sales which is nice to think local people are supporting us.

We build our awareness by mailshot and social media and that seems OK for the moment.

The website is a very important tool for your business but perhaps a shopping cart is not needed, as a lot of people will tend to get a general feel and look of a store by the webpage and most of our business is done by customers coming to the shop and I hope it stays that way as people make the correct decision on purchases.

Susan Pellett Anns Prams Yes we have a website but we do not sell from our site, it is used purely to advertise the products that we sell and our high standard of customer service, especially in the car seat side of our business which has grown in the sale of ERF seats over the past 4 years.

We build our customer awareness by advertising locally, giving all our customers that visit the shop a leaflet and asking them to tell their friends about us, along with the local NCT and mummy groups.

The website is a must these days to make the public aware of your existence but I don’t feel at the moment selling online is where we want to go, this may change over the next few years.

John Barker Pramland We don’t sell online due to a number of issues. Firstly we are not in a position to hold large quantities of stock in the store, the store is an old building and storage room is tight without having to carry multiple items in stock. Secondly we feel that customer care is of huge importance and we cannot guarantee that every customer will get the level of service they expect without the all important face-to-face contact. We are great believers that if customers are left to “browse” and make their own purchases they will invariably under spend or even purchase incorrectly, with us only offering instore purchases we can influence and suggest items the customer may never have considered, increasing the till ring and ensuring the customer has made an informed decision about their spend. On the downside should a customer experience problems with an item the store is also positioned better to providing a swift and complete resolution with minimum disruption to the consumer, unlike an online purchase.

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

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Focus GFK

The summer baby market boom!

A

s we head into Christmas and wait for the news on Christmas & New Year babies, we can look back and celebrate the positive growth in the nursery industry.

While there was a 3.2% growth over the last 12 months (as compared to Oct12 – Sept13), Q3, 2014 has seen growth accelerating.

The value share of the various categories remains constant. Bathing and Feeding have had strong growth in Q3.

Bathing categories grew by over 17% with hygiene and towel products experiencing uplift. Other areas that are driving the nursery sector include thermometers, carry cots/cribs and harnesses/reins.

About GfK GfK is one of the world’s largest research companies, with around 13,000 experts working to discover new insights into the way people live, think and shop, in over 100 markets, every day.

GfK is constantly innovating and using the latest technologies and the smartest methodologies to give its clients the clearest understanding of the most important people in the world: their customers. In 2012, GfK’s sales amounted to €1.51 billion.

To find out more, visit www.gfk. com/uk or follow GfK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GfK_en

The Equipment Sector The nursery equipment sector has also had a strong Q3 performance. Interestingly, we have seen that the UK market can be led by promotions, with more than 1 out of 10 units sold on a price cut of 20%. This is one of the highest promotional rates in Europe, only to be beaten by Russia.

Within the equipment sector, highchairs and car seats have emerged as the fastest growing categories, while the Volume growth of strollers has slowed when compared quarter on quarter.

Although parents are not purchasing as many strollers, when they do they are prepared to pay a premium price. Strollers are also going compact as the sale of 2 in 1 travel systems grow supplemented by newborn modular strollers.

Within the Car Seats, Isofix is becoming an important feature as the spend grows to £2 out £5.

Baby Feeding Q3, 2014 has proved to be the biggest quarter of the year in volume terms. With every £1 out £5 being spent on feeding products, it is the biggest volume category within the Nursery market The 0-6 months (1st age) age group account for 65% of the value within the bottle & teats category. Remarkably, 1 out of 2 sales take place on the internet platform and 200 - 260ml capacity is the most popular purchase.

For breast feeding products, while every £2 out of £5 is spent in the mass merchandiser channel, mother & child specialists are the channel of choice for purchasing breast pumps. This highlights the need for specialist advice and reassurance when purchasing nursery specific products.

Tullika Bhalla, GfK spokeperson, says “Q3 has been an optimistic quarter for the Nursery Industry with an all-around growth. Manufacturers do need to be aware of the changing trends and the innovation in the sector. Also, while parents need to buy products at birth, there is no denying the fact that consumers are promotion driven and will always look for the “best deal”. “

New Products MAM As a world leading developer of dependable baby care products for over 35 years, MAM has expanded its range of BPA-free bottles to include a new range of bright and colourful MAM glass bottles for babies.

MAM ‘Feel Good’ bottles are made of temperature-resistant, high quality glass; a natural material that has been used for decades by conscientious parents to bottle feed their young babies. Developed and rigorously tested by MAM’s team of medical and safety experts MAM Feel Good Bottles are strong durable and naturally BPA Free offering great peace of mind for parents.

Ergonomic, easy to clean & bold designs The ‘Feel Good’ bottles feature the popular Silk Teat. A BPA Free patented silky-soft teat which provides a soothing, familiar drinking experience for babies, akin to their mum’s skin. This allows mums to switch easily from breast to bottle feeding as well as supporting in the transition period.

Available in 260ml size the ergonomic round bottle shape is easy to hold and has an extra wide opening for easy filling and cleaning.

Mums can choose from three cheerful motifs that are guaranteed to bring a burst of fun and colour into every feed-time; Boys, girls and unisex. All bottles have a graduated scale to provide accuracy to feeding.

Lisa Parkhill, Managing Director at MAM, said: “We know that using baby bottles made of safe, natural materials is a priority for many parents. Whilst all MAM bottles are BPA Free we wanted to add to our range with this traditional glass bottle which has been trusted by mums for generations to respond to parents requests for a greater choice of natural feeding products.”

RRP - £12.00

Tel: 020 8943 8880 Web: www.mambaby.com

East Coast Nursery East Coast Nursery are proud to announce the launch of their new 3600 Swivel Rocker, which completes their Tiny Tatty Teddy range.

The Rocker is a luxurious place for baby to play and relax. It features a removable toy bar, and soothing vibration and music functions. The backrest has two recline positions, and the seat unit can be rotated 360 degrees, allowing it to rock front-toback or side-to-side. The feet can also be stabilised for no rocking.

The Tiny tatty Teddy range from East Coast includes a printed cot bed and dresser, wooden highchair and feeding accessories, bedding, bathtime, and travel accessories. Tiny Tatty Teddy is an endearing and familiar brand with instant parental appeal, as Me To You fans are growing with the brand and having children of their own.

Web: www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk Email: nursery@east-coast.co.uk

48 nursery today

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

Looking at Kind Und Jugend 2014 It may feel now like a while ago, but Kind Und Jugend 2014 was a whirlwind of energy this year, with a record number of exhibitors.

F

ull aisles, a good mood, high level of internationality: That is the summary of the Kind + Jugend 2014, which came to a successful close on Sunday, 14 September. With a record number of 1,052 exhibitors from 51 countries (foreign share: 82 percent) the signs in the run-up to the trade fair were always very promising.

A certain area of note was the increased visitor attendance from the UK. Andy Crane, MD, BabyStyle UK Ltd was one exhibitor who noticed this. “It appears that more and more UK based retailers are making the effort to travel to Cologne to visit Kind und Jugend and therefore reaping the benefits, we certainly saw more of them on the BabyStyle stand than in previous years.

“We had new features and things to show on our existing Oyster range, which the visitors were very impressed with. We also managed to do a ‘first see’ for our brand new premium range stroller called egg, those that were lucky enough to see it were very happy with what is soon going to be on offer, with one word – WOW - seeming to be the overall reaction from those that saw it.

“We are finding that the stroller market is going to a more aspirational level, with consumers wanting more choice in this premium category.”

As a leading international trade fair for the baby and toddler outfitting sector Kind Und Jugend is regularly referred to as one of the most important industry meeting points worldwide. The quality of the exhibitors and visitors as well as the wide-ranging offer of standards, trends and novelties always arouse curiosity.

Speaking with Sarah Carnhill of Emmaljunga, it’s clear why so many chose this exhibition. “Kind und Jugend just seems to get bigger and better every year for Emmaljunga!

We welcomed a record number of visitors from the UK this year, many of whom were independent retailers visiting the show for the very first time. We really appreciate their support.

Cologne offers retailers a unique experience to see the most innovative products available in a fantastic location. Our customers received an exclusive preview of a number of new products and we welcomed the opportunity to present our new look website with its great new features and functions. Of

50 nursery today

As a leading international trade fair for the baby and toddler outfitting sector Kind Und Jugend is regularly referred to as one of the most important industry meeting points worldwide course we also enjoyed treating our retailers to some famous Emmaljunga hospitality at Cologne’s Haxenhaus as always!”

Yasmin Ali, BabyLand, Fife (also of the NSG), visited the show for the first time this year. “I went into the show not really knowing what to expect, hoping to be inspired, see new things and meet some fab people. I was not let down - firstly its enormous, there are companies from all over the world exhibiting, and I did need the whole four days to get around the show, even then I didn’t see some of the foreign pavilions.”

With over 20,000 trade visitors from 109 countries taking the opportunity to visit the event (72 percent being from abroad), this is a great platform to really see what’s happening in the nursery sector, view new product launches, make important in-store selections and source those all important new contacts. “The high level of quality showcased at Kind Und Jugend, the constant good attendance figures and the further increased level of internationality among the exhibitors and visitors confirms the significance of the world’s leading trade fair Kind Und Jugend,” summed up Katharina C.

Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH. “The industry’s top buyers and decision-makers travel to Cologne from all over the world. Significant growth was registered this year from China and South Korea and from several European countries,” added Hamma.

Andrew Ratcliffe, Managing Director of Dorel Juvenile UK and Board Member of the European Nursery Products Confederation (ENPC) emphasised the standing of the Kind Und Jugend as a business hotspot: “The trade fair has become more and more international. Many foreign customers came to our stand to transact business deals here in Cologne. From the point of view of ENPC, Kind Und Jugend is the world’s most important business and networking platform of the year for the nursery or juvenile sector.”

Christian Jones, Managing Director at The Gro Company agrees. “Kind Und Jugend continues to prove to be a positive and effective platform to launch and showcase the latest innovations from The Gro Company. We had a few stars of the show but the product which shone the most was our new baby

JUK-097-1

After a busy day away from home, the last things you want to worry about are an uncooperative cot and a fussy tot. The chic Nuna SENA and SENA miniâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;thanks to our clever zigzag leg designâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;pop open easily into a soft, sturdy dreamland, and then refold with just one hand for a quick getaway the next morning.

The SENA series belong to a Dutch-designed family of smart baby gear, so you know its revolutionary design is also evolutionary: growing beyond newborn through toddlerhood, and even doubling as a playspace.

Let the travelling begin.

nuna.eu For all sales enquiries, please contact uksales@joiebaby.com or call 01889 808 900

calmer the Gro-hush, which received significant interest from around the globe. The patent protected and portable device emits white noise which calms distressed babies; it’s one of kind and receiving rave reviews.”

In addition to almost the entire industry being represented in the classic exhibition area of the trade fair, Kind Und Jugend also picks up on current trends and market development in the scope of special shows and its supporting programme. A good example of this is the Design Park, which after its premiere last year, once again presented a range of children’s furniture, toys and living accessories by international designers. The Design Park was well visited on all days of the trade fair. The same applies for the ‘future of kids design’ special show, where ten prototypes for children’s furniture created by young designers were presented. After the trade fair up to three prototypes will be selected by famous furniture manufacturers, which will be further developed together with the designers until they are ready for market launch. The designers and all of the trade visitors were also able to take a glance into the possible future in the ‘Young innovative companies’ sector. The funding programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Technology supports young companies and start-ups in marketing their products via trade fairs and has been an integral part of the Kind Und Jugend since 2010.

Again, visitors to the show were welcomed by the UK Pavilion. Now in its sixth year, the UK Pavilion at Kind und Jugend was the biggest ever covering a staggering 2,500 square metres with more than 65 exhibitors participating. Early feedback suggests an even busier show than 2013, with an average of 70 potential leads taken by each company.

The UK Pavilion was hosted by Robert Anslow, BPA

Sarah Carnhill, Emmaljunga “It’s clear why so many chose this exhibition. “Kind und Jugend just seems to get bigger and better every year for Emmaljunga! We welcomed a record number of visitors from the UK this year, many of whom were independent retailers visiting the show for the very first time.“ managing director, and Julie James, BPA membership and technical support manager and organised by Adrian Sneyd who remarks: “Each year since the BPA’s first participation at Kind und Jugend in 2009, we believe that the UK Pavilion has reached its limit in terms of size and exhibitor numbers – and then it surpasses all expectations yet again. This year is no exception and the scale of the ‘British community’ was impressive to say the least.”

The UK Pavilion coffee and networking arena, sponsored

by Emma’s Diary, buzzed with activity as exhibitors met with buyers to discuss business and housed two informative seminars by leading market research company GFK. It also provided the venue for the hugely popular networking event which took place on the first evening of the show.

Adrian continues: “With the majority of participants planning to return again next year and numerous enquiries from new companies wanting to jump on board in 2015, we can only speculate continued growth of the UK Pavilion at Kind und Jugend in the future.”

What did the exhibitors say about their experience in the UK Pavilion? “This has been the best show for some years,” said bébélephant Managing Director Elliot Bishop. “It brought an immense sense of pride to see the brands we represent doing so well at the UK Pavilion and we will shortly announce some major new signings of some highly innovative products

launched in Cologne – watch this space” said an upbeat Elliot.

Hannah Batham of Belt Upp was delighted with her experience, stating: “We felt that the whole thing was not only organised by the BPA perfectly, but the UK Pavilion looked brilliant and really did show the rest of the world what we are made of! Great job, well done to everyone involved.”

The second edition of the Trend Forum also proved extremely popular again. International experts from the trade, field of science and media offered background information on market structures, new distribution channels in the online and offline area as well as on safety themes and innovative design possibilities for the presentation of goods in the scope of lectures and discussion rounds.

We also experienced this year the Gruner + Jahr I Family Consumer Awards. The prizes that were awarded in four categories are the result of an online voting among end users, who were able to vote for their favourite products. The Consumer Awards are a good indication for the participating companies in assessing the acceptance of their products on the market. Foreign buyers, who visit the Kind Und Jugend, can on the other hand see which products go down particularly well on the German market.

Here’s to next year – make sure you put the dates in your diary: 10th – 13th September 2015.

Web: www.kindundjugend.com

Product Profile

New products arrive with a bang at K&J

H

&Co, one of the leading independent distributors of nursery products in the UK & Ireland, were thrilled with the interest that the new products created at K+J 2014.

The Angelcare stand was a hub of innovation. Showcasing a collection of brand new impressive product developments within the bathtime, nappy disposal and trademark baby monitor ranges. These are expected to reach the UK in 2015!

The new replacement for the UK’s best-selling Angelcare AC401 model, the AC403 Movement & Sound Baby Monitor, created excitement by winning 1st place in the ‘Makes Life Easier’ category within the Gruner+Jahr | Family Consumer Awards. This proved to be a huge achievement at the show.

The latest brand arrivals to H&Co’s portfolio, Duux and 3 Sprouts, also gained plenty of attention and demand from visitors on the innovation floor. The beautifully designed and stylishly showcased baby electronics included: humidifiers, purifiers and a brand new Bluetooth Baby Projector. The projector has already become proud winner of the JPMA 2014 Innovation Awards!

A successful show for new products; 2015 is set to be full of exciting launches in the UK. For more information on their existing and new product ranges, please feel free to call them:

Tel: 01785 503 305 Email: info@hcotrade.co.uk Web: www.Hardenbergco.co.uk 52 nursery today

...it is an absolute miracle machine Jimmy, September 2014

FQ Magazine says: 5 star value for money

9 out of 10 said the Gro-hush was effective at calming and soothing their baby.* In stock now.

0844 557 2985 | trade.gro.co.uk

NEW

Consumer trial with 20 families, September 2014

*

Puckababy

Dorel

Puckababy introduced visitors at Kind Und Jugend to the latest addition to their growing, and increasingly popular, product range – The Sleeper. The reaction from retailers – Fantastic!

Why? Well this innovative product enables baby to fall asleep easily with the simple rocking motion of the person carrying it. The Sleeper has been designed with comfort in mind and quite simply cocoons baby with the additional benefit of having a soft bottom, head protection and even better - being portable.

The aim of the product is to aid baby to fall asleep easily by rocking The Sleeper. The security then offered by The Sleeper keeps baby asleep. The Sleeper is a great combination of many baby swing products currently available.

The Sleeper rocks baby asleep and after that turns into the perfect little bassinet in which baby can continue sleeping safely with no need to disturb the sleeping infant by transferring to a cot or moses basket.

The comfort within the cocoon is kept intact when the baby stays asleep in The Sleeper.

The Sleeper can be placed in the baby’s cot, but you can also keep the baby near you if you prefer to do so.

The Sleeper will be available in 2015. Interested? Simply email info@puckababy.com for more information.

The launch of Dorel’s new collection of i-Size compatible car seats definitely created a stir at the recent Kind & Jugend Show, not least with the launch of the first i-Size compatible infant carrier, the Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus.

The Pebble Plus offers newborns a better fit and lying position with its innovative baby hugg inlay.

New high tech impactabsorbing material in the top side wings of the seat provide comfort and optimum safety in the event of an accident.

Suitable from birth to 75cm tall (around 12 months-old), the Pebble Plus embraces baby with its impact-absorbing material and uses the 2wayFix Base that can also be used with the 2wayPearl toddler seat. The new Pebble Plus completes the 2wayFamily for a complete i-Size solution offering rearward facing travel from birth to 4 years.

In addition, Dorel gave the industry a look at the new Maxi-Cosi AxissFix. This toddler car seat combines state-of the-art i-Size compliant safety performance with a 360° swivelling seat, making securing the toddler a breeze as the seat faces outwards.

AxissFix comes with IsoFix with top tether for an easy and safe car seat installation, and offers rear-facing travel up to approx. 2 years (87cm) to increase head and neck protection.

Email: info@puckababy.com

Tel: 0208 236 0707

Web: www.puckababy.com

Web: www.dorel.com

Bo Peep

Obaby

Exciting new brand Bo Peep made its debut at K&J this year.

Launching with a collection of striking universal buggy covers that come in a range of beautiful designs and on-trend colourways they look set to be the must-have buggy accessory for fashion conscious, discerning parents.

With their slick stand and large prints Bo Peep certainly caught the eye of many visitors and overseas customers. Says Michele Tamlin of Bo Peep Sales, ‘we received some strong interest from our key target markets within Asia, Europe and the Americas and we are looking forward to seeing growth there.’

The buggy covers come fully equipped with multiple functions, including having a high protection from UV rays, blocking out visual stimulation to help an infant sleep and a flexible strip built in to stop wind blowing into a child’s face. It’s easy to remove so you can wash it too. Bo Peep’s innovative shape and design means it can be attached to any buggy in under 10 seconds! It also comes with a mosquito protective peep hole to allow you to check on your baby and for them to see out too.

Amy Murray Jones, founder and Director of Bo Peep is pleased with the response from K&J, ‘We have worked very hard to provide parents with a stylish solution to the everyday reality of protecting a child from the elements whilst on the move. Visitors to our stand really appreciated the design and hard work that has gone in to creating the Bo Peep buggy cover.’

We understand that there are lots more exciting new designs in the pipeline and developments are already underway for new products. It certainly looks like Bo Peep is a brand to watch out for in 2015.

Early in September, Obaby gathered its popular range of stylish pushchairs and nursery furniture and joined with hundreds of fellow distributers and retailers from across the globe to be part of the world’s leading trade show - Kind and Jugend! The Obaby stand was a great success, exhibiting a selection of the brand’s classic strollers and high quality furniture alongside some brand new and exciting products which were making their welcome debut at the show.

Bright colours and patterns like those used in some of Obaby’s leading designs were used to decorate the stand. Zigzags were used in honour of the Chase 3 in 1 and Metis Plus and Leto Plus strollers, which all drew plenty of attention from the show’s visitors, while the Disney banners set the scene for an exclusive look at the new and yet to be released selection of Disney pushchairs, travel cots, highchairs and bath units (A first for Obaby!).

Another big hit was the licensed Tiny Tatty Teddy range, which now features brand new single and twin strollers and a deluxe denim range, while design classics like the Little Cutie and Little Sailor proved another highlight, receiving some well-deserved praise from Kind and Jugend’s diverse and friendly customer base!

Email: enquiries@bopeepworld.com Web: www.bopeepworld.com

54 nursery today

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

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health & happiness! air humidifier mushroom

air humidifier

air purifier

baby tor projec

Create a healthier and happier environment for your baby.

Duux combines innovative, exclusive and reliable baby products with beautiful design and true style.

This brand new collection is the perfect way to help support your baby at night, especially during Winter.

JSPPS[ YW @Hardenberg_Co Hardenberg&Co Ltd

The Little Green Sheep

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The award-winning SnuzPod bedside crib is the ideal solution for parents who want to keep their baby close by day and night. Voted Best Bedside Crib by Loved by Parents, SnüzPod has a unique 3 in 1 design; a bedside crib with a zip-down wall; a stand-alone crib for the nursery; and a removable rocking bassinet that can be used around the home.

Allowing you to easily comfort, settle and feed your baby without having to leave your bed, helping build a close bond and ensuring the very best nights sleep.To support the continued success of the SnuzPod, The Little Green Sheep are launching an integrated marketing campaign that highlights the benefits of the different functions of the SnuzPod whilst focussing on the emotional bonding aspects that a bedside crib can bring. The campaign also focuses on the natural materials and organic mattress that the SnuzPod uses, bringing all these together under the campaign line of ‘Naturally Close’. The campaign will run across press, online, PR and POS and includes a stunning brand led video that really brings to life the SnuzPod.

Tel: 01386 791076 Email: samantha.owen@thelittlegreensheep.co.uk

Emmaljunga

TTTT

Exclusive Swedish brand, Emmaljunga presented its fantastic new Model Year 2015 collection at this year’s Kind und Jugend show, including some exciting new products, fresh colours and designs. Customers were also treated to a preview of a stunning new addition to the glamorous Mondial de Luxe collection - Dallas de Luxe.

The new design features a winning combination of Emmaljunga’s new ‘Dallas’ grey melange fabric with its ever popular quilted white leatherette, trimmed with chrome piping. Teamed with the De Luxe chrome chassis featuring a leatherette handle and whitewall wheels, the new Dallas de Luxe proved to be a real showstopper. A range of coordinating accessories has been introduced to complement the Dallas de Luxe pram including a stylish Exclusive changing bag, footmuff and parasol. These items can be ordered with the pram as an attractively priced Accessory Package. Dallas de Luxe is available to order now with a choice of eight different chassis options. The show also proved an excellent opportunity for Emmaljunga to introduce customers to its fantastic new website which has a host of new features and functions, in addition to a user friendly design and a great new look. For more information on the new range and becoming a stockist contact Emmaljunga.

Tel: 01159 646 979 Web: www. emmaljunga.co.uk

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Maguari

Maguari enjoyed a successful Kind Und Jugend 2014; the stand was buzzing throughout the show and the Company was pleased with the positive reaction to its new brands and products, including its very own travel range.

The new X-Qlusive Covers that allow customisation of a pushchair’s handlebar and bumper bar were certainly a big star of the show for Maguari. Unique in that this is the first range of handle and bumper bar covers that are tailor-made to fit specific pushchair brands, this product allows parents to keep their handlebar as good as new whilst adding their own splash of colour, or alternatively, cost effectively smarten up a ‘tired’ buggy.

Giving a comfortable grip and protecting the handlebar and bumper bar from wear, the X-Qlusive Covers are easy to clean and have a leather effect look in a choice of six different colours.

Developed following customer demand, Maguari was delighted with the positive feedback at the show for its ISI Mini collection of co-ordinating travel products. The range includes various car accessories and kick mats, must-have car sunshades and baby mirrors, plus useful pushchair accessories such as a universal buggy rain cover and shopping net. Maguari is now looking forward to rolling out the range and developing it further in the future.

Other favourites from Maguari included new pre-school feeding items from Skip Hop’s popular Zoo range, sleep aids from BabyZoo, and premium Muslin Sets from Bebe au Lait.

Tel: 01293 774924 Web: www.maguari.com

Britax

TTTT

Britax, one of the leaders in child safety, has announced the launch of the new, sleek and practical Britax Smile pushchair available from early 2015. Designed with busy, modern families in mind, this cleverly crafted stroller provides parents with the freedom to look and feel great whilst having a practical pushchair to support them on the move.

The Britax Smile comes complete with integrated Click & Go adaptors to create a travel system with an infant carrier from birth and then to approx. 3 years old. Extra features include a large shopping basket and reflective stripes on the chassis, giving parents the freedom to take a safe stroll in lowlight conditions. The ventilation window in the hood will also help keep children comfortable on warm and sunny days.

In the second half of 2015, an electronic brake will be added to the Britax Smile as an additional, safety feature. This brake system is designed to automatically engage if a pushchair continues to move without someone controlling the handle. This innovation has been specifically designed to prevent pushchairs from rolling away without anyone in control.

This prototype concept was displayed and demonstrated at the Britax stand at this year’s Kind and Jugend Fair in Köln.

Web: www.britax.com

56 nursery today

the next generation

in soft carryingâ&#x20AC;Ś

Caboo DX + 3 in 1 carrier is coming...

www.closeparent.com

facebook.com/closeltd twitter.com/CloseParent

For more information on stocking the Caboo DX+ range please contact Graham Jackson â&#x20AC;&#x201C; graham@closeparent.com 01992 554045

Clippasafe XXXX Driving or travelling in a car can be dangerous for women during pregnancy. Seat belts positioned over the abdomen are not only uncomfortable, but also highly dangerous in the event of an abrupt stop or collision.

The Advanced Bump Belt from Clippasafe is designed to make car journeys safer for mothers-to-be, reducing the movement of seat belts over the abdomen and avoiding the need for constant re-positioning.

Suitable for use from two months pregnant and up to birth, the Bump Belt is used with a regular seat belt to help keep the strap in place.

Wearers sit on the Bump Belt’s seat pad and fasten the seat belt below the abdomen and under the pregnancy bump, in accordance with NHS health and safety guidelines. The seat pad can be secured around the back of the car seat. The Bump Belt’s elasticated flaps are then secured around the strap to maintain its position. In the event of a collision, the pressure is more effectively and safely transferred through the pelvis and hips, rather than the abdomen and womb. The Bump Belt conforms to European Safety Standards.

Clippasafe’s Advanced Bump Belt is priced at £24.99 and is part of the extensive Auto Range.

Pabobo

SSSS

Tel: 0115 921 1899

Pabobo, the French children’s light specialist, offers a range of sleep aid products to enhance well-being of children and parents alike.

Inventor of the first portable and rechargeable nightlight, Pabobo is a pioneer in the baby industry with its LED technology and micro-USB charging system. All Pabobo creations are designed to be easily handled by children from newborns to toddler.

Innovation and smart design are central to its approach. Thanks to their cold LED, Pabobo lights stay cool to the touch even under the covers, making them a safe choice for bedtime.

Pabobo offers a unique range of light solutions that answers all the babies and toddlers needs, night and day: night lights, luminous pals, sleep aids, decoration…

This winter, Pabobo will launch two new night light companions coming from the Mister Men collection: Mister Perfect and Little Miss Hug! Rechargeable, they glow up to 11 hours for a quiet night with a soft source of light, perfect to reassure children. Certified for a use from birth (CE 0+), they are totally safe and don’t heat up, even under the covers. The glowing companions Mister Perfect and Little Miss Hug will make parents life easier.

Web: www.clippasafe.co.uk

Tel: +33 645 150 216 Email: barbara@pabobo.com

Sock Ons

MaByLand

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MaByLand launch a new and innovative Travel Changing Bed as well as their new Baby Carriers collection at the K&J show last month. The Travel Changing Bed was by far the star of the show as it has sparked off so many interests from so many countries.

The Travel Changing Bed is unique; there is no product like it in the market. It is light, compact, spacious and stylish for both parents and above all very quick and easy to open and close. A perfect product for parents who travels to visits friends or families or even a holiday! It is suitable from birth until approx 6 months of age. It includes a mosquito net cover as well as many compartments to store clothes and various baby essentials whilst travelling out and about.

Along with the positive responses from buyers and distributors at the show, MaByLand has incorporated some feedbacks and have produced a revised travel bed sample for all their clients. A demonstration video is also available on the MaByLand you tube channel.

This product is aim to launch in the UK in Q1 2015 and certainly will be available for the Harrogate Nursery Fair in March! A product not to be missed!! For further information on this products, please contact Sheena on sheena@mabyland.com.

Tel : 0208 879 0080 Web : www.mabyland.com 58 nursery today

TTTT

Sock Ons have enjoyed great success at the K&J exhibition in previous years and the 2014 show was no exception. As the company continues to expand and build upon its existing ranges, the Cologne show is a key date in the calendar due to the calibre of visitors.

Kezi Levin, MD at Sock Ons comments: ‘This year we have added some great new designs to our Mocc Ons and Dribble Ons ranges and the reaction we received at K&J was phenomenal. We always use this event to meet with key buyers and to find out what they think of existing lines as well as using the event to draw inspiration for forthcoming trends.’

The new Floral Ditsy and Nautical Mocc Ons designs proved immensely popular together with other top selling Ballerina, Cow Boy and Rainbow styles. From 6 months right through to 3 years, Mocc Ons are the only slipper sock a baby and toddler will ever need and the low retail price point of just £9.99 coupled with the unrivalled quality and design proves popular with retailers and customers alike.

One of the most popular baby bib ranges on the market, Dribble Ons continue to be added too and retailers are now able to complement the existing collection with designled bibs including Ditsy Floral, Nautical and Clown Spot. The new Paisley prints were extremely well received at the event and retailers will be kept up to date with brand new designs coming very soon.

Tel : 0208 451 1516 Web : www.sockons.co.uk

Kind Und Jugend Innovation Awards 2014

T

he award ceremony of the Kind Und Jugend Innovation Award in eight categories has always traditionally marked the start of the trade fair. This year, 184 products were submitted by 135 exhibitors from 28 countries in a bid to win the coveted winner’s seal. The jury of the Innovation Awards was made up of international trade journalists and safety experts.

The winners of the Kind Und Jugend Innovation Awards 2014: World of Moving Baby: ‘Six Seater’ – Childhome-Aerts NV (Belgium)

World of Baby Toys: ‘Tiny Love Double Sided Crib Toy’ – Dorel Europe (the Netherlands) World of Baby Textiles: ‘Shoeps elastic laces’ – Miyali (the Netherlands)

World of Baby Care: ‘Aquanest’ – Babymoov (France)

World of Travelling Baby: ‘Doona’ – Simple Parenting (Hong Kong)

World of Moving Baby & Travelling Baby Accessories: ‘Ergo Pouch Sleep Suit and Sleep Bag’ – Ergo Pouch (Australia)

World of Baby Safety at Home: ‘0 Emission Camera’ – Babymoov (France)

World of Baby Furniture: ‘Pili Mat’ – BabyToLove (France)

www.ergopouch.co.uk

nursery today 59

Focus Pregnancy & Maternity

Bump up profit There are huge benefits to be made by stocking products instore for when baby arrives – but what about items that can give great retail opportunities throughout the pregnancy stage?

M

ums today are quite savvy when it comes to current trends and styles, it is a given that they now want to be style icons whilst pregnant – frumpy frocks are not on the agenda! Fashion conscious women of today want to be seen in attire that is suitable to the style world around them – keeping up to date with colours, fabrics and fit.

When the ‘tell tell’ signs start (around 4 months) of a growing bump mums to be will start to recognise that perhaps their existing wardrobe is becoming a little ‘snug’ in certain areas! Good news, clothing is now being designed that fit the bill for this very occasion and offers solid solutions for attire that mums actually want to wear.

“Stocking maternity in a nursery goods store is a great opportunity for a retailer to bring mums-to-be into their store in the first trimester” Lia Murrain, 2012 Ltd But it’s not just what can be seen on the outside that matters, comfort and feeling feminine whilst wearing undergarments is also essential and can drive footfall either into your store or to your website. Lia Murrain of 2012 Ltd. told Nursery Today: “Stocking maternity in a nursery goods store is a great opportunity for a retailer to bring mums-tobe into their store in the first trimester. A woman’s body is going through changes and retailers that understand and cater for the needs of pregnant women see impressive sales figures in this category.” Naturally, whilst you have this early captive audience, it gives you, the retailer, the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge in the nursery

arena, which should in return bring repeat purchases directly to you.

This is a key time when mums will be thinking about other items that they may need to assist in hopefully a happy pregnancy. The maternity stage is incredibly important and shouldn’t be overlooked, don’t ignore potential profit margins that could exist by stocking items associated to pregnancy.

Giulia Toselli, Brand and Strategy Manager at Chicco stated: “Everyone has such busy lives these days that mumsto-be need products to help them relax during the months leading up to their due date. Sleep during this time is vital, which is why products to help pregnant women get a rested night are proving to be very popular. The Total Body Pillow from Boppy helps to ensure a peaceful and comfortable sleep, which mums-to-be will no doubt be appreciative of.

“It’s also important for manufacturers to recognise that mums and mums-to-be have different needs and wants.

That’s why the Total Body Pillow from Boppy has been designed in a modular and flexible way, with three pieces that can be removed and used in different combinations.

This ensures the best configuration can be found to suit the support requirements that change during pregnancy and from one woman to another.“ Remember, this is your first window of opportunity to really get to know your customers before their baby’s arrival!

Hashim Yilmaz, Sales Director at Summer Infant Europe commented that the maternity market is of huge benefit to both retailers and brands because it allows companies to engage with mum at a very early stage of the parenting journey. “As mum first heads out to store or browses online she will see products that benefit her right now and that will in turn help her to identify and trust the brand or retailer in question. It’s about holding mums hand from the very beginning of her journey and hopefully for many years after she has given birth with our range of products from maternity to preschool age,” stated Hashim.

Chicco

SSSS

The Boppy Total Body Pillow is part of the Boppy Mom Comfort collection which has been specifically developed to offer necessary support to mums during pregnancy, helping them to alleviate possible discomfort and tension or simply to help them find a much more comfortable support for peaceful rest.

The modular and flexible design of the Total Body Pillow makes it adaptable to the various requirements of support that vary during pregnancy and change from one mum-to-be to another. The pillow consists of three pieces that can be removed and used for the perfect combination. Mums-to-be can choose to use the complete configuration (full body support), head and abdomen configuration (supports head, neck, shoulders and tummy) legs and abdomen configuration (supports tummy, hips, knees and ankles) and back configuration (supports the back and promotes the side sleeping position).

The Boppy Total Body Pillow has been developed with the collaboration of a physiotherapists to offer total support to the mums body, filling all of the ‘gaps’ from head to toes, providing support and total wellness to the spine and therefore to the entire body.

RRP is £59.99 and will suit each and every mum and their changing requirements throughout the stages of pregnancy.

Web: www.chicco.co.uk

“Everyone has such busy lives these days that mums-to-be need products to help them relax during the months leading up to their due date. Sleep during this time is vital, which is why products to help pregnant women get a rested night are proving to be very popular” Giulia Toselli, Chicco

60 nursery today

Summer Infant SSSS Winner of numerous awards, the Summer Infant Ultimate Comfort Body Pillow is the perfect pregnancy companion. Ideal for expectant mothers, this extra-large, body-length pillow is soft and comfortable and offers ultimate back and tummy support while keeping hips in a secure position. In addition to providing optimum support for sleeping, the Ultimate Comfort Body Pillow can also be used when baby arrives as it’s also great for breast feeding; providing back support for mum and perfect positioning for baby. The pillow can also be used as a support seat for babies who are learning to sit up in those first few months of development. The soft cotton cover of the pillow is cool and breathable, and can be removed for machine washing.

Web: www.summerinfant.co.uk

2012 Ltd – Carriwell

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Imagine a nursing bra that fulfils your every need – comfort, support, style, quality, function and above all convenience. Carriwell have developed a range of award winning nursing bras to suit all from the top selling seamless range to pretty delicate lace bras including the world’s first gelwire nursing bra.

If you are thinking about stocking a selection of maternity and nursing essentials Carriwell is the range to choose. With Carriwell’s unique sizing concept it is the easiest range to stock as the majority of the bras only come in 4 sizes Small – XL and cover from an A – H cup. This also takes up minimal shop floor space plus they can offer a range of stands free of charge to show off the products to their best advantage.

The range has been carefully developed over the years with close co-operation of anti-natal professionals and mums. Carriwell have taken into consideration that women’s breasts can increase by up to two cup sizes between nursings and that it is imperative during pregnancy and nursing that milk ducts are not restricted.

Available to UK and Irish retailers exclusively through 2012 Ltd, Distributors of Innovation.

Tel: 01202 303 777 Web: www.2012ltd.com

Focus Pregnancy & Maternity

Baby Brands Direct

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Baby Brands Direct has milked the market to bring retailers the very best breast pumps, from the innovative and new, to the original and true! Lansinoh is renowned for developing extraordinary products to make feeding baby natural and comfortable, and their manual breast pump, available at Baby Brands Direct, is nothing short of genius. The leading edge breast pump is all about convenience- effortless to assemble, lightweight and compact and designed for easy one handed use. The Philips Avent Twin Electric Breast Pump is also high quality yet affordable, with innovative technology of a massage cushion, which offers a warm feel to the skin for comfortable, gentle stimulation of milk flow.

As part of their maternity collection, the award winning wholesaler has a large collection of breast care essentials, from breast pads to nipple shields, to breast shells and latch assists- all ingenious gadgets that will help nursing mothers work through their feeding challenges. They say breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt, but some mothers do experience pain. Baby Brands Direct has a great range of nipple shields from brands including NUK, Lansinoh, Tommee Tippee, Dr Brown’s and Philips Avent which give mothers relief and help create a stronger latch.

Want to know more? Browse the range at Baby Brands Direct at www.babybrandsdirect.co.uk, where you’ll find the biggest brand names and the very best products around!

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

2012 Ltd - Cinch SSSS

Summer Infant XXXX

Tel: 01202 303 777

Pregnancy can be the most exciting but also daunting time for mums to be. Summer Infant introduce the Digital Pre-Natal Listening System to reassure and comfort expectant parents and allow them to become that much closer to baby. Through crystal clear digital technology loved ones are able to listen to baby’s heartbeat, kicks, hiccups and movement. Two sets of headphones allow this to be a shared experience between loved ones, instigating a great bonding experience. The adjustable positioning strap makes this a very versatile product allowing you to listen in on baby between 28 and 40 weeks, fitting a variety of bump sizes! This safe and easy to use, non-invasive, battery operated product is number one at capturing those precious moments with baby before they even enter the world!

Webs: www.2012ltd.com

Web: www.summerinfant.co.uk

The Cinch Tummy Wrap from the USA is a fully adjustable post-partum tummy wrap that has been specially created to help new mums regain their pre-pregnancy shape. The only adjustable Tummy Wrap that truly focuses on the tummy area by helping to tighten the abdominal muscles. Since the launch in 2009, the Cinch has been rumoured to be a celebrity favourite among the new mums of Hollywood, across the USA and now the UK. The Cinch is available at top London boutiques and online stores and has been a great success.

Endorsed by leading US Physicians and Ob/Gyns, tummy binders have long been used in cultures throughout Asia and Europe to help slim and smooth the waistline after childbirth.

The sophisticated design offers a luxurious feel and with the inner measuring guide, mums are uplifted by seeing their progress and results inspiring confidence. The concept of blending beauty of the arts with scientific functions heightens the Cinch’s originality and philosophy: Support • Enhance • Tone.

For more information on stocking the Cinch in the UK & Ireland, please contact 2012 Ltd.

62 nursery today

Bravado is Seamless!

Bravado! Designs was founded in 1992 by two nursing mothers in Canada. Today, its full line of products including nursing bras, underwear, breast pads and outer garments, are sold throughout the world in department stores, maternity specialists, lingerie shops and hospitals.

B

ravado Designs are now thrilled to announce the official launch of their Seamless collection.

Bravado announced their move to an entirely Seamless collection earlier this year, following their commitment to focus on what mums love best; comfortable, stylish and Seamless bras! The entire range, includes some old favourites as well as a striking new design.

Mums have been wearing Bravado bras for more than two decades now, and if there is one thing the team at Bravado are

will lead to them developing their position as ‘seamless specialists’ within the industry. Seamless bras provide a great fit, they can be worn in pregnancy, adjust with mum as she starts her breastfeeding journey and beyond.

They also look great under clothes, and are soft and comfy enough to be worn overnight.

Seamless lingerie is also very easy for retailers to stock, as there are fewer sizes and less inventory investment, and it’s easier to fit. The move to a

Mums have been wearing Bravado bras for more than two decades now, and if there is one thing the team at Bravado are sure about it’s that mum’s know best. The Body Silk Seamless bra has been their best-selling bra ever since it was introduced and it’s not hard to see why! sure about it’s that mum’s know best. The Body Silk Seamless bra has been their best-selling bra ever since it was introduced and it’s not hard to see why! The super-soft bra is supportive, comfortable and looks good too. With all this in mind Bravado have decided to focus their efforts on an extended Seamless collection that includes the established Body Silk Seamless, Seamless Print and Bliss bras and 2013 additions Confetti and Sweet Pea nursing bras. There are rumours of new seamless designs coming soon too!

The team really have done plenty of research into the reasons why mums prefer seamless bras, and are confident that the move

Seamfree collection is expected to increase sales globally, and ensure mums everywhere associate Bravado with the most comfortable maternity/nursing bras of all.

Director of European Operations Penny Clayton commented ‘We are very excited about our new Seamfree collection, which includes a fabulous new design. As always retailers can rely on us to provide the best, most comfortable and supportive maternity and nursing bras in the market!’

Tel: 01772 683371 Email: info@bravadodesigns.com

nursery today 63

Focus Pregnancy & Maternity

Bloom and Beyond SSSS Having a baby is a big deal and caring for a newborn is even more challenging after major surgery that is a c-section. Recovery begins with C-Panty, the only post c-section underwear product with a patented, medicalgrade silicone panel that minimises scarring, helps reduce itchiness and redness, and protects the delicate incision area.

Gentle compression not only supports weakened muscles, helping a new mum’s body back into natural shape after childbirth, but also makes moving around after surgery easier and more comfortable. In addition, it helps flatten and smooth the C-section bulge so the scar is less noticeable under clothing. C-Panty is designed exclusively for the C-section belly and recommended by OB/GYNs. A huge success in the US, C-Panty is now available in the UK and is a perfect addition to your existing maternity range.

Email: info@bloomandbeyond.com

Gro

XXXX

The Gro Company introduces the Gro-hush: Innovative and unique complete with a worldwide patent. This portable white noise baby calmer is the next ‘must have’ baby product for new and expectant mothers across the globe! Recommended from birth for maximum effectiveness, it is an essential pregnancy purchase.

Receiving rave reviews, The Gro-hush is a unique portable white noise baby calmer. Hand held, it transmits soothing ‘white noise’ directly to your baby so that only they can hear it when held to the ear, keeping them relaxed and happy.

The Gro-hush is the only hand-held portable white noise tool that only babies can hear, and doesn’t disturb those around you. As it is portable dad or grandma can also have a tool to soothe and calm little one too, even away from home.

Tel: 0844 557 2985 Web: www.gro.co.uk

a hand to hold. a hand to fold meet mimzy snacker™ I’m light and compact because it’s the small things that matter most. I fold with one hand because everything should simply make life easier.

One hand, compact fold!

Frame folds with one easy motion—pull strap in seat, and presto—it’s folded.

simply brilliant.

bring the kids™ Share the joy at joiebaby.com For all sales enquiries, please contact Joie UK on: 01889 808 900 or email: uksales@joiebaby.com

What to expect when you are expecting... In a changing world Written by: Dr Fin

N

ever at any other time in our lives are we more open to advice and guidance, than when we are going through significant change and uncertainty. It’s basic human Psychology: Significant change and uncertainty will often take us out of our comfort zone, past our stretch zone, and into the panic zone where we look for any anchor, prop, or parenting manual to help us avoid feeling like flotsam and Jetsam on the tide. The transition to parenthood is one of the most potent transitions because it is a change that both parents go through at the same time, which in real terms challenges the security of the partnership that we would otherwise have during transitions such as a change of job, or loss of health.

This significant personal change and uncertainty is now increasingly set in the context of significant global change - to our population, and also to how and where we live, how we work, and how we communicate.

As our demographics are changing, what does the future hold for the Industry, and what does the collision of the Megatrends mean for the future of our relationships with consumers, and ultimately our market share?

A look to the future 1) Global Megatrends affecting Demographics and Social Trends We have seen the age of first-time parents continue to increase over the last couple of decades, and the percentage increase of children born to mothers over 40, has more than quadrupled in the same period. The result of this shift is that we are having fewer children. As women control the household budget in over two thirds of G7 countries, and the gender pay gap is narrowing, Women are making more informed and more discerning purchasing choices. As this trend continues, I would predict that purchases become less influenced by fashion and personal style, and more influenced by quality, longevity, beliefs and values - both of the brand and the consumer.

66 nursery today

The transition to parenthood is one of the most potent transitions because it is a change that both parents go through at the same time, which in real terms challenges the security of the partnership that we would otherwise have during transitions such as a change of job, or loss of health.

2) Knowledge is not always power; The increase in parental anxiety As parents are getting older, and our access to information and online education is increasing, we are also becoming more aware of the impact of our parenting on our childrens’ social, emotional, and cognitive development. Rather than empowering us, we are more likely to see growth in parental concern, conflict, and anxiety about how we raise happy children.. In a fast-paced, stressful economic environment we will be drawn to exploring ways in which we can be good parents, and still enjoy flexible working to get the most out of a work-lfe blend for both parents. For discerning consumers, this will not be about convenience products that offer to contain or console our babies whilst we get on with other tasks, but products and brands that actually bring us closer together and support parents to be the best that they can be.

3) Technological Advancements The rate of increase in technological advancement is not slowing, it’s increasing.

Technology has traditionally been harnessed to offer more efficient routes to markets and reductions in overheads, and we have already seen the impact on high street stores. However, the predicted future shift in technology places consumers at the heart of influence and power.

The widespread use of technology across the world means that consumers have greater access to knowledge, research, retail, and importantly each other than ever before. They are creating their own personal brand, and the most innovative companies will be looking to provide the best possible tailored service and connection with their consumers, via the net: Customer Relationship Management will be key, and the brand loyalty created through that will be priceless for market differentiation.

4) Rapid Urbanisation.

To date over half of the worlds population live in cities. Price Waterhouse Cooper (PWC) predicts that by 2050 this number will have risen to 70%, and cities will start to change shape to deal with this massive influx in population: by having fewer cars, more urban spaces, and

better public transport. The way we move as a family, and transport our children will be changing with this, and our products will reflecting the needs of consumers to move more, with less.

5) The rise of personal health.

As institutions like the NHS are struggling under population increase, and technology and personal brand is increasing, we are starting to see the rise of technology that supports people to take greater care of their own health and wellbeing: The ‘fitbit’ revolution. This technology has already found its way into the baby industry with the same technology being used to monitor babies’ heart rates, breathing and temperature via a band around the leg. Whilst i personally believe this is the wrong direction to take for parental reassurance - as monitoring does not prevent cot death - there are incredible opportunities to use this technology to support parents, both through consultation when needed, but also self-help initiatives around stress, anxiety, planning, organisation, and transport, and this is what brands can start to maximise in their customer relationship management.

So what does all this mean? Well parents will expect more: More quality, more care, more customer service. Get it right, and your consumers will sing your praises across the world. Get it wrong, and it’s likely in an ageing population that you won’t get a second chance.

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

Sponsored by

New Products Great Gizmos Great Gizmos offers bundles of ride-on fun with its collection of classic rides, pedal cars and a selection of wooden wheeled toys that just keeps on growing.

The Plan Toys collection of eco-friendly chunky wooden vehicles are perfect for small hands. There are lots of vehicles available from family cars and mini trucks to city taxis and police cars that are ideal for all types of role-play fun. For larger play items, Plan offer a range of trucks, tankers and buses as well as a variety of trains that feature interlinking carriages.

Suitable for babies’ first time ride, the Plan Toys Bio Scoot features four caster wheels, handle grip and storage compartment for toys so tots can ride and turn on their own with ease. The Ride On Pony has a horse’s head and moveable eyes and the Fire Engine is beautifully decorated and includes a driver, ladder and hose for a realistic touch.

For children looking

MaByLand for an authentic ride on car, the Classic Racer is hand built in strong steel and more than sturdy enough for children aged one to three. Available in both red and silver these super sleek racing machines are ideal for a back garden Grand Prix!

For those who prefer a retro style, the Speedster Hot Rod and Speedster Fire Engine will keep little ones happy. The Speedster is available in painted yellow complete with red flames down the sides and the bright red fire engine has a real working bell to make sure all tots reach the fire first! The range expands further with models such as the Ride On Aeroplane, Rocket and Retro Racers in green and red.

Great Gizmos’ wonderful range of wheeled toys, classic ride-ons and pedal cars provide plenty of opportunities for kids to become mobile. There are many different designs to choose from catering for ages one to seven.

Email: enquiries@greatgizmos.co.uk Tel: 01293 543221

Following from the success of the Luxury Comfort Carrier, MaByLand has now improved it by adding an additional back position allowing parents to wear it for longer and more comfortable to adapt with their child’s growth. The Luxury collection has been very popular within the modern parents and has also attracted celebrities; with Peter Andre being spotted recently, MaByLand has one more reason to keep the stylish look in its new range, hence the Luxury Duo Front & Back Carrier will be using the same fabric and pattern as before.

The new carrier will be suitable from 3 months until 3 years old, featuring a soft blanket for parents to wrap up their babies during windy weather as well as shield them off harsh sunlight exposure during the summer. The large storage pocket has proven to be a success amongst many customers and therefore one definite feature to stay within the collection. The carrier will remain to be extra padded throughout to ensure optimal comfort for both parents and babies.

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

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

Over 70 and flying high!

C

lair de Lune are proud to continue manufacturing their nursery bedding collections for the 71st year, here in the UK. Flying the flag for Great Britain, their premises in South Manchester employ a highly

skilled team of over 40 people where the majority of their products are cut, sewn, quality checked and packed.

Recently, Clair de Lune launched a new range named Cotton Candy. The range is made in the UK from 100% cotton fabric which features a delicate

pattern of hearts and circles and is available in ivory white, pink and blue.

The range is available for immediate delivery, please call 0161 4919800 or email sales@clair-delune.co.uk to request images and place an order.

nursery today 67

COL I N

S

G

AR UL

PATTI ON

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Collin Pattison this issue takes a look at how brands operate and their importance within the nursery sector

The importance of your brand

L

ast month we were all talking about Cologne and the Kind und Jugend fair. Many words have been written about the new and exciting products on view, as well as the companies, new and old, exhibiting at the fair.

One area that often passes without comment, but is very important to the companies exhibiting and the buyers selecting products, is the brands exhibiting.

We often mention the major brands in a sort of code, which to most readers of Nursery Today is enough to conjure a picture in their heads of what the brand stands for and even the styling of the product. A couple of simple examples, think of Cybex, if you have been to Cologne in the last couple of years you will be thinking large stand, possibly with water! You may well be thinking about a range of large stylish safe products. And unless you have a friend on the stand you will be thinking how difficult it was to get on, or was that just me? Or think about Graco, you are probably thinking multi brands, teutonia, Aprica, etc. But dominated by American style Far East looking product, a massive range of pretty much everything you could want towards the value/volume end of the market , and more open and easy to deal with than in the past.

The reason for raising this subject now, is the announcement timed for the K&J fair that Britax are to re-position the company and its brand. Now before going any further I must declare an interest here. I have worked for Britax, I genuinely feel a connection

68 nursery today

Most UK retailers will know Britax as a provider of Car Seats and Wheeled goods.

At one stage the company was brand leader in car seats in both the UK and Germany, but the market has very much changed in the last few years, there are now many more brands in the market and the importance of a separate Infant Carrier purchase to parent is much lower with the trend towards Travel Sytems and Infant carriers with universal fitting to pushchairs

to the brand and I feel very defensive of it. Hopefully time will have given me a bit of distance from Britax and I can take an objective view.

Most UK retailers will know Britax as a provider of Car Seats and Wheeled goods. At one stage the company was brand leader in car seats in both the UK and Germany, but the market has very much changed in the last few years, there are now many more brands in the market and the importance of a separate Infant Carrier purchase to parent is much lower with the trend towards Travel Sytems and Infant carriers with universal fitting to pushchairs. I think it would be fair to say that Britax does not have such a leading market share, nor the market leading position it once had in the UK, equally its position in the German market with the Römer brand has also come under pressure. The Britax group, however, has had major investment from new owners and in 2011 acquired BOB (active strollers and bike trailers), followed by Brio (pushchairs and Car Seats) in 2013. This coupled with established trading divisions in most major world markets, USA, Australia, Southern Europe and Scandinavia, gives the group a global presence.

It does, of course, make a lot of sense to ensure a clear understanding of the brand in all its markets This is especially true of a company that has changed, added new companies and

brands, and needs to fight harder in a more competitive market, but one that also has enormous growth potential around the world outside its core traditional markets. From now, all parts of the company will operate under the master brand of Britax. Just to dig down into this a little, the press release highlights that Römer will become a subbrand of Britax ‘continuing to set the standard in Child Safety’ and BOB will represent ‘the sporty little brother providing products for active families’. Following on from this the brand will adopt a new, modern look and feel, including a new and updated version of the familiar logo, and a brand vision ‘everyday family freedom’ encompasses the entire product portfolio. This change has been in development for three years, and is routed in research and feedback across all markets and product categories.

Obviously with a major project such as this there was clearly more than one way Britax could have gone. Taking some examples from other companies, Graco for instance, have bought trading companies to enter certain markets, teutonia to enter the German market, Aprica for Japan etc. This has given them a stable of brands which it would be difficult to close down. Each brand has its own unique position in the market which can be sold in other markets, so, currently Graco is more a stable of brands, with Graco being the lead in Europe and the USA, but not necessarily in the rest of the world. I have talked about how Dorel use their brands in the past, in particular, how the removal of

Obviously with a major project such as this there was clearly more than one way Britax could have gone. Taking some examples from other companies, Graco for instance, have bought trading companies to enter certain markets, teutonia to enter the German market, Aprica for Japan etc.

Bebe Confort from the UK and some European markets, so that the more simple message of Maxi Cosi and Quinny can be used to their maximum.

I belive that the European Nursery market is maturing into a single market and having competing brands such as Britax and Römer in such a relatively small market would be an unnecessary cost, hence I agree there is no point in maintaining expenditure on Britax and Romer, to compete against each other. It would have been possible to take a ‘good, better, best’ positioning. A relevant example of this would be Tesco Basic, the Tesco brand itself and Tesco Finest. Here similar products, e.g. baked beans are sold at three different prices, based upon the quality and content of the product. Obviously basics are just baked beans, in basic packaging and with no additions and frills. Standard Tesco products would be equivalent to a proprietry brand such as Heinz or HP. Finally Finest is a luxury sub brand, where the beans are the best of the crop, possibly with the addition of some other premium ingredients.

Relating this to a nursery brand, buggies and simple Infant carriers and car seats could easily be seen as ‘basics’. While German quality, premium safety leading products, could be marketed as best or finest product. Thirdly the Britax brand could then have been used as the main volume brand; this would of course have meant spending on supporting three different brand positions and the risk of contamination, where the products from one brand compete against another.

I have seen for instance how two competing brands from the same family can create extra expenditure and confusion when both are trying to compete in the same sector of the market in Southern Europe.

The method chosen by Britax also has positive examples from the larger commercial world. Take for instance the VAG group. Volkswagen Audi group have a number of vehicle brands which they position as different lifestyles with the larger market. So Volkswagen is the quality volume brand. Audi is the premium sporty brand, Seat is the younger edgy brand, while Skoda is a value brand but with some of the Volkswagen quality. Bentley, Bugatti and Porsche are also marques under this group, I will leave you to define where you think these sit, but as you can see they are well segmented and in a group the size of VAG all brands can be fully supported.

I hope you can see the parallels.

Just to cover the other extreme, Britax could have removed all sub brands and called everything simply a Britax product. This course would certainly have the benefit of simplicity and lower cost, but would result in throwing away a large investment in the goodwill value of the two purchased brands. And it has to be said that the brand values of a company such as BOB could never be bolted on to the broader Britax brand, so some customer appeal would inevitably be lost and

with it some potential purchases.

In conclusion then it sounds like the‘re positioning’ is a positive move. I would like to think it allows the Britax management the manoeuvrability to make more strategic purchases of smaller brands, which would sit in the overall group as well as BOB and Brio. If Britax is to continue to compete, not just in the UK, or even in Europe, but on a global scale, it must be able to stand alongside Dorel, Graco and similar major players, it needs to grow beyond selling car seats and a few travel systems.

It will of course take some time for this plan to work through to the consumer, every piece of literature will need to be changed, and the current pipeline of current material used or removed. Cologne was the start of this process, the company now has until Harrogate to brief all its UK retailers, and hopefully get all the marketing collateral in place. I hope we will see a major ‘launch’ at Harrogate, and I hope shortly after this most of the Britax touch points with the consumer will follow the new look and feel.

The benefits of such a process are not tangible, you do not receive an extra 5p per product sale just by doing them. But the end result is a stronger brand, which hopefully not just the consumer, but also the resellers and the workforce understand and feel motivated by. A simple message is always the best.

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.

Focus ABC Kids Expo

ABC Kids Expo - Las Vegas This will have been my 5th visit to the show, a visit that always hugely impresses me due to the sheer size of it.

900 exhibitors housed across 3,300 booths as the Americans like to call their stands, housed in the South Hall on two floors the size of several football pitches (nearly 1,000,000sq.ft.) sets the scene for America’s finest baby and nursery companies to set out their stalls.

L

as Vegas is a great venue for a show location, fantastic weather, the Strip to explore and if you have the time and the inclination some serious gambling and top-class shows to take in.

Speaking personally, I don’t gamble. I might have the occasional flutter on betting that Arsenal might win something, but even that exercise has been pretty fruitless over the last few years!

This year with the Cologne dates eating into the latter part of the ABC show dates meant that 1. There were fewer British exhibitors in the U.K. Pavillion and 2. That some American exhibitors had to leave almost a skeleton staff on some of their stands and head off to Cologne. At least for 2015 this will not be the situation.

I caught up with Larry Schur – President and C.O.O. of the show. Larry told me “We were very pleased with the level of attendees, comparable to last year. We’re very happy also with the level of interest in the ‘Made in USA’ show case from international attendees looking for our home-grown products.”

There was also plenty of interest in the ‘Invention Connection’ that saw this year’s sector double in size from 2013, ensuring that those showing saw plenty of potential licensees to take their products to market. This also included quite a few retail buyers giving these inventors priceless information to help them get their products onto retail shelves.

In fact as Larry pointed out, quite a number of last year’s exhibitors in this section were now exhibiting in the main halls as a result of showing in the ‘Invention Connection’.

Over at the U.K. Pavillion, those hardy British exhibitors were more than happy with the level of both orders and enquiries at ABC. As Simon Anslow the U.K. Pavillion co-ordinator said in last month’s edition of Nursery Today, “All participants reported excellent results and some stands were incredibly busy with orders and distributor deals finalized. The BPA networking event also enabled a number of British companies exhibiting outside of the U.K. pavilion confirming that they would like to be part of this for 2015.

U.K. buyers were also present with one buyer confirming that if the team find even just one original product that gives them a point of difference over their competitors, then Las Vegas more than pays for itself!

Speaking with Jane Wilkinson and Simon Snelling from wholesaler Babyprice, they had been very busy working the show. Jane told me “We visited the show in the hopes of finding some new and original products to offer to our retailers and were delighted to meet with Kel-Gar. Their products are well designed, practical and fun and include

70 nursery today

some pop up sun cabanas with the quickest open and close mechanism we have ever seen plus some great fun bath items that will be ideal for the U.K..”

They hope to have this range available by the end of the year. (pic of Kel-gar range below)

Trunki were showing this year. When I spoke to their M.D. at the show last year Rob Law told me that the company would be setting up in the USA. Sure enough when I spoke to Toby Davies, he told me that a wide range of their products were now being sold across the USA with offices in Delaware to handle the business. (pic below) When I visited the Breathable Baby stand, Rachelle Harel introduced me to their CEO Ian Schaffer who told me that the company had recently been acquired by a New Yorkbased private equity firm specializing in growth companies with a strong management and strong brand.

Rachelle heads up the international division, hence the reason for exhibiting at ABC where they launched their Heritage ‘Classic English’ themed collection and indeed they have become a significant player in the safety bedding category. (pic below) Nick Farnsworth and Annika Kennon of Little Champs had a terrific reception to their range of sports-linked preschool toys. In what is a most crowded sector, these toys are most original and appealing bringing a fresh look to this market sector. (pic below)

Magnus Smyth from TotsBots based in Glasgow told me “We’ve been established for 14 years and over 50% of our sales are overseas. This show has given us lots of orders and enquiries to follow up so we shall certainly be back next year.”

All of their products are manufactured in Scotland. (pic top of next column)

ABC show dates for 2015 are the 18th to the 21st of October.

On the facing page are a selection of the American companies I spoke to, all of whom were keen to see their products being sold in the U.K.

Co-founder Linda Suh with Audra and Justin Wilford, parents of cancer sufferer Max after whom the Cloudb ‘Super Max the Turtle has been named. Their MaxLove project has seen the company raise many thousands of dollars for young cancer suffers.

When Max’s Mum found that their Turtle product was a huge help in calming and helping Max to relax and fight his cancer, they wrote to Cloudb, who were so impressed that they got right behind the charity. So much so that they specially created ‘Super Max the Turtle’, further aiding Max and his fellow kids to fight this terrible disease.

Pete Dragonic demonstrates their Reflo Smart Cups – a training cup that aids the switch to drinking from an open cup.

Karen de Posta is the creator of the Milk Charm that assists Mum to keep track of how fresh her breast milk is before bottle feeding. Bubby Karen was a pleasure to talk to and full of enthusiasm.

Dots before your eyes. Baby Bjorn’s head of marketing Annika SanderLofmark is shown with their new ‘Dots’, exclusive to John Lewis in the U.K.

Keeping your baby safe from germs, the UVI Cube dries and disinfects babies bottles by the use of UV lighting. Successful with 99.9% of germs with just a touch of a button. Ben and Autumn Colayco are the founders of the company.

For pregnant mums and other possible suffers of d.v.t.’s Vim & Vigour’s range of flight socks are most fashionable as well as providing great safety and support. Founder Michelle Huie is pictured at the show.

Karma Bryan-Ingle (left) was kept busy on the Mabel’s Labels stand. Their range of ‘Write Away’ self-laminating labels are just perfect for ensuring that baby products can be labeled and also insure that school kids on the move don’t lose their school items because they can now be clearly labeled.

Two most stylish ladies Priti Patel and Lauren Kutting promoting their Life in Play Nappy Bag.

Show organizer and C.O.O. Larry Schur with Taylor Hamman and Jessica Cash, part of the ABC team pictured at the U.K. Pavillion drinks reception.

Sonjie demonstrates the Hatch Things lightweight carry all bag that clips on to a buggy and though full of shopping prevents the buggy from tipping over.

Telephone numbers and email addresses of the companies mentioned in this report.

Lil Sidekick is a strap that can be attached to high chairs, cots and buggies etc., that can hold several of baby’s playthings. Amy Vohs the creator is pictured centre.

Babyprice – Jane Wilkinson – 0844 826 0632.

Email jane@babyprice.co.uk Breathable Baby – Rachelle Harel – Tel: 07976 774386 email:rachelle.harel@breathablebaby.com Totsbots – Magnus Smyth – Tel: 0141 778 7486.

Email:magnus@totsbots.com Trunki – Toby Davies – 07595 487111. Email:toby@trunki. com Little Champs – Nick Farnsworth – Tel:07917 123284.

Email:nick@littlechamp.co.uk Cloudb – Julien Marchal – Tel: 001 310 781 3834.

Email:jmarchal@cloudb.com UVI Cube - ~Ben Colayco – Tel: 001 949 623 8543.

Email:ben@uvicube.com Vim & Vigour – Michelle Huie – Tel: 001 406 552 3683.

Email:michelle@vimvigr.com

Lil Sidekick – Amy Vohs – Tel: 001 515 339 4118.

Email:amy@lilsidekick.com Reflo – Pete Dragonic – Tel:001 216 395 2323.

Email: Pete@reflo.net Eeples – Karen DePodesta – Tel: 001 415 456 4948.

Email:karen@eeples,com Baby Bjorn – Annika – Tel: 0046 8544 96812 Email: annika.sander-lofmark@babybjorn.com Life in Play – Lauren Kutting – Tel: 001 408 314 4668.

Email: lauren@lifeinplaycompany.com All Baby & Child Show – Larry Schur – Tel: 001 210 691 4848. Email: larry@theabcshow.com Hatch Things – Sonjie Feliciano Solomon – Tel: 001 401 743 5616 Email: sonjie@hatchthings.com Mabels Labels – Karma Bryan-Ingle – Tel: 001 905 667 0306.

Email: karma@mabelslabels.com

nursery today 71

Talking Shop with NSG Written by: Yasmin Ali, Babyland

H

ey all, love to you as always and many thanks to everyone who took the time to contact me about last months Cologne review. I think Ian (Babylicious) will be hiring a mansion for us next year!

This month we are focussing on wheeled goods – I wanted to look at up selling, should we Indies play this card a little more strategically?

Is there scope for this given the obstacles? The problem that I think we have is that when a customer walks through our door with intent to purchase they want a deal, a bargain.

If they aren’t buying from a national, it is almost like they want to be able to justify it to themselves by saying bloody hell I got a great deal, what a knock out price! Does this leave scope for upselling? We all know that we have to throw in everything including the kitchen sink to get the sale. We’ve put together a package for them, sacrificed our margin to secure the sale, money off the pram, money off the car seat. What would be ideal would be then if you could at least sell the bag, the footmuff at full price – no chance they have a taste for a bargain!

This is not a fairytale! Oh I can get the footmuff cheaper online, the bag is cheaper online, how much for the cup holder? No way! Blah blah blah…is it home time yet?

I guess it always boils down to individual service and rapport building with customers; managing to get them to order accessories – but on so many occasions, customers will not order from us and will make it their mission to source online. It’s frustrating as hell, but its life, it’s the nursery industry!

So What’s the Answer?

The answer? Suppliers need to give us more of what they give the nationals and 72 nursery today

Yasmin m Ali mi

We are specialist retailers, independent, trained, selfemployed with so much invested in our businesses. And that’s the word.

Some suppliers might not think very highly of us, give us some credit – and ask yourself, why should we invest in YOU? Are you good enough for OUR shop floors?

big players – put us on an even playing field. Obviously we cannot fix pricing and I am not suggesting that we do… although it seems a bigger deal in this industry than any other…again, look at Apple. I’m paying a grand no matter where I go and how much I haggle!

We can’t price fix, but we can push to maintain common sense – although I see the flip side of that also, you can’t save everybody and we can’t help those determined to sabotage their own businesses. You will get these people in every walk of life, we are not exempt, in fact we have a flourishing minority of plonkers.

What gets me is the imbalance, so many suppliers forget their own roots, we all know the nationals; who buy in their hundreds and thousands (anyone else think of ice cream) and of course this is why they get the best prices…that’s fine! The indies?

We’ll take the same product, at a higher price, albeit smaller volume (I concede, most indies cannot store 1000 strollers, sorry suppliers) you know what? We’ll give you floor space on our already squashed shop floor… and we are so caring, that we will match the nationals on price…no.

I don’t think so. That attitude is all wrong, things are changing, but need to change faster because I for one am sick of this attitude. No company or person to think they are too good for our shop floors. We are specialist retailers, independent, trained, selfemployed with so much invested in our businesses. And that’s the word. Some suppliers might not think very highly of us, give us some credit – and ask yourself, why should we invest in YOU? Are you good enough for OUR shop floors?

We as the independent trade aren’t asking for much, just a wee bit of fairness, a little bit respect. The profit comes from us, and we want to be able to upsell your products – but we won’t

shoot ourselves in the foot (plonkers take note). Do you find that you are selling a stroller and upselling with products from different suppliers?

YES! It’s already in your mind!

I’m getting decent mark up on this product, the mark up is out there – we just need to think a bit bigger and work the situation to our advantage.

My details: Yasmin.ali@babylandfife.co.uk I would love to hear from you Facebook NSG (Bricks and mortar only) Facebook Trade (for suppliers and rest of trade)

Products of the Month Brr! The weather has really changed, Autumn is in full swing. I don’t know about you but I’ve had the heating on since September, designed for warmer climes me!

What products do we need as Indies? This is the weather for big prams, the Emmaljungas, the BabyStyle Prestiges, the Mimas – the all terrains get the Maxi Cosi Mura on display, show off the Bugaboo Bufallo.

UPSELL! Mamas & Papas blankets, use them to merchandise your shop floor, the new Millie & Boris blanket with the writing, the Timbuktales stripe blanket are high quality lovely blankets, easy upsells, people need blankets! I bought lovely (hearts for girls, stars for boys) dimple blankets from Sheldon in Cologne – and if you are looking for superior quality look no further than Dandelion – still good pricing, and blow the supermarkets out of the water.

Footmuffs – people come to us for either end of the scale. (1) they want a footmuff cheap as chips, or (2) They want something of high quality

Sponsored by

New Products CONCORD REVERSO

that is going to last, that they know they won’t find in a supermarket or national.

Must haves on the Indie list! B.O.Z.Z (Calum Wilson is on the Trade page), Isabella Alicia (Adam Waxman), Clair De Lune (Charlotte), PAUL ROBERTS (or Janet Weeks they are a tag team) and if you are looking for something altogether different Rosy Fuentes (Hugh Burnett). I’ve mentioned Rosy before, the price reflects the amazing quality and beautiful designs – make sure you have your key products on display, the products will sell themselves.

I’ve also just received an email from Cuddles saying they got footmuffs – contact Lak. Get the products in, get

your displays right, imagine coming into a shop from the cold and not see the warmth reflected in the products you see – it’s getting dark, get the Mamas & Papas LED canvases out they look stunning, battery operated, keep it on in the window how lovely!

Get fresh eyes into the shop, what can you move? What can you change? What can you display where? Anyone who knows us knows that we at Babyland are constantly changing, new products come in, old ones go, you shuffle, you move constantly to keep your customer base interested and to keep them looking. Something new should catch them every time they are in.

The new Reboarder from Concord is one of the first iSize seats permitted for newborns, and has exceeded the expectations of specialists.

The Concord Reverso impresses thanks to its broad range of applications.

Thanks to the separately cushioned newborn 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 Concord Reverso is far ahead of other Reboard seats. 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 lightweight aluminium protection frame with an internal multifunctional shell, made entirely from shock-absorbing material, offers maximum protection with minimal weight. With the inlay for newborns 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, 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.concord.de

East Coast Nursery Tiny Love Babywearing is more popular than ever, and rightly so – babies love it, it’s like having a constant, reassuring hug. So Tiny Love are proud to launch Tiny Hug, their new carrier.

Tiny Hug is suitable from birth to 36 months, with two carry positions and three ergonomic leg positions, offering pelvic support to baby’s developing hips. The one-piece carrier is simple to put on alone, making it ideal for parents who are new to babywearing; while the classic black fabric will appeal to mums and dads alike.

Stock is available from early November, please contact East Coast Nursery for more information.

Email: nursery@east-coast.co.uk Web: www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk

nursery today 73

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

Sponsored by

New Products MaByLand

NUK Leading German baby care brand, NUK, has recently re-launched its baby bottle range with all bottles in the range now featuring the acclaimed First Choice+ orthodontic teat as standard. NUK’s First Choice+ Teat is clinically proven to make it easier for babies to alternate between breast and bottle feeding and also features the Anti-Colic Air System which helps minimise infant colic through the harmful swallowing of air. All NUK Bottles and Teats are endorsed by the British Dental Health Foundation and promote the healthy development of baby’s jaw and teeth. Bottles in the new range feature a contemporary new gender neutral design, a brand new packaging design and are available in 150ml of 300ml sizes in singles, 2 packs or 4 packs, for those parents who want to stock up!

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

Close Cologne saw the big unveiling of the all new Caboo DX+ baby carrier. DX + is a 3 in 1 carrier which takes a huge step closer to the ideal of a true hybrid carrier and is also the first Caboo that offers parents the chance to carry on the back. Whilst maintaining all the closeness and positioning synonymous with Caboo, Close have added more structure at all stages and improved functionality across all positions especially in the forward facing position.

They have also added some clever new ideas and materials to help regulate babies temperature when carried. Caboo DX+ will be available in two fabric options +Merino (RRP£89.99) and + Coolpass (RRP £84.99).

Their Cocoon Weather Protector now has more flexible sizing, a refined hood shape, be seen reflective stripes and the ability to add in their Cocoon Fleece Liner to keep little one snug and warm whatever the weather. The new Cocoon Fleece Liner (RRP £15.99) is the perfect way to keep little one warm and cosy when out and about. This super soft fleece liner can be used alone or can be popped inside the waterproof Cocoon Weather Protector for the ultimate protection against the elements. The perfect winter time accessory for the Caboo carrier range and just like the Cocoon its clever design will also work with most upright carriers and many strollers too.

Tel: 01992 554045 Web: www.closeparent.com

Following from the success of the innovative portable changing station the MATchel, MaByLand has once again put dad’s view point in mind, using the same herringbone fabric to create this new Satchel changing bag.

A result of many research and development with experienced parents and designers; and it ticks all the boxes on ease-of-use, look, quality and special features.

The Satchel features a zip on the top of the cover which allows you to access your bag much more easily. It has many pockets (inside and outside) to help parents to organise their changing essentials. Same as all of the MaByLand changing bags, it includes an easy-to-wipe changing mat, a built in bottle insulator to keep warm or cool, a clear zip pouch for any wet or dirty items and a pair of buggy straps.

There is nothing as smart and sophisticated on the market aimed at on-the-go parents and in particular Dads. Superior quality, the Satchel evokes real luxury at an affordable price. Retailing at £39.99, it is very competitive with similar products in the market; whilst remaining a high quality easyto-use product.

The look of the satchel does not dictate a baby product so parents remain smart and stylish. The bag can be used even after baby has grown.

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

Britax This November, Britax is set to launch its new limited edition car seat, TRIFIX THE BLACK EDITION. The new Group 1 child seat (from 9 to 18 kg or from approximately 9 months to 4 years) has been specially designed for parents looking for a luxury product without compromising on safety. There are just 500 in production worldwide and 100 have been reserved for the UK market to be sold through a series of independent retailers and the Britax Online Shop.

Designed by Britax European Head of Styling, Julia Strunk, every car seat is delivered with a booklet which includes Julia’s handwritten signature and the seamstress who worked on the car seat, making TRIFIX THE BLACK EDITION personal for the consumer. The seat is assembled with white gloves and finished in a carbon gloss look and quilted cotton.

With its patented ISOFIX system and V-tether third anchorage point, TRIFIX THE BLACK EDITION offers a fast and safe installation and side impact pads are also integrated into the side wings offering extra energy absorption in the event of a collision. Children are strapped in using the Britax 5-point safety harness with an extra-large seat, for growing children.

TRIFIX THE BLACK EDITION will be available across Europe, Middle East & Africa from selected retailers from October 2014 (RRP of £899).

Web: www.britax.com

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

Test a publisher’s statement of circulation. In today’s business climate you can’t afford not to.

Our ABC Certificate provides accurate, independently verified circulation figures, giving you confidence in your advertising investment.

If you want to reach 4514* total average net circulation, then call Christine Contreras on 01442 289930 or email christine@lemapublishing.co.uk *. Circulation figure relates to period from 1st July 2013 to 30th June 2014

The highest audited Nursery B2B magazine.

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

For more information visit www.abc.org.uk or email info@abc.org.uk

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

76 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 77

Brand Directory 5PointPlus

BabyBay

Bebecar

Brica

Babyprice T: 0844 826 063

aacua maamam T: 415 685 3120

Aden + Anais

aden + anais® Shakespeare House, 168 Lavender Hill London SW11 5TG T: +44 207 801 6279 E: boutique@adenandanais.com W: www.adenandanais.co.uk

NSA UK. EFB Office, Eashing, Godalming, Surrey GU8 6AA T: 01483 527799 E: liz@nsauk.com W: www.nsauk.com

BabyDam Bathwater Barrier CN Sales & Marketing T: 01635 255725

Baby Style

Bébécar (UK) Ltd Robertson House, North Walsham, Norfolk NR28 0BX T: 01692 408801 E: sales@bebecar.co.uk W: www.bebecar.co.uk

Bibs & Stuff 26 Bonehurst Road, Salfords Industrial Estate, Nr Redhill, Surrey RH1 5EW T: 01293 774924 E: debbie@bibsandstuff.com W: www.bibsandstuff.com

Bee Bo Personality Ltd T: 01625 575545

Beezeebee Halilit T: 01254 872454

Bright Bots MerrygoroundUK T: 01295 810008

Britax

Bigjigs Baby Action Baby Carriers Babywearing UK T: 0300 800 1471

Aleva Naturals Vital Innovations T: 01707 262200

Anker K-Play International Ltd T: 0800 756 6586

Ansmann Babyprice T: 0844 826 0632

Applecheeks MerrygoroundUK T: 01295 810008

aquaint PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Ba bottle holder Baby Banz T: 01483 417753

Bababing Distributor Corporation UK Ltd. T: 01422 383555

BabaSlings Baba Slings Ltd T: 01273 320590

Baby Art Dorel T: 0208 236 07070

Baby Banz

Bigjigs Toys T: 01303 250400 Baby Style UK Ltd. 36 Charles Street, Silbey, Leicestershire LE12 7 RJ T: 01509 816444 E: info@babystyle.co.uk W: www.babystyle.co.uk

Babyzoo Bibs & Stuff T: 01293 774924

Banz ear defenders Baby Banz T: 01483 417753

Banz ear defenders Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

Barbapapa

Bibs & Stuff T: 01293 774924

BOON TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

BoostApak Trunki by Magmatic T: 01179 542794

Boppy Chicco T: 01623 750870

Born Free

BRITAX Excelsior Limited 1 Churchill Way West, Andover Hampshire SP10 3UW T: 01264 386191 W: www.britax.co.uk

Bubble Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

Buggyguard Little Saints T: 0208 392 2665

Bumbleride Little Saints Ltd, T: 0208 392 2665

BUMBO TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Bat baby

Bumkins

CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

Bumkins Finer baby Products T: 480 481 3618

BearView Happy Mummy Ltd T: 07958 510521

Beautiful Begginings Padgett Bros (A-Z) Ltd T: 01226 381188

Summer Infant Europe Ltd First Floor, North Wing, Focus 31, Cleveland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7BW T: 01442 505000 E: rtrott@summerinfant.com W: www.summerinfant.co.uk

Bebe Au Lait BreathableBaby Ardega T: 01473 256076

Baby Joule

Baby Safe Feeder

Blackout Buddy Creative 7 T: 07776 131313

Pabobo T: 0844 351 0222

Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

Suncrest Trading Ltd T: 0116 232 8800

Bigjigs Rail Bigjigs Toys T: 01303 250400

BreathableBaby Bibs & Stuff 26 Bonehurst Road, Salfords Industrial Estate, Nr Redhill, SurreyRH1 5EW T: 01293 774924 E: debbie@bibsandstuff.com W: www.bibsandstuff.com

Roger Armstrong/Breathable Baby T: +44 7976 773486

Bunnykins Great Gizmos T: 01293543221

By Carla Kit for Kids T: 01732 455000

Caboo Close T: 01992 554045

Carriwell 2012 Ltd T: 01202 303777

Celeste and Moon Bibs & Stuff T: 01293 774924

Charnwood Nursery Furniture

Dreambaby

Gowi

Holztiger

BabyStyle T: 01509 816444

Tee-Zed Products Ltd T: 01383 749588

Bigjigs Toys T: 01303 250400

K-Play International Ltd T: 0800 756 6586

Cheeky Rascals Ltd

Eastcoast

green sprouts

Huggulugs Baby Leg Warmers

i Play T: 07528 794496

CN Sales & Marketing T: 01635 255725

Cheeky Rascals Ltd T: 01730 895761

Chicco East Coast Nursery Ltd. Robertson House, North Walsham, Norfolk NR28 0BX T:01692 408802 E: nursery@east-coast.co.uk W: www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk Artsana Ltd Prospect House, Lowmoor Road Business Road, Kirkby in Ashfield Notts NG17 7LF T: 01623 750870 E: hellochiccouk@atsana.com W: www.chicco.co.uk

Cinch

Cover Me SafetyDome Ltd T: 07936 289203

Cozyoskofootmuffs Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

Crocs Accessories Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

I.M. BabyBangle Izzy Melody-I.M BabyBangle T: 07528 794496

Guess How Much I Love You

iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;coo

Suncrest Trading Ltd T: 0116 232 8800

Hauck T: 01978 664362

Gro Company

Edushape

Intelligent Potty

Halilit T: 01254 872454

Europe Baby

European Babywearing Conference Babywearing UK T: 0300 800 1471

Ezeereach Bibs & Stuff T: 01293 774924

Feed Me Bottles Yoomi T: 0208 853 9835

First Years

Quax T: 0032 9 380 8095 Gro Company.

Malvern House, Matford Court, Yeoford Way, Exeter EX2 8LB T: 0844 557 2960 W: www.gro.co.uk

Isoki BPM Childcare UK T: 01992 440293

Gumigem

Isabella Alicia

Babyprice T: 0844 826 0632

haarbib maamam T: 415 685 3120

Halo Halo Innovations T: 952 259 1500

Dandelion

HappyHopperz

dedee Duck B Kids T: 07860 503373

Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

Hauck Fun For Kids Hauck T: 01978 664362

Difrax

Heimess

Little Saints T: 0208 392 2665

Fisher Price

Discoveroo

CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

Bigjigs Toys T: 01303 250400

1 Two Kids Ltd. T: 01592 871291

Disney Baby Feeding Seats TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Disney Baby Potties TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Disney East Coast Nursery Products Ltd. T: 01692 408802

East Coast Nursery Products Ltd. T: 01692 408802

Fun Time Pre-School Toys Padgett Bros (A-Z) Ltd T: 01226 381188

Fun Time Padgett Bros (A-Z) Ltd T: 01226 381188

FunToSee

goki

Dizzy Daisy

K-Play International Ltd T: 0800 756 6586

Personality Ltd T: 01625 575545

Goldbug

Dr. Seuss Bumkins Finer baby Products T: 480 481 3618

Heimess K-Play International Ltd T: 0800 756 6586

Hello Kitty CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

Babyprice T: 0844 826 0632

Isabellaalicia Samuel House, St Chads Street, Manchester, M8 8QA. T: 0161 832 2757

J Banz Baby Banz T: 01483 417753

Jack & Lily MJ Steps T: 01873 855158

Jaghoo Bibs & Stuff T: 01293 774924

Jamm Hippychick T: 07815 179 574

HiLo

Jibbitz shoe charms

Little Saints T: 0208 392 2665

Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

Hippychick

JJ COLE TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Suncrest Trading Ltd T: 0116 232 8800

Hauck T: 01978 664362

i-SAFE Baby Travel T: 01902 593037

Gumdrop

Cuddledry

Tomy St. Nicholas House, St Nicholas Road, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1EH T: 0208 722 2385 E: rachel.oconnor@tomy.com W: www.tomy.co.uk

Ippee Design PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

1 Two Kids Ltd. T: 01592 871291

iiamo go Little Saints T: 0208 392 2665

Kidsmill Baby Nursery BV T: + 31 488 488 805 2012 Ltd T: 01202 303777

Green Toys Bigjigs Toys T: 01303 250400

Junior Crew Hippychick Ltd. 1 Roberts Drive, Taunton Road, Bridgewater, Somerset TA6 6BH T: 01278 434440 W: www.hippychick.com E: Vicky.Govier@hippychick.com

Tippitoes T: 0845 600 85095

Keith Haring Bumkins Finer baby Products T: 480 481 3618

Kiddu

Mamma Pads

Oyster Gem

Plum Collections

Cuddleco Ltd T: 0161 799 5843

Theraline T: +49 2683 9696 0

BabyStyle T: 01509 816444

Merrygoround UK T: 01295 810008

Oyster / Oyster Max

Plushy Moon

Kids Kit

Maud’n’Lil

Babyprice T: 0844 826 0632

MerrygoroundUK T: 01295 810008

Kidsmill designed by Koeka

Maxi-Cosi

Kidsmill Baby Nursery BV T: + 31 488 488 805

Dorel T: 0208 236 07070

KidzBanz

Milestone Baby Cards

Baby Banz T: 01483 417753

1 Two Kids Ltd. T: 01592 871291

KidZZFarm Hoppers

Miracle Blanket

2012 Ltd T: 01202 303777

Bibs & Stuff T: 01293 774924

kit for kids Baby

Mommys Helper

Kit for Kids T: 01732 455000

Ardega T: 01473 256076

Kite Baby

Moover

Kite Kids T: 01202 733222

Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

K’s Kids

Motorola

Alpha Toys T: 0035 3 676 3800

Ardega T: 01473 256076

LAMAZE

Mountain Buggy

TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Out’n’About T: 01234 344230

Lanco

Mr Men

Mushroom&Co T: 07824 397632

CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

LCR Hallcrest

Mummy Hook

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Distributor Corporation UK Ltd. T: 01422 383555

Lil Rinser

Muslinz

Bibs & Stuff T: 01293 774924

MerrygoroundUK T: 01295 810008

LittleLife

My Buggy Buddy

Lifemarque Ltd T: 01189 811433

Hippychick T: 07815 179 574

Lumilove

My little World

Pabobo T: +33 1 80 96 01 27

Home Bedding store T: 0121 683 7861

Mabyland

MyBungee phone holder Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

naana maamam T: 415 685 3120 Mabyland 5 Leopold Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 7BB T: 0208 879 0080 E: enquiries@mabyland.com W: www.mabyland.com

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Maisy CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

mama designs PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Polar Gear BabyStyle UK Ltd. 36 Charles StreetSilbey, Leicestershire LE12 7 RJ T: 01509 816444 E: info@babystyle.co.uk W: www.babystyle.co.uk

Babyprice T: 0844 826 0632

Pop-in Close T: 01992 554045

PotettePlus

Paddington Bear CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

PaddlePak Trunki by Magmatic T: 01179 542794

Parents Manhattan Toy T: 0208 944 3160

Pequilino

Bibs & Stuff 26 Bonehurst Road, Salfords Industrial Estate, Nr Redhill, Surrey RH1 5EW T: 01293 774924 E: debbie@bibsandstuff.com W: www.bibsandstuff.com

Personality Ltd T: 01625 575545

PerlimPinPin

Pourti Potty

MerrygoroundUK T: 01295 810008

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Peter Rabbit

Prestige

CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

BabyStyle T: 01509 816444

Petite Creations

Private Label

Happy Mummy Ltd T: 07958 510521

Vital Innovations T: 01707 262200

Petite Premature Babywear

Quinny

Sheldon International T: 0116 276 1069

Dorel T: 0208 236 07070

Petunia Pickle Bottom

Red Castle

MJ Steps T: 01873 855158

BEABA T: 0207 024 3639

Phil&Teds

Re-Play

Phil&Teds T: 0795 1495077

1 Two Kids Ltd. T: 01592 871291

PHP

Retro Banz

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Baby Banz T: 01483 417753

NICI

Pink Lining

Rukka rainwear

Great Gizmos T: 01293543221

Rosebud London T: 0207 0340035

Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

ryco

Nursery Time Babywear Sheldon International T: 0116 276 1069

Nursery Time Shoes And Sock Magic White Board

Theraline T: +49 2683 9696 0

Sheldon International T: 0116 276 1069

Okiedog Great Gizmos T: 01293543221

Original Theraline Theraline T: +49 2683 9696 0

Pipila 2012 Ltd T: 01202 303777

Pipsy Koala Babyprice T: 0844 826 0632

Plan Toys Great Gizmos T: 01293543221

Play Tray Creative 7 T: 07776 131313

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Saferbaby Sleeper CN Sales & Marketing T: 01635 255725

Safety 1st Dorel T: 0208 236 07070

Santoys Bigjigs Toys T: 01303 250400

Sassy

Snack Trap

Sweet Dreamers

UPPAbaby

East Coast Nursery Products Ltd. T: 01692 408802

CN Sales & Marketing T: 01635 255725

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Distributor Corporation UK Ltd. T: 01422 383555

School of Babywearing

SnoozeShade

TAF Toys

Vicks

Babywearing UK T: 0300 800 1471

Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

Halilit T: 01254 872454

OXO Tot T: 0114 242 0405

Scotchi

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Halilit T: 01254 872454

Shade Me Buggy Shade Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

ShadeMe KoolSun Ltd T: 01483 417753

Skibz Skibz T: 01747 840039

Shoo Shoos Hippychick T: 07815 179 574

Shorefeet KoolSun Ltd T: 01483 417753

Silly Billyz BPM Childcare UK T: 01992 440293

Silvercloud

SnooziHedz Trunki by Magmatic T: 01179 542794

Snuggle Baby Bedding Sheldon International T: 0116 276 1069

SoccOns Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

Soft â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Safe B Kids T: 07860 503373

Sons of Trade MJ Steps T: 01873 855158

Sophie the Giraffe 1 Two Kids Ltd. T: 01592 871291

Spillyspoon PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Spook Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440 Silvercloud Trading Ltd. Robertson House, North Walsham, Norfolk NR28 0BX T: 01692 408802 E: nursery@east-coast.co.uk W: www.silvercloudnurserybedding.co.uk

Squids sunglasses Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

Stonz MJ Steps T: 01873 855158

Summer Infant Skip-Hop

Bibs & Stuff 26 Bonehurst Road Salfords Industrial Estate Nr Redhill Surrey RH1 5EW T: 01293 774924 E: debbie@bibsandstuff.com W: www.bibsandstuff.com

Sleepcurve TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Sleepsounda Saplings of Shropshire T: 01952 550022

Sleeptot/Mini Moo PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Sleepytot/Mini Moo PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

TFK (Trends For Kids)

Vija Designs

MOJO Distribution T: 01392 697000

Babywearing UK T: 0300 800 1471

The FSID

Vision

Gro Company T: 0844 557 2962

BabyStyle T: 01509 816444

The Real Rubber Duck

Vital Baby

1 Two Kids Ltd. T: 01592 871291

Vital Innovations T: 01707 262200

The Shrunks

Wallaboo

Roger Armstrong/Breathable Baby T: 07976 773486

Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

TheBabaSling

Watch Over Me

Baba Slings Ltd T: 01273 320590

B Kids T: 07860 503373

Theraline Baby Pillow

Wheelybug

Theraline T: +49 2683 9696 0

Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

Tiny Baby

Whoozit

Sheldon International T: 0116 276 1069

Manhattan Toy T: 0208 944 3160

Tiny Love

Widgey

East Coast Nursery Products Ltd. T: 01692 408802

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

Tiny Tatty Teddy

Wilkinet

CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

TOMY First Years

Wimmer Ferguson

TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Manhattan Toy T: 0208 944 3160

Totsea

Wink

Hippychick T: 01278 43 4440

WinkShapewear T: 353 1 285 9770

ToyBox

WINNIE THE POOH

Trunki by Magmatic T: 01179 542794

TOMY T: 0208 722 7385

Travel Essentials

woombie

Summer Infant Europe Ltd

NSAUK T: 01483 527799

PHP Gift and Baby Ltd T: 01784 225925

First Floor, North Wing, Focus 31, Cleveland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7BW T: 01442 505000 E: rtrott@summerinfant.com W: www.summerinfant.co.uk

Trousselier

Wynnie

1 Two Kids Ltd. T: 01592 871291

Theraline T: +49 2683 9696 0

Trunki

Xplory

Trunki by Magmatic T: 01179 542794

Babyprice T: 0844 826 0632

Sun Sense sunscreens Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

Sunproof sun hats Sunproof Limited T: 01460 258040

Super baby CASA CHICOS LTD T: 01732 871177

Suppori Babywearing UK T: 0300 800 1471

TS2 Travel Systems

ZETA

BabyStyle T: 01509 816444

Baby Travel T: 01902 593037

tummy tub

Zing

CN Sales & Marketing T: 01635 255725

BabyStyle T: 01509 816444

Tutim NYC 1 Two Kids Ltd. T: 01592 871291

Twigz Bigjigs Toys T: 01303 250400

BUYERSDIRECTORY

COORDINATED BEDDING

TRAVEL ACCESSORIES

The Buggysnuggle Company - the place for snuggly stuff! www.buggysnuggle.com Tel: 01841 540044 Email: info@buggysnuggle.com

TEXTILES SAFETY TESTING Ambassador Textiles manufacturer of Anti Pil Fleece blankets Blankets are made to order, Cot, Pram, Picnic Blankets are made from stock fabric, over 50 plain colours and 20 prints.

Minimums apply.

Ambassador Textiles Ltd Ambassador-textiles.co.uk kris@ambassador-textiles.co.uk 0161 624 4167

WHOLESALE

In the December/January issue of Nursery Today we will include the following features/show previews: Car Seats & Accessories Pre-school Toys Pacifiers & Soothers Nuremberg Preview London Toy Fair preview Copy deadlines 28th November for editorial and 5th December for creative Call Christine on 01442 289936 or Email: christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

BABY CHANGING

WHOLESALE

BUYERSDIRECTORY

BABY CARE INDUSTRY STRATEGIC MAP Do you want to be visible on foreign markets?

We recommend those with whom you can ;!ยฃ0 #<9-2'99W '; -2 ;3<$, >-;, ;,' 8'68'9'2;!เฆง ='9 of the best trade magazines.

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NETHERLANDS BABYWERELD T { เขฐ รฃ S PA I N P U E R I C U LT U R A M A R K E T SWEDEN LEKSAKSREVYN

BCMI President Carola Siksma-Ruiters tel.: +31 35 524 23 98, ruiters@baby-wereld.nl www.babycaremagazines.com

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