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Retail Matters – Online4Baby

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Britax Römer

Britax Römer

Online4baby has had a positive and winning 2022, with the Managing Director Christy Foster being crowned one of five North West Regional winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 Awards. It didn’t stop there, as Online4baby then went on to become finalists and winners at the Oldham Business Awards 2022, in the Over £5million Company category! If that wasn’t enough of a celebration, we then became finalists at the ECMOD awards and found ourselves ranked 7th in The Ward Hadaway Northwest Fastest 50 for 2022. What an outstanding year this has been for us!

and brands return who haven’t attended in many years. An aspect of the recession is that product development has slowed down, however at Harrogate there were lots of brands introducing and showcasing new products. Stands which caught our eye and were showing new and exciting products were Egg, Silvercross, iCandy and Venicci, showing product innovation. CuddleCo had an impressive stand this year. Their colour palettes, stepping into a much more contemporary styling with moody tones was a nice change, and hopefully As much fun as we’ve had out and about, the office has definitely been a bit more challenging. There is no avoiding the economic factors in play here. With the downturn in the dollar rate, rising interest rates, everyone’s pockets are a bit more stretched, and purchases are being considered a little bit more.

After attending the award ceremonies, myself and Jenny Hughes, Head of Brand and Product Development, visited the Harrogate Baby Show. It was amazing to see all the different brands there and see the industry coming together. The show was fully attended, which was great to see, as well as seeing some familiar faces customers will embrace the move away from the more traditional styles. Mini-Uno had a great range of stylish, modern products, which were at a competitive price, I do believe they will also do well this upcoming year. Harrogate will continue to be a successful show and we look forward

Retail matters

Online4Baby’s Managing Director Christy Foster gives her view on Harrogate Int. Nursery Fair 2022 and why it’s ‘Winning Times’ and ‘Happy Times’ in a difficult climate for the business.

to attending again next time, seeing new and upcoming brands and all the latest products.

From our time at Harrogate, it appears that brands are looking at trends and implementing new products which is exciting for the industry. Trends coming through are Greens, Blues and Teals, and Online4baby are looking for brands which follow these trends. The biggest revival out there is the Nursery Sector, bedroom furniture and cots and cot beds. Fashion has changed to a much more Scandinavian look and feel. Where customers had previously wanted whites and greys, we have now seen that they are exploring the natural woods, dark woods and bold colours. We are not sure how the sales will go with these products as they are new to us, however, they sure do look great in the photography! Over the next few months when we start to get these items into stock, we will monitor the sales. We could find that customers do revert to the traditional sleigh cot beds and white furniture, but nobody can deny that the bold is eye catching!

As much fun as we’ve had out and about, the office has definitely been a bit more challenging. There is no avoiding the economic factors in play here. With the downturn in the dollar rate, rising interest rates, everyone’s pockets are a bit more stretched, and purchases are being considered a little bit more. Value for money is more important now than it has ever been for our customers, and we intend to do what we always do, which is to give them value and quality, and of course margin is more important than ever too. Sometimes sales are lost, which is hard, but in order to be successful you need to be profitable, and we always keep that in mind.

On a changing note, for Online4baby, we have always been an in-stock company which is the best way to go for a business. However, we are pivoting into a different business with luxury in mind. We have always carried a lot of stock, but we have decided to make an option for drop shipping, which means we can stock these luxury brands and brands that we don’t currently hold. We need to regroup and grow, and the only way to grow is to adapt, and this is the beginning of how we are going to execute that.

Online4baby are currently planning for 2023 and it’s nearly here. We are not far off peak which is really exciting, and what we have planned for 2023 is about brand, sustainability, and of course quality. It is all about ‘Power to Parents’.

Online4Baby are delighted to be a Which? Recommended Provider for Baby & Child Retailers 2021.

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