Nursery Today by Lema Publishing

SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE 12 VOLUME 21

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contents Re g ul a r s the team Editor Penny Franks penny@lemapublishing.co.uk

Ad Manager Christine Contreras christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design Production Director

SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE 12 VOLUME 21

Contributors 16

This issue John Barker takes a look at Kind

News

24 32

Barking Mad Und Jugend.

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apshot Supplier Sn Products 112 New ts aby Produc 114 The B n Associatio

Insights People

104

Ross Hewitt Ross runs us through why it is important to keep up with digital marketing while you are in attendance at K&J.

110

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Intelligent Retail This issue David Fairhurst give us all a crash

Publisher

course in Voice Search Engine Optimisation

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd 1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

Features

p26

Monitors

100

Dress Up

108

Meet the PRs

Special Feature

p36

Kind Und Jugend 2018 Preview Everything you need to assist you to pre-plan your visit

www.nursery-today.co.uk

Everyone will simply love Owl Friends, the latest fashion from BreathableBaby, This cute design in story time format will decorate any cot to create a pretty and safe environment for baby For further information, please contact rachelle.harel@breathablebaby.com

editor’s letter www.nursery-today.co.uk Twitter: @nurserytodaymag

t’s that time of year where we will all gather again at one of the world’s largest trade fairs in the nursery industry, Kind Und Jugend is set to open their doors from the 20th-23rd September. This is very much an international fair and is also one of the largest when it comes down to the baby and children’s outfitting sector. All of the important industry players are represented in Cologne where they will present their new products and developments across a plethora of categories, from car seats and accessories, wheeled goods, furniture, safety products, textiles and toys. This exhibition definitely has it all covered and provides those visiting insights into what’s new and future trends. In addition to this Kind Und Jugend also offers a unique information programme, which promises trade visitors significant added value. Big names such as Artsana-Chicco,

We bring you a comprehensive preview of Kind Und Jugend in this issue. Simply turn to page 35.

Britax Römer, Dorel, Cosatto, Cybex, Gro, Prince Lionheart, ABC Design, Obaby, Tomy and Lindam (to name a few), will be exhibiting alongside promising young and new companies. This year visitors will experience around 1,200 exhibitors within 110,000 square metres of exhibition space. The show has a truly international flavour and is a great platform to find products that may not have been seen before in the UK, which is great for independent retailers who may be looking to source that something different. Kind Und Jugend offers a host of opportunities, whether you are looking to catch up with leading brand names, network with like-minded people, find new product ranges that may offer that something different, see what upcoming trends are emerging or indeed want to spot the latest innovative products - then this is the place to be. Of course, make sure you head over the Baby Products Association UK Pavilion whilst you are in attendance. The UK Pavilion has become a destination hotspot pop over to hall 4.1, follow the signs and look for the Union Jacks! We bring you a comprehensive preview of the show in this issue. Simply turn to page 35, where you will find an introduction to the show, information on the UK Pavilion, a UK exhibitors list and a host of exhibiting companies, all giving you a sneaky peek of what you can expect to find on display which we trust will assist you in pre-planning your visit. On a further note, we recently ran a ‘giveaway’ in collaboration with Kind Und J Jugend to offer the first 100 to contact me by email (penny@lemapublishing.co.uk) entry codes for VIP Season Tickets. These voucher codes provide free entry to the show across all four days and also free transport (bus or trains) on the extended

Rhein-Sieg Transport Authority network. At the time of writing this, there are still a few voucher codes up for grabs, so if you haven’t already purchased your entry tickets why not ping me an email. Congratulations to all those who have already secured these (I was a little overwhelmed by the stream of emails that I received, but hopefully the majority of you have received and redeemed your codes). This issue we also take a look at baby monitors, which are must have items on new parents shopping lists. Baby monitors have developed beyond recognition over the course of the last few years keeping in line with the demands of the modern parent. This is a product sector that is steeped in innovation, but with so many varying options out there what is currently driving this sector forward? Turn to page 26 to read more and view products that are currently available. Remember also to ensure you have subscribed to our Daily News Flash - this will ensure you are kept up to date on news, new products launches and much more on a daily basis - simply visit our website: www.nursery-today.co.uk and click on the ‘subscribe’ button.

Hipseat Great cuddles without the back ache www.hippychick.com 01278 434440 nursery today

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Diono, the Pacific Northwest’s award winning designer and manufacturer of car seats and strollers for babies, and We Made Me, home of award winning baby slings, baby wraps and baby carriers, have announced that the brands have won a combined eight platinum awards, four gold awards and three silver awards in the 2018 Loved By Parents Awards in categories including Best Baby Carrier, Best Innovative Stroller, Best Stroller and Best Innovative Car Seat. Now in its eighth year, the Loved by Parents Awards recognise the best juvenile products which are tested and voted on by parents, and is one of the most trusted parenting awards worldwide. In a survey conducted, 80% of parents said they were more likely to buy a product if it had won a Loved by Parents award. Tim Maule, CEO at Diono, said, “The Diono and We Made Me teams are proud of the awards we’ve won at this year’s Loved By Parents Awards and the work we’ve put into creating these juvenile products to benefit and improve both parents’ and children’s lives. Diono’s recent brand refresh, along with the brand’s newest board members and executives, has created a stir in the juvenile product industry and cleared a path for Diono to become a true thought leader in the juvenile industry for both design and innovation. This new spirit and direction has resulted in multiple new, award-winning products from Diono and we look forward to continuing on this path in creating products for a new generation of parents.” Web: uk.diono.com

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Nimble takes over Taiwan and Malaysia The makers of the UK’s first and only plant-based cleaning products for children’s mess, have unlocked another achievement! Nimble have struck deals with distributors in Taiwan and Malaysia, which means that Nimble is now in seven countries around the world. For more information, contact Nimble at hello@nimblebabies.com or check out Nimble’s website: www.nimblebabies.com.

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All products are supported by a comprehensive press and pr campaign.

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Rising star Easytots’ Managing Director has been crowned a ‘Rising Star’ at this year’s national WeAreTheCity Awards. Helen Davies, who is a member of the Baby Products Association, was recognised in the ‘Entrepreneurs & Start-Ups’ category at a glittering presentation held at NewsUK, London last month. The aim of the awards was to celebrate 100 female role models and individual contributors across 20 different industries who represent the inspirational future leaders of tomorrow. Helen’s award success is the latest milestone in her journey, which has seen her appear on Channel 4’s ‘Buy It Now’ and present at the 2018 International Business Festival in recent months. To find out more, visit www.easytots.com

Get your free sample Due to the popularity of grey across the other Wonder Bibs styles, Baby&More are delighted to add grey Sleeved Wonder Bibs to their offering. Alll Wonder Bibs have an adjustable neckline and are breathable against the skin so a child won’t complain about having to wear them. And maybe the best thing, they are machine washable and dryer safe with a stain resistant quality that makes them look like new after every wash so parents know that they will last through Summer and beyond. As well as being great for home use, Mum 2 Mum bibs also make excellent purchases for nurseries and preschools who are looking for hardwearing protection against daily messy play. For your free Mum 2 Mum Sleeved Wonder Bib sample contact: info@babyandmore.co.uk. Tel: 0333 014 4242

NEW

Silicone Self-Feeder

No ordinary fox

A fun new natural rubber teething toy designed to stimulate baby’s senses and soothe sore gums has been crown Consumer Choice for Teething Product by mumii. Ethan the Fox is no ordinary fox. He’s a super teething fox! He’s designed to be easy to grasp by small hands and has lots of clever features such as a long, jaunty tail for hard-to-reach sore spots, pointy ears and a naughty nose which baby can chew on to soothe mouths as teeth grow. The friendly fox is the first product from their brand Mooncow and is designed to help baby’s sense of sight, touch, sense and smell while also having lots of fun bits to chew on to ease the pain of sore gums. Tel: +44 (0) 1992 301 061 Email: Sarah.mooncow@gmail.com Web: www.mooncow.co.uk

A berry good idea!

Award Winning Fun Le Toy Van are delighted that so many of the beautiful wooden toys from the 2018 collection have been winning some of the top awards in the industry. “We are really thrilled with our collection as a whole. Being hands-on throughout the design process, we really finesse each toy we design. The result is that Le Toy Van is seeing an increase in popularity in the market” says Steven Le Van, Managing Director of Le Toy Van. “We’re attributing this growth to both the 2018 collection and the momentum from the Toy Fair.” The awards include Gold in the Loved By Children Awards for our Ice Lollies (a must-have in the summer!) We were really excited by the Gold in the Loved By Parents Awards for our Sweet Dreams Pram and a Platinum Award for the ABC Wooden Blocks in the Loved By Parents Best Buy Awards. As well as numerous Recommended toys by the psychologists of Fundamentally Children in their Good Toy Guide, and a Silver in the European Product Design Awards for their Popcorn Machine, amongst others. To see a full list of Le Toy Van’s latest awards, please visit the website:

Introduce your little ones to whole, fresh foods safely.

For life’s little adventures info@oxouk.com www.oxototuk.com

www.letoyvan.com/awards.

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news Are you ready? Rob R o Pascoe, Group Commercial Co and Marketing M Director takes ta a look ahead at a planning ahead in i readiness for Kind K Und Jugend.

sS September ept ep e ptte em emb mbe err is is u upo upon po us, here at Gro HQ we are po busy preparing for another exciting trip to Cologne for Kind und Jugend. As one of the largest international nursery fairs with 1200 exhibitors from 50 countries there is a lot of ground to cover over the few days of the show. Whether attending as an exhibitor, retailer or just visiting, it’s important to get the most of your time there. Here are a few pointers on how to make the most of your visit. Set a goal Make sure you are clear about what you want to achieve at the show and identify what the opportunity for you is. Whether you’re a one man band or work for a large organisation attending international shows can be a costly affair. Focus in on what you really want to achieve while you are there, what will add value to your business in the coming year? This doesn’t mean you need to have blinkers on as you go round. One of the fantastic things about K&J is the opportunity for chance discussions with people that might produce great results for you in the future; however, don’t lose sight of what you want to achieve. Be prepared Channel your inner Guide or Scout and prepare to make the most of your time at the show. There is a huge opportunity to source new ranges, suppliers or distributers. Make sure you do your research beforehand, create a list of must see stands, schedule your time and try to arrange meetings before you leave so the right contacts are available when you visit them. This saves you missing out on valuable conversations and saves wasting time hanging around waiting for people. Follow up After the glow of catching up with industry colleagues and meeting new contacts at the show has faded, make sure you take time out post show to make the most of your visit. Compiling a report is a great way to share learnings you took away from show and might have useful information for colleagues that weren’t able to attend. Most importantly of all, follow up on any meetings you had or even those you didn’t quite manage to have. Make contact while the experience of the show and conversations are still fresh for both parties and keep dialogue open. Along with all this don’t forget a pair of comfy shoes, your fit bit to count your steps (you know people will compare!), a big bag for leaflets and brochures and you should be all set to make the most of your visit to Kind und Jugend. We look forward to catching up with you there.

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Near-win for Little Chick London Bushey-based Little Chick London was announced as runner-up in the 2018 SME Hertfordshire Business Awards last week, only just pipped at the post by apprenticeship service provider iSales Academy Ltd out of numerous entries throughout Hertfordshire. Rachelle Harel, director of Little Chick London, said: “We were delighted to have been shortlisted in these awards earlier this month, but to have actually achieved runner-up status is an amazing achievement, particularly as we have been trading for a relatively brief time.” Little Chick London, which has already received several nursery industryrelated awards for its innovative products, is keen to demonstrate good business practice and work closely with trade partners to provide successful commercial outcomes. Rachelle continues: “The judges for the SME Hertfordshire Business Awards were mostly concerned with business practice rather than products and the excellent relationship that we have developed with trading partners – both suppliers and retailers– was clearly demonstrated in our entry.” For more information about Little Chick London visit www.littlechick.london

Aqua Wipes head to Ocado

Parents looking for eco-friendly fully biodegradable wet wipes can now purchase Aqua Wipes, the new baby wipes that do not contain any plastic fibres, from leading online retailer Ocado. Dr Mark Little, Founder, Aqua Wipes commented: “We are delighted to announce that Ocado, recently hailed as the ‘Microsoft of Retailers’, is now stocking Aqua Wipes! Plus, for a limited time (until 07 August) customers will be able to take advantage of Ocado’s introductory offer of 30 per cent off.” “Securing this retail giant demonstrates the growing consumer demand for natural products, which provide an environmentally friendly alternative option for everyday items. This is a trend that shows no sign of slowing down, especially following the recent exposure on the plastic pollution epidemic.” Email: sales@aquawipes.co.uk

International growth for Baby K’tan Continuing their trend of international growth, Baby K’tan, LLC has announced three new distribution partnerships; Luna bebé of Mexico, Lucina of Iceland and PANINTI Baby of Indonesia. The additions bring the family-owned U.S. based company to a total of 15 international distributors covering over 100 countries. Best known for their innovative easy-to-use baby wrap, Baby K’tan, LLC has steadily increased their product mix since their incorporation in 2007, introducing new carrier styles, a line of diaper bags, and now venturing into the swaddle and sleep category. The product launches and new distribution partnerships are a testament to the continued progress of the small Florida-based baby products brand. Web: www.2012ltd.co.uk

partners with Brake Car seat manufacturer, Maxi-Cosi, announces a 12 month partnership with national road safety charity Brake to help champion safer UK roads. The collaboration will see Maxi-Cosi raise awareness of road safety amongst UK schools through a nationwide banner sponsorship, support of Brake’s Road Safety Week running 19th -25th November 2018 and ongoing collaborations throughout the year.

Celebrating

10 YEARS Growing Together!

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news Digital reflection Anthony Temple, Managing Director of Rainbow Designs, the Home of Classic Characters, reflects on the ever-growing importance of a strong digital presence for both manufacturers and retailers. he speed of business today is quicker than it has ever been. For all of us, time is a very precious entity and certainly one that independent retailers, in particular, have to look to maximise. However, continuous developments and enhancements in technology are here to help us all if we look to implement, use and capitalise on them all effectively and efficiently. An important part of our business strategy is the embracing of modern digital technology and as part of that, after months of research and development, we have recently launched our new website. We have spent a lot of time and have given careful thought and consideration into the mechanics of the website to ensure it delivers a positive ordering experience and 24/7 order capability for our retail customers. We have put a heavy focus on easy navigation to ensure a high level of functionality and worked hard to ensure that every stage of the browsing, selection and ordering process is as seamless and as simple as possible, to importantly reduce the time it takes for retailers to browse, select and order. We have also focused on providing a more enriched and immersive brand experience and also incorporated social media feeds. It is important that retailers are aware of the current information on properties and the promotional activity surrounding those brands. This information can then be taken into account when considering and selecting products for the shelves. These principles work for us as a manufacturer, making best use of technology to aid our retailer customers. However, they are also important for retailers whose customers are, for the most part, millennial parents and at the forefront of digital technologies.

Lifemarque ily focuses on fam in the family market, to drive

Lifemarque has appointed Vista PR, experts with brand awareness and sales of its innovative outdoor and travel products, brand. a key focus on its LittleLife Vista’s strategies will fuse engaging content, smart social campaigns, influencer advocacy and brand building media coverage to drive sales with young families. Lucy Reeves, who will direct the account at Vista said: “We’re going to create buzz around LittleLife’s entire product range to make the brand stand out from the crowd. We will connect it with a more agile and online family audience.” The LittleLife brand fits perfectly into Vista PR’s portfolio of quality leading brands with adventure at their heart which includes MicroScooters, Start-Rite Shoes, Babyzen, Peg Perego and Luxury Family Hotels. To view LittleLife’s complete range, visit www.littlelife.com

Team Ruk-Bug continues to grow After the appointment of a Managing Director and a Financial Director this year, Ruk-bug welcomes Emelyne Bradley as Sales & Marketing Director. With 15 years of experience in strategic sales and marketing development worldwide, Emelyne is delighted to join Ruk-bug for their launch in Cologne this September. With safety, innovation and style at heart, Ruk-bug has a bright future to offer and Emelyne is excited to be part of it from the start. Emelyne looks forward to sharing the amazing Ruk-bug range with global retailers and distributors. Email: sales@ruk-bug.com Web: www.ruk-bug.com

Shortlist Success for Halilit Halilit are thrilled to have been shortlisted for three awards in the 2018 Made for Mums Toy Awards! Shortlisted for Best Baby Toy 6-12 months is Nesting Babies from Rosa & Bo, Best Toy for Active Play with Laptoy Activity Centre from Taf Toys and finally, the innovative Taf Toys Musical Newborn Cosy Gym is up for Best Activity Mat. For further information on the full Halilit portfolio, contact: Amy Wildman: 01254 872454 or amy@halilit.co.uk

Returning to the UK Bumbleride Inc. is excited to return to the United Kingdom this autumn thanks to Bebe Brands Ltd. Bebe Brands is excited to continue helping parents find the right Bumbleride for their lifestyles as the distributor for the UK. Visit uk.bumbleride.com to explore the range.

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news Save the date Kids’ TIME: 20-22nd February 2019 The International Fair of Toys and Products for Mother and Child Kids’ TIME is one of the world’s greatest events in the child products and services business sector, the showcase for over 500 exhibitors from 22 countries. The Expo attracts more the 7,000 visitors. It has become the spring expo tradition to stage product launches and offer an insight into the business-sector’s latest developments. The world’s leading producers of toys, prams, car seats, furniture, textiles and children’s articles showcase at KIDS’ TIME. The expo offers an excellent opportunity to introduce your products into the European market, establish as well as maintain business contacts. Seminars, business-insiders meetings and foreign journalists visits - KIDS’ TIME 2019, 20-22 February, Targi Kielce. Web: www.targikielce.pl/en/kidstime

Built for baby The JPMA Show: Built for Baby is the only combined baby and children’s products conference, trade show and consumer baby show in North America. The four-day JPMA event brings the industry together to showcase and launch the newest innovation in baby products, collaborate on product quality and safety advancements, participate in educational opportunities, connect with peers and sell new products. The show culminates in the largest consumer baby show in the country, giving participants a unique opportunity to engage new and expectant parents at a level not offered by other shows. Why participate in The JPMA Show?

The JPMA Show is the only place that brings the entire industry together, including manufacturers, buyers, distributors, service providers, media and consumers under one roof. In 2019, they’re expecting...

• More than 4,600 people on the trade show floor throughout the week • More than 550 buyers representing nearly 300 retailers - that’s more than 90% of the industry’s buying power in the U.S.! • More than 2,500 consumer attendees, with 94% being parents, expecting or planning for pregnancy - not just people, the right people! • More than 150 media and influencers Where is The JPMA Show?

The Orange County Convention Center, Orlando FL 9800 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819 When is The JPMA Show?

The 2019 show schedule will be as follows: Wednesday, April 10:

• 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Conference programming, special events and private meetings, plus hosted sessions with retailers, media and international buyers • JPMA Member and Media Reception and Annual Member Meeting Thursday, April 11:

• 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Show floor open to the trade •7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - Industry party Friday, April 12:

• 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Show floor open to the trade • 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Show floor open to the trade and consumers • Innovation Awards announcement Saturday, April 13

• 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Show floor open to consumers For further information please email Kelly Voelker, Director of Marketing, JPMA: kvoelker@jpma.org Web: www.jpmashow.org

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Hong Kong is calling HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair 2019 will be staged at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 7-10 January 2019. As the largest fair of its kind in Asia and the second largest in the world, the 2018 edition drew over 49,000 buyers from 126 countries and regions to meet 2,100 exhibitors. To facilitate buyers’ sourcing needs, the fair will feature various product zones including the Brand Name Gallery, offering international renowned brands; Smart-Tech Toys, showcasing innovative toys with smart features such as robotics, apps, AR and VR; and Kidult World featuring hobby goods, models & figurines, magic items, action & war game items. Web: www.hktdc.com

cover story Diono

What an adventure New beginnings, new faces and new places... for a brand Made of Seattle. Written by Tim Maule, CEO, Diono

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joined Diono just nine months ago and just a few quarters into our new tenure it’s all hands on deck as we all step out on a new and exciting journey here at Diono.  My journey has taken me from Germany to the west coast of America. From where I’m sat writing this and getting ready for Kind und Jugend, I can just see the top of Mount Rainier, popping its icy summit over the line of cedar trees that surround our US headquarters. All around our long-established home in the southern Seattle region, we are surrounded by an unrivalled landscape: whether it’s the omnipresent mountain, (actually a stratovolcano, making up part of the Pacific ring of fire), or the distinctive and lush Washington state forests. All framed by the rugged and wild Puget Sound. This is now home. Perched on the edge of the United States...where incomparable forces of nature shape the landscape we work in, whilst also underpinning the character and ambition of this established US brand. Being “Made of Seattle” means that we share a contemporary tradition of innovation in this part of the world, with so many other businesses who have also made Washington

State their home and spread their wings further afield. From Starbucks to Amazon, Boeing to Microsoft - we’re in good company. It would be true to say that it is a determined Pacific Northwest attitude that defines how we think. It is from this unique vantage point, with Asia eight hours behind us in one direction, Europe eight hours ahead in the other and the USA and Canada on our doorstep that means that we’re ready to meet our global potential. So what’s new? As a part of an ongoing global initiative we will be leaving our longstanding UK base in Tamworth and opening a newly designed 9000 square foot European HQ in the north west of England. Manchester it seems, is Seattle’s long-lost cousin, sharing an impossible love affair with music, all things rain related and with an industrial heart. We will open our new home in the Northern Quarter during September 2018. This will house our creative teams across product, textile and brand, the European & Asia sales support teams, European customer service and our EMEA Finance team - and in turn provide the business with a wonderful new base in a reinvented and vibrant city. Many of those who visited us in Manchester earlier in the year to attend our North by Northwest Spring 2019 preview may have had a sneak peak of the listed building in Dale St which provided part of the “Brooklyn” backdrop, for the Captain America Movie. Our Canadian business continues to grow at a significant pace and the team near Toronto have a superb knowledge and passion for everything that we do. Do please come and meet them, since they will be joining us in Germany for the show.   To complete a cosmopolitan and worldwide team, we will continue to develop and strengthen our

invaluable teams in Hong Kong & China. They are charged with supporting our wonderful production partners, design, development and our technical teams. They complete our global business centres and shape a business that’s open 24/7. During a period where the business has undergone significant reinvestment and restructure, we now have a newly inspired and globally experienced sales & marketing team (many of whom readers will already know). Their strengths, insights and qualities have already begun to influence this unique business and brand from Seattle. Bill Ramsey has joined as VP of Sales USA. He leads our sales team across the States, supported by Jay Herr, our National Sales manager USA, who has been instrumental in developing Diono’s presence over many years. Robert Hicks heads up the Canadian Team as VP Sales/GM Canada with a wonderful team including Eric Boudreau, VP Sales East Canada and Angelo Parrino, VP Sales Canada West. Henrik Liedberg, VP International Distribution will be working across Europe and Asia and leads our EMEA sales team and is supported by Lydia Manko, Sales Director DACH. Helen Robinson, VP UK & Eire brings much experience in heading up and shaping up the UK with our newly appointed Sales Executive, Tom Hemus and Adelle Osborne our long standing National Account Manager. I am sure that you will agree, that wherever you are in the world, we’re bringing a little bit of Seattle ever closer to where you are... And as the world continues to shrink and everywhere gets that little bit closer and easier to reach, the digital opportunity allows us to share our Seattle stories, which transcend mountains and oceans, languages and borders. Our new Chief Digital Officer, Peter Wilfahrt, has a unique consumer insight and technical knowledge of all aspects of today’s digital world. As a new father he has brought immense energy into the business to support our “digital first” approach to everything we do, as we develop a global conversation around parenthood, and what it means to share the joy of the journey – wherever you live. So, as I pack to head back to Germany, but this time as a visitor, I’ll be looking to bring some of Seattle with me and I’m excited to be coming back to K&J, (an event I have attended for more than 20 years), with a new perspective. In the same way I have a new home, as does Diono, and this year you will find us in a completely new space at stand C008 & D008 in hall 11.3, where I am sure a wonderful welcome awaits and we can share some of the new products.

This year we e have an exceptional array of new launches.

Building on the European an ono is extending launch of Radian 5, Diono nclude a cohesive their car seat line up to include range of new platforms, all boasting a comprehensive fashion and colour line up, with particular focus on comfort and detail. The story starts with a double first for Diono within the R129 standard, a new “easy on boarding” 360-degree rotating seat and an ISOFIX high-back booster. In addition, there will be a new Group 1/2/3 convertible seat and a new evolution of Diono’s award winning Monterey2 high-back booster, all lovingly engineered for the joy of the journey. Strollers come in every shape and size with a comprehensive range, including the award winning “Original luggage style stroller”, Traverze, which will be launched in its new twin version at the show. This will be accompanied by the versatile and wonderfully refined Quantum 2 multi-mode stroller, which has the celebrated “nesting” seat concept. Newness comes in the form of a reinvented classic 3D fold, in a superr city-sized format, married with a great new mid-sized city stroller, complete with reversible seat and carrycot, both great for urban living. Many of these new products willl be showcased in Diono’s new “Blackk Platinum”, fashion collection with a unique “mirror line” fabric: certain to get heads turning. Diono will also celebrate Carus, the award winning 4 in 1 active carrier for front and back carrying. This meets the needs of parents everywhere: whether they are in urban landscapes or wish to walk in the wilds. It comes complete with a unique backpack that can be worn front or back. And, I haven’t even mentioned our We Made Me brand yet! Maybe Nigel, our Chief Product & Brand officer can tell you more on page 106. I’ll see you at the show… To arrange an appointment to visit the Diono and We Made Me stands at Kind and Jugend please contact sales@diono.com

e business th re he w od ri pe a g in ur D ment and st ve in re nt ca ifi gn si e on rg de has un ve a newly restructure, we nowpeha ced sa les & inspired and globally anexy ofrienw hom readers marketing team (m ). Their strengths, will already know have already begun insights and qualities ique business and to in fluence this un Seattle brand from

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Web: www.uk.diono.com

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nursery matters JOHN BARKER

Barking Mad This issue John Barker takes a look at Kind Und Jugend.

’m writing this months article as we all prepare to jump in to a metal tube and put our lives in the hands of physics – apparently it’s something to do with air pressure? Yes, it’s time for Cologne and I am very excited about it. I’ve managed to avoid a lynching following my last article and I’m back for more. I hope you’ve all been positive and proactive and are feeling better for it. I’ve been so positive this month that the BBC called me and asked if I could take over from Mr Tumble when he calls it a day. They then saw a picture of me and changed their minds, something about upsetting the children? From the conversations I’ve been having with various reps it would appear that if anything happened to our flight the entire UK nursery industry could be decimated. It’s going to be a who’s who of faces – in fact it’s going to be the party plane to Cologne! As expected the £9.99 return flight turned in to £60.00 after the “optional” extras, when did a seat become optional on a plane? They even charged me for my emotional baggage! 80 seats on a plane and I think 90% of them will have a nursery bottom on them – here’s an idea, I may just get the flight over, do all our business at 30,000ft and then just head back. We’ll be landing safe and sound in Cologne and heading to the nearest bar, I mean hotel for refreshments (tea

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and coffee only – promise). If I blank out mid-flight and wake up on a desert island inhabited by polar bears and scary smoke monsters I will not be happy – and before anyone says or thinks it, yes I do look like a bald Hurley (for those reading this that didn’t watch Lost I’m sorry). Not only is this my first time to Cologne but also to Germany! As I’m an 80’s child (who am I trying to kid?) my entire knowledge of Germany and their culture is based purely upon the scene in National Lampoons European Vacation where they visit the beer festival. If this is the case I’ll be a happy little “Rusty” (I promise to dance like Clark if I can find some lederhosen). I’ve been packing my case in preparation: socks, undies, teddy bear, beer (I mean coffee) money and diary rammed full of appointments are all checked off and ready for action. With this being my first time at K&J I’m not sure what to expect. I’m envisioning it to be like Harrogate (or any other trade show for that matter) if it was based in Lilliput? I’m not just turning up and winging it, oh no, I have a plan. Harrogate has become our go to for new things – a way of plugging holes in our proposition. I’m viewing K&J as a way of “touching base” with all our big accounts. As many of them no longer exhibit at Harrogate and as we don’t attend roadshows (we can’t be out of the store that often) it’s been a fair time since we stepped foot on some of their stands.

As I’m a self-confessed techno geek I’m most excited to see what the car seat brands have to show us all. The technology used in the car seat industry is baffling and I really enjoy getting in to the nitty gritty of the mechanics of a product. I’ve heard rumours of some clever trickery over at Kiddy so I’ll definitely be heading in their direction. I’m also hoping to find our more details regarding the Swandoo seats as they really interest me with all their clever gizmos. DANGER, DANGER WILL ROBINSON – You’ve left little Johnny in the car! Awesome stuff. Like so many of you I’ll be heading to Babystyle to see the finalised Oyster 3 range. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – what a product! Something will have to be really, really good to beat it to product of the show for me. How good? Boba Fett good. Thierry Henry good. Seeing Siobhan Walker (ex M&P) in a mosh pit at a death metal festival (yes this really happened and I watched the entire thing) good. It’s such an amazing product that we’ve pre-sold a fair few already just off the back of us getting excited about it and the images Babystyle have sent us. Well done Andy and everyone involved in the development of the product. To pinch

a slogan used by Arsenal when they changed the teams badge back in 2002 – This is evolution not revolution. Fingers crossed I’ll land me a nice Oyster 3 mug for that? Hint hint Across the hall on the Joolz stand we’ll be getting the lowdown on the worst kept secret in the industries history, the Day 3. This is an intriguing one as I personally feel the Day 2 has been a great product and has sold very well for us. I’m sure Joolz will explain all and it will make perfect sense. Over on the Mamas & Papas stand I’m assuming we’ll see various developments with the mega popular Ocarro. The runaway success of ’17 and ’18 doesn’t show any signs of slowing and with the recent additions of the Jewel collection the Ocarro is still one of ours, any many of yours best sellers. A sneak preview of what the future holds will be very welcome, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for that. I’ll have a full review of the show next month and offer up some thought on the many wonder things I’ll no doubt see. Until next time hope you all enjoy Cologne – don’t forget to say Hi if you see me. You won’t be able to miss me; I’ll be the dude in the Lederhosen “blending in” with the locals.

john@pramland.co.uk

advertorial BAMBINO MIO

Reusable nappy brand comes of age Bambino Mio turns 21! Achieving many milestones on their journey, transitioning from a small business to an international success story.

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ince husband and wife, Guy and Jo Schanschieff established Bambino Mio in 1997 from humble beginnings, the business has gone from strength to strength, becoming the most accessible reusable nappy brand across the globe. With products now available in over 50 countries including UK, Germany, France, Australia, USA, Italy and Spain. As well as selling directly to consumers via eCommerce, Bambino Mio products are now available in a range of retail sectors including independent stores, nursery outlets, online retailers, supermarkets and pharmacies around the world. Retailers include the likes Amazon, Aldi, Asda, of A Morrisons, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Mo dm-drogerie markt, Rossmann, dm REWE, Walmart, El Corte RE Inglés, Carrefour and many Ing more. mo Now, more than ever before, is the Brand’s time to be truly shine as the demand for tru eco-friendly baby products is ec rapidly increasing as more ra consumers and retailers are co specifically opting for sp single-use product alternatives si in the change-time category. In I particular, the reusable nappy industry has seen an n impressive surge in product i popularity; in the early 1990s p only o 2% of parents were using reusable nappies, now over 30% of parents try a reusable product. Bambino Mio’s strategy has played a vital role in this positive product shift. Guy Schanschieff,

Founder of Bambino Mio explains, “It’s been an amazing journey for our business, the product category as a whole has grown significantly. After 21 years, we’ve successfully hit many milestones, reached over 50 countries and will continue to work closely with retailers worldwide to ensure parents have access to a wider range of reusable products, which are better for baby, for parents and the environment.” Bambino Mio have always been at the forefront of offering alternatives to single-use plastics within the baby product industry. As well as the reusable factor, the Brand’s on-trend designs have definitely played a key role in driving sales and recruiting new customers as well as delighting existing brand fans. A strong 78% of new customers confirm brand loyalty via repeat purchase due to design appeal, constant quality and the overall benefits that Bambino Mio products bring to the changing table. Their hero product, the miosolo all-in-one reusable nappy, has even become a collectable for countless customers who rush to buy the new styles as soon as they launch. This year, overall revenue for Bambino Mio has seen incredible growth, with international sales increasing sixfold and UK sales doubling YOY. Growth for the Brand and product category as a whole shows no signs of slowing down as the popularity of reusable products continues to grow all over the world. 2019 is set to be a record-breaking year for Bambino Mio, with the brand confidently heading towards a turnover of 10 million pounds. “We’ve recently achieved further international success, with products now available in new retailers and new markets across the globe. It’s not such a niche product category anymore and we’ve played an important part in the positive shift to make reusable nappies mainstream.” explains Guy. This year has also seen internal expansion, with more specialists joining the company to bring a variety of skills to the business and support overall growth, the

team now sits at 50 employees. With 40% of team members across the business coming from key markets, including Germany, France, Australia, Spain, USA, Italy, and other non-European markets, as far as New Zealand! Providing the business with a breadth of market insights, language skills and culture. Bambino Mio is not only selling internationally, it is a truly international company. This year, Bambino Mio appointed a skilled Product Designer and experienced Head of Product, to expand the product range and meet customer demand for more change-time category products, whilst staying true to the brands signature style and values. The brands swim range will also be a key area of innovation as Bambino Mio’s reusable swim nappies have become one of the brands strongest selling products.

Even though the business has grown in size, the Brand’s core family values remain at the heart of the business; to provide parents with alternatives that are better for baby, better for parents and better for the environment. Bambino Mio see the importance in making high-quality products which are environmentally friendly, problem-solving solutions for parents, ideal for tiny trendsetters, with attractive margins and competitive RRPs. During their 21 years of product innovation and efforts to make reusable nappies available worldwide, the Brand have won over 60 business and consumer awards, further highlighting Bambino Mio’s credibility as industry experts and strengthening the Brand’s position in the market. At this year’s Kind + Jugend, Bambino Mio will be showcasing their new collection which explores the tropical world of the rainforest. The six new designs available across Bambino Mio’s award-winning products include; reusable nappies, wet bags and change mats. They will also be launching a new product innovation – the first change bag for reusable nappy users. Head to Hall 4.1, Stand A-040, UK Pavilion to see for yourself what Bambino Mio is all about!

“ Ba mbino M io realised in

its infancy that Digital M arketing would be a huge driving force for the business , playing a vital role in the company’s growth. ” Bambino Mio realised in its infancy that Digital Marketing would be a huge driving force for the business, playing a vital role in the company’s growth. The brand has continued to invest in this area of the business, building a strong Marketing team of 20 people who have their finger on the pulse during this ever-growing digital age. Bambino Mio’s social media audience now exceeds 100,000 brand fans worldwide.

Tel: +44 (0)1604 883 777 Email: enquiries@bambinomio.com Web: www.bambinomio.com Social: @bambinomio

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focus

THE INSIGHTS PEOPLE

Solid advice P Parents Insights thrilled to announce that CEO Nick Richardson will be sspeaking at Kind + Jugend 2018. arents Insights is the most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence resource on aall things expecting and new parents in th the UK. Every week we survey 200 parents, from expecting to children p aaged 4, which is more than 10,000 eevery year and identifies the mustkknows when it comes to “flash” and ““global” trends. We will be will presenting in the Trend Forum on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd September. Parents Insights are thrilled to announce that CEO Nick Richardson will be speaking at Kind + Jugend 2018. The event, which takes place in Cologne, is the international leading trade fair for premium baby and toddler products, making it the perfect platform to share insights into the world of children and parents. As everyone in the industry knows, the landscape around us is evolving meaning brands must evolve too. With an increasing percentage of expecting parents belonging to the millennial generation, today’s experience of parenthood is taking place in a world completely different to that of generations before. Over the course of the two-day event, we will be exploring two trends. One trend which continues to develop is the ‘super informed parent’ – a topic which Nick will be cover in the first of two sessions. With a focus on how this generation of parents have limitless information available at their fingertips, we’ll explore the way parents are informing themselves. When it comes to self-educating around parenting topics and tracking their own (and their children’s) health and wellbeing, our data shows today’s parents use a wide breadth of offline and online information sources and can engage with these daily. The majority are multiple nudge points from the same source; for example, an expecting couple might attend a local NCT class, form a WhatsApp messaging group with the other parents participating and refer to the website in-between classes. This super-informed parent – aware, educated on the latest parenting

Nick Richardson CEO - The Insights People Nick Richardson’s is a highly experienced strategic marketer and is founder of The Insights People the most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence resource on all things kids and parents, with a mission to change the way in which global market research is conducted. Having worked in strategic marketing and insights all of his career, Nick established Kids Insights in 2017. Kids Insights survey 400 kids, tweens and teens every week (more than 20,000 a year), with subscribers able to access the data in real-time via an online portal. In addition Kids Insights also produce four insight led reports every quarter which focus on what kids, tweens and teens are consuming and how they are behaving. 2018 is set to be an exciting year with Nick overseeing the launch of Parents Insights in the UK as well as expanding Kids Insights internationally. Nick’s particular passion is for insight led research with a focus on implications and opportunities.

About Parents Insights Parents Insights is the most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence resource on all things expecting and new parents in the UK. Every week we survey 200 parents, from expecting to children aged 4, which is more than 10,000 every year and identifies the mustknows when it comes to “flash” and “global” trends. We provide our clients with access to ‘realtime’ data via our portal and four in-depth insight reports every quarter (16 per year).

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topics and able to access limitless amounts of data - are proving to be confident with clear principles when it comes to making purchasing decisions. This raises the issue of trust. We continue to see a significant disparity between ‘use’ and ‘trust’ across all information sources, which suggests this must be a key focal point for brands wanting to reach this group of consumers. A newly emerging trend, which Nick will explore in his second session during the event, is the prevalence of technology beginning to overtake friends and family as a trusted source of information. This generation of parents are increasingly utilising technology to aid their day-to-day parenting, rather than turning to their own parents for advice when it comes to their parenting journey as a whole – essentially making the internet the new grandparent. There were more than 760,000 new babies born last year, and with 95% of today’s expecting parents belonging to the millennial generation, their experience of parenthood is taking place in a world completely different to that of generations before. We all know that as the landscape around us evolves, brands must evolve too. Our data suggests that these tech-savvy millennials are embarking on the journey of parenthood in unprecedented ways. The internet has

surpassed family and friends when it comes to finding information on first-time parenting – with 7 in 10 parents using websites as an information source, almost one third of parents using Apps and a further quarter that refer to YouTube. This compares to the 67% who seek their families’ insight and just over half that will turn to friends. With Generation Z (the generation after millennials) already using YouTube as one of their main sources of information and entertainment – we expect to see the use of YouTube growing considerably. The number and range of devices in family households has also increased dramatically in the last quarter alone, with more than double growth for those adding new technologies to their homes such as Alexa/smart home options and wearable tech such as virtual reality. With these significant increases in new technologies, including wearables and smart speakers, we’ll explore the vast implications of these devices on the parenting sector.Will you be at Kind + Jugend? Come and find us in the Trend Forum to discover more on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd September. For more information on Parents Insights, a sample report and a free trial of Parents Insights award winning portal visit www.parentsinsights.co.uk/ nurserytoday or call Jenny on 0330 159 6631.

Jenny Kieras Product Manager Experienced in product development and both B2B and B2C marketing, Jenny’s focus at Parents Insights is expanding the products offered by the business, which currently surveys 10,000 parents each year to give brands valuable insights into emerging trends. Jenny has worked for brands and with buyers and retailers in this industry for many years, so also knows it is more important than ever before to o be able to stay ahead of trends and back product decisions with data and insight. Parents Insights was launched by Manchester-based The Insights People in 2018 to give companies direct access to flash trends and key data to enhance their knowledge about their target audiences’ attitudes, behaviours and consumption.

interview BRITAX RÖMER

German precision Richard Frank, Director, Britax Global Research and Development talks to Nursery Today’s Editor, Penny Franks about the recent developments at Britax Römer. Richard you have been European Engineering & NPD Director for Britax Römer since 2009 - during this time, what would you say has seen the largest variance in innovation and design for the business? During the past nine years, I have seen many changes not only in our business, but also in the industry as a whole. The introduction of the new i-Size norm significantly increased the requirements on car seats through the transition from regulation R44 to R129. Additionally, there was a market shift in product categories, with a strong tendency towards Group 1/2/3 combination seats and base systems. In addition to changing regulatory standards, consumer tests are constantly increasing their requirements, meaning car

seat manufacturers are permanently working on further developing the restraint performance of their child seats. At Britax Römer, we have developed technologies, such as our adjustable SICT or XP-PAD, that have since been rolled out globally within Britax, but also been introduced by many competitors all over the world. Over the past few years, we have increased the attention we give to intuitive handling of our child seats during the product development phase. This includes anything from simple, one-hand adjustable elements through to electronical light and sound indicators.

more consistent, while still taking local consumers’ needs and preferences into strong consideration. We will not be turning our European products into global products. We are aiming to develop global, market-driven products that integrate to our unique design language, performance, quality and of course our high safety standards. The fact that we design in Europe is nothing new, we are just communicating it more strongly now. It is an added benefit that ‘Designed in Germany’ and ‘Designed in Europe’ happen to have good global reputations.

Britax has always been one of the leaders within the car seat sector, how have you achieved and maintained this position?

Britax is building a global research and development centre in Europe and your role will change to Director, Britax Global Research and Development. Can you tell us a little bit about your plans for the new centre?

There are many factors that contribute to our position in the marketplace. We have more than 50 years’ experience in child safety, as well as hundreds of product developments and thousands of dynamic and simulation tests under our belt. Our company is built on extensive eexperience. Additionally, our priorities have always been safety and high quality, which are the attributes our sa p products are globally known for all over the world. We aare one of the few companies with in-house testing facilities and currently one of the few car seat brands fa who manufactures in the UK or in Germany. w That said, I think our key to success lies in the bridge we create between tradition and innovation. We b develop new concepts, designs and functions using d modern tools, technology and excellent engineering. m Our fabrics for car seats are all made in Europe and must adhere to strict chemical standards. These are all m factors that allow us to have tight control over the fa development and production of our products. Not only d do parents trust us to keep their children safe, but we d work closely with many leading car manufacturers to w develop products for them, such as Mercedes, Porsche, d Volkswagen and Volvo. V

W When we look at design and innovation of products, Britax are currently undergoing p cchange with the emphasis placed on ‘‘Designed in Germany’ - how will this benefit the company and your customers? b Through these changes, our operations will become T

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Britax Römer decided to consolidate our regional research and development efforts into one team that will be lead out of our European Headquarters in Leipheim, Germany. We are very excited to more consistently and strongly bring Britax Römer’s values to life through global applications. For our new centre, we will increase the number of well-trained engineers in our teams in Germany and the UK, as well as our development tools. These include simulation-licenses, construction workplaces and test assembly of the dynamic sled in order to fulfil the number of required international load cases. We have four test sleds in Europe and they will be optimised so that we can test car seats according to various regulatory standards from around the world. We will make the optimum use of test possibilities and further build out test environments.

Many us of view products that are made in Germany to carry the message to consumers of precision engineering - is the new ‘Designed in Germany’ philosophy to strengthen that particular message? Generally, German engineering has a strong reputation around the world, thanks mainly to many leading automotive and appliance brands from Germany. Today Germany builds on this heritage by attracting key

engineering talent from all over the world, and Britax Römer as a multi-cultural company in Germany is no different. For us, Designed in Germany and Designed in Europe is not a marketing phrase, but a fact. We are proud of our European heritage and that we have always had a strong presence in the region. For me, the phrase stands for quality, innovation and design. These are also the values that Britax Römer stands for and I am proud of the fact that we not only design our products in Europe, but also make 90 percent of our products sold here in Germany and the UK. It allows us to maintain our high standards, have more control over the quality of our products and to have closer relationships with our suppliers.

How will you drive this message to both your customers and the consumer? We continuously include this messaging in our PR and marketing. For example, we currently have Made in the UK and Made in Germany campaigns running which are being promoted across digital and print channels, including banner ads and social media.

Have there been many changes to the global car seat market and if so, what have you experienced? I have seen many countries add regulatory standards for car seats that did not have any before. These tend to differ from region to region and typically change and improve at a sluggish pace. At the same time, regionally consumer behaviour becomes different and therefore expectations of our products become more complex. This addresses different combinations of categories, but also different feature sets. Our aim with the new global R&D centre is to make new products that fulfil these standards and expectations, but may differ from how traditional products look today. There will be traditional products as well as innovations that will make an impact on the market.

Do car seats differ in various global markets and if so, how do you manage expectations within each territory? Besides different regulations across regions, there are local nuances that we have to take into consideration in our classic product portfolio. At the same time, we will try to develop global core technologies that are implemented in various traditional, regional products. Similarly, we will develop and

introduce new, innovative products for two or more regions that are the same or at the least have a similar design.

Will this change impact your UK operation? It will change the role our Andover test facility plays. Our dynamic crash tests centre there will be rebuilt in order to fulfil the international regulatory standards, ardss, as well as international consumer tests. Our testing team in Andover will not only grow in terms of size of the team, but will also play a more important role in the design of the products.

Do you try to produce car seats that offer both safety and style - or is one aspect more important to the company over the other? Safety and quality is our number one priority when it comes to developing our car seats. However, that does not come at the expense of creating sleek products with h great style and high-quality fabrics. Our new group 1/2/3 product, ADVANSAFIX IV R, for example, is an excellent example of beautiful, premium look and excellent engineering with intuitive handling.

igne d in G erm any an d es D , us r Fo “ Des igne d in Eu rop e is n ot a fa ct . We a t bu e, as hr p g n ti ke ar m herita ge n ea p ro u E r ou of d u ro p are s h ad a an d th at w e h ave thalew ay gi on . Fo r stron g p resenc e in an d s refo r qu al ity, me, th e p hr ase std design . in n ovat ion an ”

Are there three words that would best describe Britax Römer? Safety, quality, style.

Will you be running any consumer campaigns that will reflect the ‘Designed in Germany’ message? We are still in the early phases of Designed in Germany and do not have any concrete plans at the moment.

Finally, can we expect any further news from the company in the near future? Our product development team is quite busy. You can expect many new, innovative products. We see many possibilities to make our car seats even safer through active and passive measures. Additionally, we’re looking at products that adapt to changing urban lifestyles. There are also a lot of new developments in the automotive industry and this means new developments in our industry as well. Web: www.britax-roemer.co.uk

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retail

HUGGLE

Give us a huggle This issue we chat with Jason Heller, Director, Huggle to find out how they have performed since first opening their London store. many new businesses as we continue to try and grow. With the speed that retail is evolving, there is a real need to constantly adapt and ensure we remain agile and relevant enough tomorrow.

How have you kept up to date with consumer trends over time? We still visit international and UK trade shows but the internet has broken down many barriers and makes it much easier to remain on top of trends and new products coming to market. We love what the team at Playtime have done online and how they have attempted to bridge the gap between physical shows and the digital world we live in.

Would you say there has been a particular trend that shows no sign of slowing?

Huggle is an established nursery retailer, since opening your doors in 2010 what has been your largest challenge? That’s very kind of you to say but we certainly don’t feel like an established retailer. We still try to maintain a start up mindset and also continue to have some of the same challenges and growing pains of

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“ W ith th e

inc rea sed gro wt h of dig ita l within ou r bus iness over th e pa st 12 month s we have been invest ing mo re of ou r bu dget into on lin e ma rketin g to gro w aw arenes s of ou r bus iness. ”

Our customers seem determined to maintain the same lives they were living pre-babies, which may be by living in urban environments or travelling the world still for example. They certainly don’t want to compromise their lifestyles when children arrive so want products that fit in with them. We have seen this in the new category that Babyzen established a few years ago, but also with the innovation that new businesses such as Jetkids are bringing to market before being incorporated within larger organisations like Stokke.

Is there a particular product category that performs well for you?

We have a very solid nursery furniture business which has grown year on year ever since we first opened in 2010. It is a category which enables us to utilise our large showroom in London and also one which our customers are more inclined to want to physically see and touch the product before making a purchase.

What about a mums must have - is there a particular product that your customers just feel they can’t be without?

Nursing chairs have seen a real renaissance in the last year or two - we have always sold our Monte Design rrange really well but with newer b brands such a Gaia coming to market w with an extremely well priced range recently, re they have certainly become products that new mums don’t want to do without.

How do you continue to bring awareness to your store to drive footfall?

With the increased growth of digital within our business over the past 12 months we have been investing more of our budget into online marketing to grow awareness of our business. It is still really important for us not to lose focus on in-store and to that end we

continue to run parent and child classes in our lounge and maintain our online pricing in-store. We also continue to stock more exclusive brands and products whilst moving away from some of the over commoditised and discounted ranges available out there.

Do you offer the same ranges online via your website as you do in-store?

We do try to but the harsh reality today is that it is so much easier to offer more extensive ranges online without some of the space limitations faced in-store.

Does Social Media play an important role within your business? Social Media is becoming more and more important for us - not just as a way of selling to customers but as a way of inspiring, communicating and updating them with new products and designs that come to market.

Do you feel that your customers are well informed with regard to brands and product ranges? Without a shadow of a doubt! In many cases they are often sharing new brands and products with us before we know about them or come fully loaded with their research. With the growth in sales of direct to consumer by many brands this will only continue in future.

What about car seats. Are your customers are well informed with regard to current car seat legislation or can be done to drive awareness?

This is probably the least well informed category when it comes to our customers, which is surprising given

how important the safety of one childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a car is. Much of that is to do with misinformation they may have picked up for friends, family or even other retailers which is always a worry. It would be great to get all retailers on the same page in terms of information being shared or feedback given to customers for car seats.

You offer a price match guarantee - how does this effect your business?

The harsh reality of trading in the modern age is that it takes just a few seconds to search for a price online. It is increasingly important to be able to match online pricing (at least when the item is in stock and despite what you may think of the retailer you are matching or the customer who is asking). However it is down to the brands we sell to police this, and the retailers they allow to sell their products to act responsibly. When this becomes a problem we will continue to delist and stop working with a brand sadly.

Finally, are there any exciting plans on the horizon that you can share with us

The uncertainty of the next 12 months will ensure the retail sector remains challenging for everyone, and we have made a conscious decision to remain as nimble as possible until we are more certain of the impact of some of the changes to the economy brought on by Brexit (deal or no deal). We are currently investing in a new website as the continued impact of the digital age is one thing we can be certain of, and hope to have a shiny new site before the end of this year one that reflects more closely our in-store experience and service levels. nursery today

focus MONITORS

Digitally monitored Like most things, when it comes to choosing a monitor, new parents want to be assured that the choice they are making is the right one for them. lthough a baby monitor used to be considered a luxury item, this is certainly no longer the case as these are now viewed as standard on the must have shopping list. As this represents a very emotive sector, how important are brands in this category? We asked Emma Dutton (Marketing Manager, Hardenberg&Co) for her thoughts. “A trusted, recommended brand of Baby Monitor is high on parents’ agendas, particularly first time round. “Parents are looking for peace of mind and are comforted by the technology and research larger brands put into their monitors.” As we move into an ever changing digital world it’s also of no surprise that monitor technology has changed beyond recognition during the course of the last few years. This is now, more than ever, a product category that parents research heavily and are demanding increasingly sophisticated communication and information features in their chosen unit. Annabelle Cording (Babymoov) feels that consumers are looking more closely at added features, but they may be seen more as a ‘bonus’ giving added value for money. “I think added features are seen as a bonus and value for money where multifunction products can be bought to save money perhaps. Our latest range, the YOO range include two models which have additional night light and lullaby functions. These are the two best-selling from the range. I do think priority for a baby safety product is reliability and key function accuracy.” Emma feels that as we are living in a more tech savvy world, it would be a natural assumption, but is that necessarily factual? “As a generation, young parents are certainly tech-savvy, although some are starting to step back to basics. “Whilst some firmly have a foot in the camp of the more tech the better, many want easy to understand information presented simply. Smart technology is driving the home, yet babies remain relatively simple in their needs. So, in many ways, a baby monitor that can strike the right balance is the perfect combination.” These sentiments could be why our mini survey by FanFinders is illustrating that of the 2,000 questioned, just under 20 percent looked for a monitor that operated alongside a phone app - could we perhaps, given how the monitor section has

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evolved, see an increase in this in the future? We will have to wait and see… Sara Hubbard’s customers at White Farm Baby Barn has experienced this first hand. “A lot of our customers feel that a temperature gauge is essential as well as many parents favouring video monitors allowing them to check on baby without entering the room and disturbing a routine. Two way talk back has always been a super important feature for our parents and still is.” Technology however is something that is now expected to be part of a baby monitor. It’s not a case of simply ‘plug and go’. This is a product sector that is steeped in innovation and of course a category that is also of interest to dads. As this is a technical ‘gagdet’ dads are far more likely to want to be involved in the decision process and will often offer their technical knowledge. In fact, this type of purchase enables dads to be more actively involved in the preparation for the new arrival. Given the digital movement, can we perhaps start to see the demise of analogue monitors as we experience more sophisticated options with regard digital, video and movement sensor monitors? “Video baby monitors are increasingly popular from our perspective. Where baby safety and peace of mind come into it, parents aren’t worried about paying that little bit extra to be able to physically see their baby from anywhere in the house.” Said Annabel. “Analogue is slowly being phased out as more sophisticated options are being introduced,” commented Emma. “It’s a fact of life – the growth in digital traffic across all areas of life is increasing steadily, not only in baby products. It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next few years, particularly when these digital superhighways clog with information. Who knows, a return to old school analogue could still be on the cards!” Sara agrees that we may experience a return to analogue and with the current vegan trend, this may also be starting to move into the monitor sector! “Most customers now look for a digital monitor to either link up to their phones or have on multiple devices. With this being said, with the steady increase of eco-friendly/vegan/earth conscious parents, many are returning to old fashioned technologies. We may indeed start to see an increase in analogue sales!” So with the desire for a digital monitor, or a

monitor that includes added features, is price a consideration for parents? “New babies are a major milestone and bring along associated wants and needs with particular price tags. Parents certainly have to think carefully about purchases and are clever about how they shop,” said Emma. “Angelcare has over 20 years’ experience in the monitor category so is supported by brand loyalty. If companies can support their brand with keen pricing, they’re onto a winner.”

The survey says… Nursery marketing specialists FanFinders survey 2000 consumers via their platform Your Baby Club focussing on baby monitors. Here’s the results: Did you use a baby monitor?

Yes: 708 (35.4%) No: 1292 (64.6%) If yes, what type of baby monitor did you purchase?

Digital: 211 (29.8%) Analogue: 131 (18.5%) Video: 282 (39.8%) Movement Sensor: 84 (11.9%) Did you look at the digital functions of the monitor?

Yes: 486 (68.6%) No: 222 (31.4%) Did you opt for a monitor that worked alongside a phone app?

Yes: 141 (19.9%) No: 567 (80.1%) Was this a product that dad was also involved in making the buying decision?

Yes: 383 (54.1%) No: 325 (45.9%)

Did you research monitors prior to purchase?

Yes: 400 (56.5%) No: 308 (43.5%)

Were brand names important to you?

Yes: 295 (41.7%) No: 413 (58.3%)

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re exhibiting at Kind + Jugend

WEARABLE BABY ABDOMINAL BREATHING MONITOR

STAND D036

Medically Certified Baby Breathing Monitor Monitors Breathing

Cordless

Vibration

The Snuza HeroMD is the only Portable Baby Breathing Monitor that conforms to European Directive 93/42/EEC certification for medical devices, June 2018.

Distributed in the UK by Nimans Home www.nimanshome.co.uk

Alarm

Low Movement Rate Warning

www.snuza.com

focus MONITORS

What a line up

Summer Infant’s line up of monitors offer something for every customer’s budget, from RRP £39.99 with the Babble Band Wearable Monitor, right up to the new top of the range Baby Pixel Monitor at RRP £199.99. The sleek range of digital video monitors from Summer Infant compliments any nursery interior, each of the digital video monitors offers premium features as standard and provides a really easy to use interface with leading edge technology. Summer Infant’s ethos when it comes to baby monitors is about focusing on form, function and value – avoiding gimmicky features that only act to distract consumers and make the monitors more difficult to intuitively navigate. The most recent addition to the range is the Baby Pixel Monitor, which brings added safety and comfort to sleep time through pioneering new patent pending technology. Packed with innovative features, the 5” touchscreen Baby Pixel Monitor provides extra peace of mind to parents with its Moonlite enhanced night vision boost, 360Tilt camera steering to remotely pan, tilt and zoom, and Sleepzone virtual boundary to alert parents when baby moves outside of a pre-set virtual border. The camera’s Moonlite night vision boost gently lights up its viewing area for a crisp, full-colour view of baby in the dark, to allow parents to see their little one more clearly. While the 360Tilt feature lets parents see all angles of the room to avoid unnecessary trips to the nursery. Complete with voice activation (VOX) the screen automatically turns on when baby begins to cry, babble or fuss and returns to power save mode after 30 seconds with no activity. The monitor also includes, two-way talkback, on screen nursery temperature display, a remote controlled soft glow nightlight with two colour options, sound activated lights and a USB port for the ultimate baby monitor package at £199.99. In 2019, Summer Infant will be introducing even more ground-breaking technology to its monitor range – they’ll be showcasing them at Kind & Jugend, so visit them to find out more. Web: www.summerinfant.co.uk

Snuza can help monitor baby

When a baby is born, their natural breathing patterns fluctuate - this is particularly the case with premature babies who are more likely to experience irregular breathing patterns than those born at full term. Uneven breathing patterns can be a huge cause of concern for new parents and this is where a breathing monitor can offer parents complete reassurance. Snuza Hero Portable Breathing Baby Monitor is a wearable device which attaches to baby’s nappy and monitors abdominal rise and fall. The multi award winning monitor detects the slightest of breaths and will alert parents if breathing is weak or less than eight breaths per minute. If no breathing is detected for 15 seconds, it will vibrate in an effort to rouse baby. After three vibration/rousing incidents, a ‘Rouse Warning’ will alert parents that breathing has stopped for 15 seconds on three occasions. If an additional 5 seconds of no breathing is detected a sharp audible alarm will sound. Snuza Hero is manufactured according to strict standards and made from durable material that is safe for use on baby and Snuza are the first company in the World to bring a fully certified Class IIb portable baby breathing monitor for Europe to market. Becoming certified is the culmination of years of intensive work, where the Snuza management system has been completely redesigned and certified to ISO 13485. With the addition of a number of safety features, it meets the highest standards of the European Medical Device Directives to which it was tested against. The EU has been tightening the requirements for products which monitor physiological functions and in some countries it is now forbidden to sell non-certified breathing/movement monitors. The new status of Snuza Hero satisfies all European regulatory requirements and offers parents the ultimate in peace of mind reassurance. For further information contact rebecca.fuchs@nimanshome.com

nursery today

Tracks Movement. Looks after baby, so you can relax. The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best Baby Movement Monitor range. Relax! The Sensor Pad tracks babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movements.

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An alarm will only sound if there has been no movement for 20 seconds so you can relax.

The Camera Unit monitors baby and includes a colour-coded room temperature display.

Adjust nursery conditions with confidence by reviewing room temperature and movement analytics.

For more information please call: 01785 503 305 or email: info@hcotrade.co.uk

@Hardenberg_Co Hardenberg&Co Ltd

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focus MONITORS

Go wireless

received a This award-winning range of Baby Monitors has to the paid being ion attent l specia with significant revamp, es cord safety believ care Angel Pad. r Senso ment Move ss wirele g up a cot and is one of the most important factors when settin letely comp a offer to taken being nursery. Steps are now ts, paren to tors Moni ment Move Baby of wireless range care Angel that, d eliminating this cord issue altogether. Beyon be will and pads r senso new has been working on some at the show. delighted to unveil this information with everyone Tel: 01785 503305 Web: www.hardenbergco.co.uk

Premium video

The peace of mind that comes with being able to hear AND see your baby from wherever you are in the house is a synonymous feeling with all parents. And interestingly one that saw the video baby monitor to be voted one of the five modern nursery essentials deemed a ‘can’t-live-without’ baby product by parents in a recent Which? survey. Earlier this year, Babymoov launched the first three unique models of their NEW premium video baby monitor range, the YOO Range, (so far) consisting of the YOO See, YOO Feel and the YOO Travel which has already been awarded ‘Best Monitor’ in the 2018 Made for Mums Awards! Designed with a one-range-suits-all approach, each monitor is characterised by varying modern multi-function easy-to-use features, resulting in a perfectly intuitive YOO monitor for every parent and family size! Additional cameras are available for each model and up to 4 are viewable on the monitor simultaneously. Tel: 0800 520 0462 Web: www.babymoov.co.uk

nursery today

w room thermometer. to glo Room an easy to read display make it is a nightlight and also

The Groegg2 ital temperature changing system and dig t little ones can be The innovative colour glance. This ensures tha a at re atu per tem m ts to follow a safer sleep easy to see roo perature and helps paren tem the for ly tab for com dressed ones. y in the 2018 Made for routine with their little Best Nursery Accessor for ard aw ld gs can Go the A winner of t levels. Different settin o offers adjustable ligh als g2 is great oeg el Gr lev er the s, low a ard Mums aw nging while night time feeds or cha for at gre ily. is h eas re hig mo sen ep be cho back to sle d helping them to settle for checking on baby an Web: www.gro.co.uk

Introducing Ypsi by Peg Perego Peg Perego introduces a contemporary style statement with the cool lines of its newest modular system, Ypsi. otly anticipated, and predicted to take the market by storm, Ypsi features a ‘tilt & space’ seat and rectangular shaped carrycot in two colourways, Ebony and Polo that reflect the brand’s signature cool Italian style. Ypsi is a contemporary, fresh and functional design that will appeal to urban living parents looking for quality curb appeal. The compact 51cm chassis, with telescopic handle bar in hand-sewn eco leather, navigates narrow spaces and busy streets with ease, using the brand’s ‘Easy Drive’ system. Wheels with 12 ball bearings deliver 360° manoeuvrability and are lockable using a side pirouette control. The large, extendable basket will be a winner for busy days out. The tilt & space seat unit can be adjusted into 3 comfortable positions: sitting, relaxing, resting. It has an open and close front bar in hand-sewn eco leather and a height adjustable UPF 50+ hood that follows baby’s growth. A padded apron with zip keeps baby warm and comfortable. The tilt & space seat unit can be fitted to the chassis with one click for world, or mum facing positions and folds neatly onto the chassis for easy storage. The carrycot has an integrated eco leather transport handle and a UPF 50+ hood with panorama window and sunflap. A fold-down cover incorporates a zip for easy access and a popper detail and leather accents complete a stylish look. The new Primo Viaggio i-Size car seat, or Primo Viaggio SL car seat is attached to the chassis easily using the Primo Viaggio links adaptors supplied with the pushchair. The modular system look is completed with a matching all day changing bag. Ypsi, is a product born of almost 70 years of product development, around a busy Italian family life. The Perego family hope that parents across the UK and Ireland will embark on their adventure together knowing that love and a passion for quality has been poured into every detail of their new system.

Visit their stand at Kind Und Jugend: Hall 10.2, Stand: B030 C039

The unique Dr Brown’s Options internal vent eliminates the vacuum and air bubbles in the feed, so helping reduce colic and burping Tel: 01538 399 541 Email: info@centralmedical.co.uk

www.drbrowns.co.uk

Web: www.pegperego.com

nursery today

talking shop This issue we speak to independent retailers to find out how 2018 has performed so far.

WH WATTS

Gary Watts

Is there a specific product category this year that you will focus on? This year at Cologne will be like any other really, we will be looking at improving our three main categories which are wood, wheels and car seats. We would only look to bring in something spectacular from the wood perspective but we are looking forward to seeing new wheels and the many new car seats which we envisage will be available going forward. Do you view K&J as a good platform to spot upcoming trends? I would go so far as to say that Cologne is a must for anyone who has the ability to attend, it has everything in one place and a clear idea on what to expect in the near future. How far in advance do you start to plan your visit? We start to plan as soon as we get home from the previous visit with

David Winstanley

PRAMWORLD

Is there a specific product category this year that you will focus on? The main categories for the business are wheels, car seats and furniture and this tends to be our focus. Do you view K&J as a good platform to spot upcoming trends? As the biggest show for nursery products and where the suppliers showcase their new products naturally K&J has to be the place to see the trends in the nursery industry. How far in advance do you start to plan your visit? In terms of hotels and flights - we tend to book as soon as we return home from the previous year! In terms of the show we make appointments and plan who we’re going to see about two months before visiting the show. Having said that we visit every hall and walk every aisle. If you don’t, you might just miss something. Do you tend to have a list of ‘must visit’ exhibitors during your visit or do simply walk the halls? It’s important to make time for your key suppliers but if you do have time it’s great to see the whole offering of the nursery industry in one place. One frustration for me is suppliers who exhibit in a hotel or venue near to the show. It takes extra time to get to see these brands and it doesn’t feel quite right when the majority of brands have paid to exhibit in the halls. How many days do you intent to visit for? We need all four days to get round and see everything.

nursery today

regards to travel arrangements etc. but from the perspective of product probably ably a couple of months beforee we travel. o have a list of ‘must visit’ Do you tend to exhibitors during your visit or do simply walk the halls? We used to walk the halls but now very much have a plan and book appointments with all the main exhibitors to avoid having to return to speak to the relevant person. How many days do you intent to visit for? We will visit for the full duration of the show as I feel this is the only way to get the best out of it. It is an enormous show and does take a long time to get around especially when some suppliers are off site.

Andrew Hammond

123ABC UK LTD

Is there a specific product category this year that you will focus on? We have most category’s covered in all of our stores so we are going this year looking for inspiration but we cannot resist any new wheeled brands or styling and probably looking to strengthen our bedding offering. Do you view K&J as a good platform to spot upcoming trends? K&J gives a good view of what everyone is doing all in one place which is great to get a feeling for any new trends that might make its way onto our shop floors. How far in advance do you start to plan your visit? We booked our hotel upon our return from last years show and flights were secured earlier this year. Our appointments book is almost full with only a few spaces left with most brands now seemingly making appointments earlier every year. Do you tend to have a list of ‘must visit’ exhibitors during your visit or do simply walk the halls? We always like to visit all of our current suppliers as theyy are usually launching something new at K&J but we always have a few hours spare to walk the halls looking for anything new or inspiring. How many days do you intend to visit for? Due to the flights from Scotland not being the best we can only manage two full days Friday and Saturday at the show but we find this being adequate as myself and my wife Jennifer can split up and hold separate appointments or go looking for different things.

Abbie and Rubie Hubbard

WHITES FARM BABY BARN

Is there a specific product category this year that you will focus on? After streamlining the products we offer in store to our bestsellers this year, we are always on the lookout for products across all categories that will offer us something different to the high street stores. We focus on quality, functionality and love an up and coming quirky brand. Do you view K&J as a good platform to spot upcoming trends? Yes definitely. After our visit last year we took on products like Matchstick Monkey, which has become a social media phenomenon. We use the show as a way to plan our displays, what we hold in stock and what we think our customers will be looking for in the year ahead. How far in advance do you start to plan your visit? We booked our hotel in May, and always book flights early to secure the best prices. We find that if our travel and accommodation is booked in advance we can then focus on planning our visit to the show itself. We like to be organised when it comes to appointments. Do you tend to have a list of ‘must visit’ exhibitors during your visit or do simply walk the halls? We plan each of our days by Hall. We have a list of our main suppliers and always have appointments with them, but we keep in mind the other exhibitors that we are interested in. If we have some spare time we love to look around and see new products/companies that we wouldn’t normally be in contact with. One of our MUST VISIT is Aden and Anais, their stand is always beautiful and makes our visit! How many days do you intend to visit for? We visit for two days - this year we are at the show on the Thursday and Friday. As the store is run by a very small team, we need to be back in the UK and ready for a busy weekend serving lots of lovely customers!

Annette Owles-Bryan

ANNETTES PRAM SHOP

Is there a specific product category this year that you will focus on? I’m going with a totally open mind this year so there’s no focus on any particular category, I will just be looking for something different which sets Annettes apart from the rest. We have and always pride ourselves on being just that little bit different. As a smaller nursery independent, retail space is a massive issue so I will be choosing very carefully, but I’ll probably get all excited and carried away again! Do you view K&J as a good platform to spot upcoming trends? I think K&J is amazing for seeing what’s really happening in the industry but unfortunately many products just can’t be sold in the UK so it can be a little frustrating when you see that WOW product knowing we just can’t stock it here. Over the last couple of years I haven’t really seen many trends as such it’s been grey, grey a bit of grey, perhaps another slight alteration to a double and a few tweaks to older ranges so this year I’m hoping to see something a little bit more exciting. I think we all need to feel that buzz over a product again. How far in advance do you start to plan your visit? I’ve had my flights and accommodation booked for months and we have planned our parties with military precision - although that said, we actually just kind of gatecrash as that usually works! Do you tend to have a list of ‘must visit’ exhibitors during your visit or do simply walk the halls? I try to have a planned diary but I’m hopeless. When I walk into the piazza and look at the escalators it usually ends up being winged like every year. It’s so over whelming but great to get your Fitbit steps up. How many days do you intend to visit for? We arrive on Wednesday and do three whole days at the show then fly back on Sunday. if you’re going to go to Cologne you have to make the most of it.

nursery today

feature

KIDS KARGO

All in one

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The all-in-one, Kids Kargo Duellette BS (2x bucket seats) double tandem travel system is suitable from birth (if used with car seats) or from six months to 15kg (33lb).

Duellette Combi

elcome to the Kids Kargo Family. The home of the double tandem pushchair, travel systems, triple buggies and more. British born Kids Kargo was founded by husband and wife duo John and Kathy Healy in 1996. With a combined 50 years experience in the industry, and five children between them, John and Kathy are passionate about innovative design and style whilst providing great value for money. The Duellette BS is the ultimate pushchair for growing families. Sold as a double pushchair for twins, infants and toddlers can travel in comfort and style. Children can travel in forward and parent facing positions offering the ultimate flexibility. The Duellette options are: Duellette BS ( 2 bucket seats ) Duellette BS Combi, ( 1 x bucket seat 1 x carrycot converts to seat unit) Duellette Combi (2 x carrycot converts to seat units) The carrycot (combi) comes complete with carrycot liners/mattress.

Kids Kargo Duellette BS

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All Duelletteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have ventilation, insect/sun protector, height-adjustable handle with soft easy grip handles, fits through single doorways, multi 3 position seating: sit up, snooze, or lie back, a large shopping basket and two raincovers. The Duellette is compatible with Kids Kargo car seats or Maxi cosi Pebble (isofix or belt) or Cabrio (isofix or belt) Maxi Cosi adapters also available Tan bumpers and handle, footmuffs and changing bags are optional (sold separately). All Duellette pushchairs fit easily into small car boots similar to the Ford Fiesta. The puncture-free lockable swivel /fixed wheels make it a delight to take to pre-school, shopping malls or out on a leisurely stroll. The large hood offers sun protection and great ventilation with an insect net inserted in the hood. For more information on the Kids Kargo range telephone 01234 750333 or email Andy Fountain on andy@ kidskargo.com Web: www.kidskargo.com

nursery today Growing your business

www.nursery-today.co.uk

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focus KIND UND JUGEND

Cologne is calling The powerful appeal of Kind Und Jugend for visitors and exhibitors is as strong as ever. hether you are looking for new suppliers, specific products, or simply inspiration, you’ll be sure to find it at Kind Und Jugend. As one of the largest nursery trade fairs in the world, this year the show is on course again to set trends which will reflect the mood of the industry. This year you will experience around 1,200 exhibitors from more than 50 countries in attendance, all of whom are ready and waiting to greet visitors from around the globe. Trade visitors can look forward to and be assured of nursery related industry products of the highest quality throughout the halls. We asked Mitch Levene (Managing Director, Chicco), what makes this event so popular for exhibitors within our annual exhibition diary? “Kind Und Jugend is an important show for us, not only does it give us the chance to celebrate our continued success, but it also provides us with the ideal launch pad for our latest exciting innovations.” This year Kind Und Jugend will once again be an outstanding platform for making new business contacts and for cultivating and strengthening existing business. Richard Trott of WHL Europe told us: “Kind Und Jugend is really important to us as it’s a worldwide platform visited by major stores and buyers across the globe. We have noticed an increase in the number of independent UK buyers visiting Cologne, highlighting its attraction as the key Trade show both domestically as for the international market. All the major brands exhibit, so it’s not only the most important European Trade Show to be represented at, but also a useful way to track what our competitors are doing.” This show is well known and respected by the nursery industry and this year will not disappoint. This international exhibition has secured its place as one of the largest baby and toddler outfitting platforms in the world. Naturally, all of the international market leaders from the hardware sector will also be present in Cologne in September, including Dorel, Chicco, Britax Römer, Cosatto, Dorel, Cybex, Joie, East Coast, and Obaby, to name a few, placing Kind Und Jugend as a must for all operating in the nursery trade.

Kind Und Jugend 20th - 23rd September

Independent retailer, Katie Adamson (Jack in a Box) knows this is the exhibition to attend to find those ‘must haves’ for their shop floor. “This year we have a fantastic opportunity to extend our shop floor ranges, obviously we are always looking at wheeled goods and trying to bring other suppliers in store.” Said Katie. “We are also increasing our car safetyy area,, so will er of be taking a good look at a number en manufacturers. We have also been ure hugely successful with our furniture ranges and with the chance to add a couple more full displays in store I will enjoy seeing what’s hot for 2019!” The products found on display at this year’s event include children’s furniture, safety seats, textile out-fittings, prams and buggies, hygiene articles, electrical appliances, toys ys and games, baby and children’s fashions and maternity wear. The show is known for being a platform for many companies to showcase new product launches and trend spotting. Katie told Nursery Today: “I tend to view Kind Und Jugend as my barometer with regard trends, colours and styles for the year ahead.” Registration to attend this exhibition couldn’t be simpler. With an easy to operate website, visitors can go to www.kindundjugend.com, purchase entry tickets for the fair then simply click on the visitor section and follow the links for either the train or flight details which includes a booking facility. Also highlighted is an accommodation service – it couldn’t be easier.

18 Innovation Award 01 nd 20 Kind + Jugend Kind +

ful Following last year’s very success our will once hon the , Jugend Innovation Award ion of the gnit reco in 8 201 in again be presented -fi n’s out tting best innovations in the childre products that new sector. The award will go to form, visual r thei of s term are outstanding in of use and/or ease d, use ls eria mat , appearance technology. during the The Awards will be presented morning of the on w, sho the of g official openin n atio Area”. 20th September at the “Innov

Opening Times Thursday 20th – Saturday 22nd: 9am – 6pm Sunday 23rd: 9am – 4pm

nursery today

focus KIND UND JUGEND

UK Pavilion List of Exhibitors - Hall 4.1 The UK Pavilion is a destination hot spot for many visitors to Kind Und Jugend. Head over to the UK Pavilion where this year where you will find numerous exhibitors from across Great Britain. Stand Number C-046

Aquaint

B-047

Baby K’Tan

C-041b

Baby MORI

C-043a

Baby Products Association

C-047a

bubl

B-045

Cheeky Chompers Ltd

B-042b

Colorland

B-043a

DoddleBags

C-045a

Dumforter

B-043

East Coast Nursery

C-041

Easy Tots

B-046

Hanababy

B048b

Happy Mummy Ltd

C-045b

Harry & Rose

C-043

BabyHub

C-047b

IZMI/ADViKiDS

B-040

TotsBots

B-051

CuddleCo

C-A045

Kereso- Natural Sea Sponges

C-044

Wombat & Co. London

A-044

Innovations by D2M

A-041

K-Play International Ltd

A-043

YOOMI

B-048

Little House Furniture

B-042a

Zellie

B-048a B-057

Konfidence Micralite

B-040a

Love Precious Baby

A-049

A little bit Brilliant

C-041a

MJ MARK

B-046a

MEEMOOBABY-MEELIGHT

A-042

Apramo

B-045a

PacaPod

Mummy Loves Organics

A-050

BabyStyle, Egg

B-056b

My Carry Potty

A-054

BabyStyle Oyster, Hybrid

B-053a

Ruk-bug

B-042c

Nana’s Manners

A-040

Bambino Mio

B-041a

Shnuggle

C-048

Nibbling

A-060

Cosatto Ltd

C-045c

Nimble

B-042

Exhbitor

C-047

NIPA

C-042

Pottiagogo

B047b

ROCKIT

C-045

Rosa & Bo

B-047a

Sandsliders

B-053

Smitten baby/Generation baby

C-040

Steribottle Limited

B-041

Sweet Dreamers

nursery today

B-055

Roma

* List correct at time of print

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A dinner date plus play date all in one that grows from a tasty

focus KIND UND JUGEND

List of UK Exhibitors Company Hall Stand 2012 LTD - Baby K’tan 4.1 B047 ABC Design 10.2 C041 Aden + anais Ltd. 10.1 F010 Apramo UK LTD 4.1 A042 Artisana Chicco 10.2 B019 A010 Babocush Limited 11.2 A008 Baby Mori Ltd. 4.1 C041b Babystyle UK Ltd. 4.1 A050 Babystyle UK Ltd. 4.1 A054 Bambino Mio Ltd. 041 A040 Banz Ltd. 11.3 F028 Be-Baby Ltd 11.2 D061 Bizzi Growin 10.1 H014 Britax 10.2 D010 E019ß Brother Max International Ltd. 11.2 B071 Brush-Baby Ltd. 11.2 B026 bubl 4.1 C047a Cheeky Chompers Ltd. 4.1 B045 Childhome 10.2 C008

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Clippasafe Ltd 10.2 D051 Close Parent Ltd. 11.2 G048 H049 Colorland Mother & Baby Care Ltd 4.1 B042b Constable Group Ltd 4.1 C042 Cosatto Ltd. 4.1 A060 Cozy N Safe 10.2 F080 Cuddleco Ltd 4.1 B051 D2M Innovation Ltd 4.1 A044 Didofy Limited 4.1 A044 DIONO UK Ltd. 11.3 C008 DIONO UK Ltd. 11.3 D008 DoddleCreation Ltd 4.1 B043a Done by Deer 10.1 F008 Dumforter Limited 4.1 C045a East Coast Nursery LTD 4.1 B043 Elvie 11.2 G012 Feed Me Bottles Ltd. t/a Yoomi4.1 A043 Hanababy ltd 4.1 B046 Harry & Rose 4.1 C045b

Heetee Baby Company Ltd iCandy World Ltd Inch Blue Ltd. Infantino Itsy Products Limited Izmi Ltd. Jackson Reece Ltd Jainco (UK) LTD Jellycat Limited JTC LTD Ju-Ju Be K-Play International Ltd. Kiddimoto Ltd Konfidence Limited Koo-di Lansinoh Laboratories Inc. Longwell Retail Services Love Precious Baby Limited MagicBaby Ltd. Mamas & Papas Limited

10.2 10.2 11.3 11.2 4.1 4.1 11.2 11.3 10.1 11.3 11.2 4.1 10.1 04.1 11.3 11.2 11.2 4.1 10.2 10.2

B051 C008 C046 H041 C043 C047b G051 H059 B011 D038 B030 A041 B028 B048a B040 D038 A048 B049 B040a D040 C040

PRINT_NurseryToday_K&J_240x315_170818.pdf

17/08/2018

16:22

Come and see us at:

Hall 11.2 Stand D038

Helping mums to... Pump

Store

Feed

C a re

Meet the purple brand

at the Kind + Jugend trade show in Cologne! For over 30 years, Lansinoh® has been helping mums get to the best start with breastfeeding, with scientifically researched and clinically proven products – like our multi-award winning HPA® Lanolin nipple cream, recommended by mums and healthcare professionals alike. With over 65 million containers sold worldwide, our HPA® Lanolin is market leader in many of the 80 countries where it is available. Our range also includes the new pump-store-feed solution that helps mum and baby enjoy all the benefits of breastfeeding for longer.

We are always looking to expand into new trade channels and territories, so come and join us on our success journey! www.lansinoh.co.uk

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Mamas & Papas Limited 10.2 Manmar LTD 4.1 Matchstick Monkey Limited 11.2 Mayborn Group - Tommee Tippee 11.2 Meemoobaby Ltd. 4.1 MJ Mark Ltd 4.1 Morana M Ltd. 11.3 Munchkin Inc. 11.2 Munchkin Inc. 11.2 My Carry Potty 4.1 N2M Ltd. 4.1 Nanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Manners Ltd 4.1 Nimble Babies Ltd 4.1

C049 A045 A008 G009 B046a C041a C035 E050 F059 F061 B046b B047b B042c C045c

Nursery Today Passage halle 10 Hall 11 P013 Email: christine@lemapublishing.co.uk Web: www.nursery-today.co.uk

Opus Innovations Ltd Orby Swim Ltd Oxford Space Structures Ltd. PacaPod Ltd. Peg Perego

4.1 11.3 4.1 4.1 10.2

Phelps Innovations Ltd. 11.2 Prince Lionheart (UK) LTD 11.2 PurFlo Limited 11.3 Renbeck Ltd (Harry & Rose) 4.1 Roma Prams Limited 4.1 Rosa and Bo 4.1 Ruk-bug Limited 4.1 Sandsliders Ltd. 4.1 Sheldon International LTD 113 Shnuggle Ltd. 4.1 Skip Hop 10.1 Smart Tiger Baby Products LCC 11.1 Smart Tiger Baby Products LCC 11.1

Email: mark@greensheepgroup.com Web: www.greensheepgroup.com C046 C037 A049 B045a B030 C039

Snuza Status Products Ltd Steribottle Limited Storksak Ltd Summer Infant Europe Ltd.

11.2 4.1 4.1 11.2 11.2

The new Oyster3 will be the key attraction on the BabyStyle stand this year in Cologne. First seen earlier this year at Harrogate the successor to the hugely successful Oyster2 already looks to be another best seller and is likely to start pulling in positive reviews from testers and journalists alike. The Oyster3 is bigger and taller but actually folds smaller than the Oyster2 with the seat unit in place. The higher seat and carrycot positions make tending to baby much easier for parents. As well as other established BabyStyle products there will also be new egg buggy that can be seen for the very first time.

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10.2 4.1 11.3 10.1 11.2 4.1 11.1 11.1 10.2

C069 B041 G056 B071 B050 B040 G070 F040 G041 B051

Vital Innovations Limited d Hall 11.2 Stand G040

F063

SnĂźz Hall 11.1 Stand G030

Hall 4.1, Stand A050 & A054

H060

Swandoo Sweet Dreamers Ltd Systematic Strategy Ltd The Puppet Company Ltd. Tomy Europe TotsBots Ltd. Trade Service Group Limited Tutti Frutti Direct Ltd. Unilove Baby Limited

Email: info@vitalgroup.co.uk Web: www.vitalbaby.com

Three is bigger and better

Web: www.babystyle.co.uk

D061 G018 B048 C045b B055 C045 B053a B047a F010 B041a C030 D039

D036 C041 C040 F049 C048 D049

Webbury Hildreth (Koo-di) Wombat & Co. London Ltd Worlds Apart Ltd. Zellie Zoggs International ltd.

11.3 4.1 10.1 4.1 11.3

* List correct at time of going to print

B040 C044 B041 B042a B028 C029

Modern Scandinavian lifestyle products for families with babies and toddlers. We combine great design, innovation, features that are fun and playful for children and a daring use of contemporary colours to make every item stand out.

Come see us at Kind + Jugend Hall 10.1 Stand F-008 Contact UK & Ireland Country Manager Gwen Peacock at gwen@donebydeer.com

wanna be friends? #donebydeer . www.donebydeer.com

Danish Design

focus KIND UND JUGEND

Mooving Innovation Hall 11.2, Stand: G38 Awaiting the launch of the NEW 2018/2019 collection, Babymoov are set to showcase some of their best baby innovations yet at this year’s Kind + Jugend. Located in Hall 11.2 Stand G38 alongside it’s successful sister brand, Badabulle, Babymoov’s market-shaking products and latest award-winners including the YOO Travel video baby monitor, the Nutribaby(+), best-selling Cosydream and revolutionary Dream Belt pregnancy sleep aid are back with additional new colours, improved features and enhanced benefits as a result! For the 2018/2019 collection, Babymoov will be unveiling a whole host of new concepts, which, for the coming year emphasise on style, substance, ergonomic technology as well as baby sleep and well-being. Be the first to meet ‘Sleepy’ the NEW pebble-shaped night light and soothing sound box. Developed in response to research into background noise as a natural settler for babies, Sleepy’s own seven soothing sounds of nature (including the ocean, rain fall, a heartbeat, a hairdryer and more) are designed to reassure baby and aid parents in creating a positive bedtime ritual from an early age. Don’t miss the unveiling of the next generation YOO video baby monitor ‘YOO Moov’ plus an exclusive preview of their first premium baby changing bag range including the stylish NEW ‘Voyager’ backpack. Tel: 01823 772995 Email: Swinskill@babymoov.com Web: Babymoov.co.uk

Intelligent, intuitive, trustworthy Hall 4.1, Stand: A044

Animal magic Hall 10.1, Stand: C041 Taf Toys will be showcasing their latest collection featuring adorable penguins, sea lions and polar bears in Hall 10.1, Stand C-041. The stylish range has seen great popularity already with products covering all nursery play essentials – play gyms and mats, developmental and activity toys, sleep aids, travel accessories and weaning. Firm favourites such as the Four Seasons Mat have been restyled for AW18, whilst the Taf Toys Mealtime Monkey is a particularly exciting new addition, encouraging babies to experiment with foods as they move onto solids. Web: www.halilit.co.uk

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New for Kind + Jugend 2018, and shortlisted for an Innovation Award, is forward-thinking brand, Didofy. Having introduced their concept prototype stroller to buyers and distributors last year, the brand has taken on board all the feedback they received and will officially launch to trade at K&J. The innovative auto-folding stroller, Didofy Lotus has been designed by parents for parents using the latest technology, with one simple aim - to give parents and carers a reliable, safe, smart and highly practical stroller which is easy to use. Perfect for parents when they are out and about with their hands full, the Didofy Lotus means no more wrestling with complicated folding mechanisms while multi-tasking with baby. Self-charges on the move. One charge cycle (29 opens/closes) takes 7 ½ minutes walking time. No plugging in overnight required! Didofy will be exhibiting on the D2M Innovation stand in the British Pavilion. Hall 4.1, Stand A-044. To arrange a meeting or for more information, email christos.votsis@didofy.com Tel: +447793712652 Web: www.didofy.com

COSY CUDDLES GUARANTEED!

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for bath, book, bed Introducing the brand new award winning Grobath range from The Gro Company. We aim to make parenting easier, and create award winning products that do just that!

@theGroCompany

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Wrap wet little fingers and toes in hypoallergenic Puredry microfibre and set your little one up for a cosy, soothing bedtime routine.

trade@gro.co.uk

+44 (0) 1392 347 111

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Mommy’s on trend Hall 10.2, Stand: D008 The trendy Mommy Bag and Mommy’s Treasures Clutch have become a must have bags for new and expecting moms. Both are not only fashionable, they are very practical as well. The Mommy bag opens as a classic doctors bag and has a spacious design with handy compartments, small pockets and a foldable nursery mat. The clutch is ideal for storing and carrying a few essential items on a night out. New this year is the Baby Necessities toilet bag. This handy bag keeps important baby products safe and within reach. Tel: +32 (0)3 345 77 71 Email: info@childhome.be Website: www.childhome.com

Every silver lining Hall 4.1, Stand: B43

Be sure to visit Silvercloud: award-winning suppliers of beautiful nursery bedding, blankets, accessories and gifts. Everything in the Silvercloud range is lovingly designed in the UK, with special details like hand-finished edges, embroidery, applique and super-soft fabrics. The bestselling Counting Sheep collection includes everything parents will need when styling a new nursery. It includes bedding sets in standard and space-saving cot sizes; matching curtains, uplighter and changing mat to dress the room; an adorable cot mobile and bouncer with beautiful quality plush toys, and much more. Silvercloud are seeking global distributors to continue to expand their business. Tel: 01692 408802 www.silvercloudnurserybedding.co.uk

nursery today

ry Bit of British lluxu B Hall 4.1, Stand: C045

ibit at Kind + Jugend for nd Harry & Rose will exh British luxury skincare bra specifically developed for th beautiful for mulations the first time in 2018. Wi y secured a number e , Harry & Rose hav alread skin ve siti sen y’s bab a g treatin lusive listing at 572 Boots on agreements and an exc of international distributi stores across the UK. redients including: ural, pure and organic ing nat h wit UK the in de Ma e Vera and Sunflower, the ttonseed, Chamomile, Alo Coconut, Calendula, Co – FREE FROM: daily use and delicate skin grance Allergens. range is gentle enough for ls, , Dyes, Mineral Oi Fra ES SL S/ SL s, late tha Ph Parabens, ody Wash and gently of a Soft Lotion, Hair-B y The range is comprised nourished and amazingl help leave skin hydrated, hes ras or min the foaming Bubble Bath to soo p hel tive Baby Nappy Spray to a soft. It features an innova rry & Rose also produce Ha . nce erie exp ng ngi cha py nap the n rs. she we fre sho and and baby s perfect for new parents selection of elegant giftset m

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focus KIND UND JUGEND Hall 4.1, Stand: A060

Cosatto introduces Baby Science at Koln Cosatto are to unveil a new scientific approach to developing bold colourful designs at this year’s Kind & Jugend. ong-known for their bold, colourful use of pattern and colour, Cosatto returns to Kind & Jugend this year to present their latest range of prams, pushchairs, strollers, car seats and highchairs along with sharing a new and exciting approach to R&D.

See. Think. Learn with Cosatto Cosatto have always believed in the power of baby-pleasing patterns to engage babies and give them something interesting to look at and think about. Bold, bright and carefully placed, their baby-friendly characters, colours and patterns are designed to stimulate babies’ early sensory skills. As of 2018, Cosatto have teamed up with the UK’s leading BabyLab at the University of Sussex, to develop patterns and characters tested using the latest techniques and findings in Cognitive Psychology. Using eye-tracking, EEG and EMG technology, the experts at the University of Sussex BabyLab have been brought on board to help Cosatto develop future products with proven baby-benefits.

Visit the Dino’s and try out the latest compact stroller from Cosatto Cosatto’s latest range includes prams with baby-pleasing patterns in the hood, plus strollers and car seats that kids actually want to sit in. NEW for October 2018, Cosatto are launching Woosh XL Pushchair in three baby pleasing patterns. The NEW Woosh XL pushchair comes compatible with the Woosh XL soft carrycot, perfect for second baby, city living or those who are short on space. With Travel System capabilities, compact fold and a weight of 6.8kg this lightweight powerhouse ticks all boxes for the modern parent. From exquisite tailoring to hidden surprises, Cosatto have considered every inch of the Woosh XL with parents and babies in mind. Cosatto are big on understanding how toddlers see the world and what fires their imagination. The Dino range of strollers have generated a lot of interest and are now the stroller of choice for three of the UK’s top visitor attractions. Come and find out what all the noise is about! To find out more about Cosatto’s Baby Science partnership and hear about how babies and toddlers benefit from Cosatto’s designs, visit Cosatto at Kind & Jugend, Hall 4.1. Stand number A060. To book an appointment in advance contact michelle.cunningham@cosatto.com. Web: www.cosatto.com

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CHERRY TREE HALL The crème de la crème. Le Toy Van’s unique and biggest doll’s house - A grand 92cm high 4 storey dolls house with floral motif, numerous window styles including functioning shutters. It also includes chimney stacks and staircases with banisters that function as room dividers. Safety tested for children aged 3+

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Pack for perfection Hall 4.1, Stand: B045a The new Loreto from PacaPod brings together exquisite design and a decadent array of functionality into a ‘babymoon’ sized leather tote. Adding a convenient, modern twist the Loreto is the first of its kind to have adaptable shoulder backpack straps helping to distribute weight when you just can’t decide what to leave at home. Tucked neatly inside this luxurious bag is PacaPod’s award-winning 3 in 1 organisation system comprising of separate feeder and changer pod. It’s this genius system that ensures quick retrieval of essentials when out and about as well as keeping baby and parent items hygienically separate. Tel: +44 (0) 1271 322834 Email: sales@pacapod.com Web: www.pacapod.com

Full of innovation Hall 11.2, Stand: A010 B011

With the world-famous K&J Show just weeks away, Hardenberg&Co is working harder than an air conditioning unit in this blistering summer heat to bring you the latest news and developments from Angelcare. The finishing touches are being put to their range of products, with innovation playing a key part as always. Make sure you drop by their stand to take a look at these changes and chat to the team first hand. Tel: +44 (0) 1785 503 305 Web: www.hardenbergco.co.uk

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World’s first silent wearable breast pump Hall 11.2, Stand: G012 Elvie Pump is revealing the world’s first silent wearable breast pump, to Kind und Jugend visitors at this year’s trade show. The innovative product range, designed by cutting-edge British femtech brand Elvie, is set to revolutionize the pumping experience for new moms. The app-connected, hands-free pump makes it possible to for mothers to pump on their own terms. This follows the success of Elvie Trainer, the awardwinning Kegel trainer, which is helping women bounce back from pregnancy. Tel: +44 (0)203 745 5201 Email: sales@elvie.com Web: www.elvie.com

See Our New 2019 Range

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Explore the Tiny tropics Hall 10.1, Stand: F008 At Kind + Jugend in Cologne Done by Deer will present ‘Tiny tropics’ – a special 2019 collection designed with love for the tiny ones.

Danish brand, Done by Deer, has since 2014 designed modern lifestyle products for fa milies with babies and toddlers.

n eye-catching tropical leaf print and the Deer friends binds together a special edit of gift boxed favourites – activity toys, tableware, a cozy nest, baby and junior bedding and more – and for the first time a set of baby bodies. UK & Ireland country manager Gwen Peacock says “This special collection is unique – it’s on trend, unisex, stands out and complements our existing collection and the Nordic style perfectly.” Danish brand, Done by Deer, has since 2014 designed modern lifestyle products for families with babies and toddlers. A strong brand DNA and design strategy has awarded Done by Deer/the brand with no less than five Red Dot Design Awards for their toys, tableware and nursery furniture line. Modern Scandinavian design with a strong focus on detail and features that are fun, stimulating and playful for children as well as pleasing for their parents to look at. A Combination of great design, innovation and a daring use of contemporary colours make every item stand out. The Done by Deer interior and toys, are for families who appreciate the simplicity of Danish design and want to maintain a balance when decorating with kids in mind. Done by Deer carry a wide collection of tableware, textiles, baby and toddler toys, interiors and furniture for kids. All designed in-house in Denmark and tested thoroughly to comply with strict European safety standards – they are 100% friendly. Find the brand and explore the new collection in Hall 10.1, stand F008 at Kind + Jugend, on Instagram or request more info by contacting Gwen Peacock, Country Manager for UK & Ireland at gwen@donebydeer.com.

Web: www.donebydeer.com

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focus CHICCO Hall 10.2, Stand: B019 A010

Gem of a collection

Next2Me Magic

Chicco prepares for its diamond years with exciting new 2019 range ollowing a hugely successful year, Chicco is preparing to unveil its breadth of choice for Nursery 2019 Collection at this year’s Kind Und Jugend. Having introduced the original Chicco Next2Me as the only TV advertised side sleeping crib, Chicco expanded the range in 2018 with the arrival of the award-winning Chicco Next2Me Dream. New for 2019, Chicco will be showcasing its latest addition to the side sleeping range – the Chicco Next2Me Magic – which previews at Kind Und Jugend. Incorporating the beneficial features of the award-winning range, the Chicco Next2Me Magic includes a host of exciting and unique features that are positioned to set new innovative platforms within the sleep time sector. The new one hand sliding side panel, which is to be used when the crib is fixed to the bed, makes it even easier for parents to reach little one during the night, while the rocking mechanism can be operated in free standing mode. With 11 adjustable heights, the crib adapts to any bed including Devan’s thanks to the auto retractable feet and also tilts to support baby with reflux and congestion. The 3D mesh mattress cover and mesh side windows generates extra air ventilation to support little ones during the night. The Chicco Next2me Magic comes with a travel/ storage bag, safety harness kit, and a Chicco Next2Me Magic mattress. The two stylish colours – Cool Grey and Sand –features a unique textured fabric for a premium finish. The launch will see a fully integrated

marketing campaign including in-store promotions, social media activity and Chicco will return to national TV screens in February to launch the Next2Me Magic. Alongside the Chicco Next2Me Magic will be the new First Dreams Cot Mobile, in a stylish neutral colour. The new mobile is the perfect bedtime accompaniment that soothes little ones to sleep with 10 minutes of classical music and white noise. The mobile also features a gentle nightlight as well as three removable fabric pendants. Also at the show will be Chicco’s updated collection of best-selling highchairs. The multifunctional Polly Magic Relax will now be available in a premium Graphite colour and features a new re-styled toy bar that can be adapted to babies’ growth. The Polly Easy will also be available in two different colours, the stylish Romantic and eye-catching Unicorn design. Chicco will also be showcasing its new innovation in the travel system sector. The new Chicco Trio Best Friend has been specifically designed to simplify parenthood and accompany little ones’ first three years with comfort and style. The stylish stroller with premium finishes has very simple and intuitive mechanisms and offers a smooth drive whenever parents are out and about. The cosy seat is easily convertible from forward facing to rearward facing in one simple gesture, and can be folded to stand alone with one hand. Measuring only 69cm when folded, or with the forward or backward facing seat

Organiser Bag

Polly Easy Unicorn Design

Chicco will also be showcasing its new innovation in the travel system sector. The new Chicco Trio Best Friend

Trio Best Friend

measures 78cm, it is one of the most compact solutions available. As a car seat, the Trio Best Friend is light and easy for parents to transport. The sleek design provides little ones with the ultimate comfort during journeys thanks to the removable reducer cushion, while the padded shoulder and crotch straps to ensure safety and comfort to the baby. In accordance with ECE R44/04 standard, it can transport babies weighing up to 13 kg (Group 0+). The Best Friend Car Seat is equipped with a 3-point seatbelt restraint system and must be installed in a rearward facing configuration. Finally, the system can be adapted into a semi-rigid functional carrycot that is lightweight and extremely functional without compromising on comfort. It is the perfect solution for everyday strolls from the very first days, thanks to the padded mattress included. Alongside the new travel system are three new travel aaccessories. The versatile Chicco organiser bag can be used as a shoulder bag or backpack and the C Chicco 2-in-1 tote bag can be u used together or separately d depending on parents’ needs. Finally, the warm and cosy Chicco C universal foot muff with w water repellent technology is ideal fo winter months. The frontal for z zipper opening allows parents to e easily reach their little one and the lo lower part of the foot muff can be fo folded for even more comfort. Web: www.chicco.co.uk W

Polly Magic Relax nursery today

focus Kind und Jugend

Time for lift off Hall 4.1, Stand: B047B

After a really successful launch at Kind+Jugend last year Rockit will be back in Cologne in 2018. Rockit is the award winning portable baby rocker that fits any pram or stroller which gently rocks to soothe baby to sleep or keep them asleep when the stroller stops moving. In the last year there has been incredible media interest in Rockit, featuring twice on prime time national TV channels in the UK as well as achieving magazine and newspaper coverage. Rockit has also picked up a number of trade and consumer awards since launch including ‘Made for Mums -Gold’ and the prestigious ‘European Product Design Award’. Rockit is now available in over 20 countries and the team are really looking forward to seeing their existing distributors and meeting new contacts at the show. Web: www.rockitrocker.com

What a miracle Hall 11.2, Stand: B050 The Miracle 360° Fruit Infuser Toddler Cup was developed to help provide a healthy alternative to juice for toddlers. This 1st to market 360˚ drinking innovation has a sleek design that showcases fruit and built-in infuser in the bottom of the cup, which ensures that fruit is always submerged and steeping in water. Additionally, the Miracle 360° Fruit Infuser Toddler Cup features easy to clean parts with no nooks and crannies. Email: enquiries@munchkin.com Web: www.munchkin.com/uk

Sustainable sources Hall 4.1, Stand: B043

Visit East Coast Nursery to see the brand new additions to their nursery furniture range. Each piece is made with wood from sustainable sources, and meets or exceeds all the relevant British and European standards. The range includes matching room sets in a variety of styles, from classic traditional to sleek and modern. They also sell a collection of ‘mix and match’ furniture, all in matching shades of antique, white or grey, allowing customers to create their own room set. East Coast Nursery are looking to expand their business globally, and look forward to meeting established and new customers at the show. Tel: 01692 408802 Web: www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk

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Growing the world over...

Kind und Jugend Hall 4.1 Stand B041a

BathTime | SleepTime | Changing

Leading the way in making babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first year safe, relaxing and fun Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got lots of news to share. Join us to find out about our latest product innovations and exciting future plans

www.shnuggle.com

Contact our office to book an appointment at the show

02891 815169

hello@shnuggle.co.uk

focus KIND UND JUGEND

Future for travel Hall 11.2, Stand: G048 H049

Big plans afoot on the Close stand for this year’s Kind und Jugend show. Close will be showcasing what they believe to be the future of travel for parent and baby, with exciting new materials, products and systems that will challenge the “norm” and mark a step change for the industry and consumer. This is a big year for the company, with launches that go beyond their current product range but stay core to their ethos as a company, in creating products with meaning, a reason to be, make life easier and ultimately help make the world a little better for everyone. Close believe their new and exciting range will change the market and set a new standard for all things travel, looking at transporting baby, wherever you are going or whatever you are doing. They think less is more and their new range will challenge perceptions and give customers and parents a unique set of products that work harder and last longer, which they think has got to be a good thing! The new range will provide a seamless transition between all “travel situations” leading to an experience for parents that is unlike any other brand, which they are really excited about. Tel: +44 (0) 1992 554045 Web: www.closeparent.com

Up and down Hall 4.1, Stand: A021

Introducing the new Up & Down Bouncer from Beaba

BÉABA, the innovative parenting brand best known for its revolutionary Babycook 4-in-1 food processor, introduces its new Up & Down Bouncer following the launch of its Up & Down Highchair earlier this year. With patent Up & Down adjust technology to make it easy for parents to ent differ four , ment move le simp one in t heigh baby height options and three recline positions, the ever what side t’s paren can be close to their activity. Suitable from birth to six months, its foam le and padded cushion makes it extremely comfortab ort. supp head full s offer er’ hugg ‘head its integrated has and With its 5-point harness for extra safety a practical integrated lockable rocking system, which can be used to comfort baby with a gentle swaying motion.

Trade Enquiries contact: Natalie Jackson. Email: natalie.jackson@beaba.com

Click and d change Hall 11.1, Stand: C033 Mokki are proud to present the pinnacle of their creations, Mokki’s innovative Click & Change system. A design aspired especially for the benefit of your baby and toddler. As a leading Scandinavian eye-wear company, situated in Norway, they have always designed their products while keeping in mind the harsh local climate conditions, comprising of constant low-angled summertime sunshine, alongside with the highly reflective wintertime snow. Their new Click & Change system is a stylish set of two pairs of sunglasses. It uniquely allows the parent to alternate between different lenses and grip methods, according to the changing weather and activity. You can finally provide your child supreme eye-wear comfort and top-notch eye protection, at any give time. Email: mokki@mokki.no Web: www.mokki.com

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feature

WHL

Hall 11.3, Stand: B040

Focus on prints and fabrics WHL Europe is delighted to be showing the very best of our continuation collections across our three brands, and previewing brand new lines, at K&J this summer. on’t miss out on re-ordering Pink Lining’s delicate and pretty ‘Hummingbird’, arty & witty ‘Dalmatian’ or monochrome and graphic ‘Apples & Pears’ all of which will be continuing through next year. S/S’19 will be a tropical paradise of brightly coloured parrots and palm leaves on a cream or black background and butterflies fluttering in from the fashion catwalks against a grey/white background. Their iconic ‘Yummy Mummy’ bag boasts an updated appliqué of a heart (symbolising the love between a parent and child), while the multi award-winning ‘Wonder Bag’ rucksack leaves you totally hands-free and slimline/elegant ‘Notting Hill Tote’ screams fashion rather than ‘baby’ for those preferring a more pared back approach to nappies. Matching accessories include: stroller organiser, wash bag, wallet, bottle holder. Most excitingly they will be launching a brand new leatherette collection in response to the emerging trends and customer feedback! Leatherette will come in the form of a black or grey rucksack that has stroller straps to clip onto the buggy, a front section for all parents’ essentials and plenty of space inside for baby’s paraphernalia. The rucksack also has a slip at the back of the bag to keep your wallet safely, side pockets for your water bottle and a bow zip pull. Both these bags will come with not just one strap, but a second one so they are interchangeable - one plain striped strap and one patterned/fashion. Customers will be able to buy other straps separately. The cross-body bag will have two separate compartments, a special Pink Lining logo-d lining, leatherette pouch, as well as the usual pen holder, key fob, bottle holder and thoughtful details that Pink Lining is synonymous with. Both bags will also come with padded fold-up changing mats and insulated bottle holders. The team at

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WHL predict these will be a huge hit with their Pink Lining customers who want the unisex and luxurious look of leather, without the steep price tag, and a bag that’s water resistant and wipe clean for practicality. There will be a matching black leatherette stroller organiser to accessorise. Pink Lining Child prints continue to go from strength-tostrength, with a ‘Pirates’ print and ‘Unicorn’ print. Pirate ships come with brightly coloured d and striped hot air balloons to take your child up-up-up and away on exciting adventures, with a parrot that links back to the main line. As before, they will be showing a mini rucksack, lunch box and new for this season – overnight bag which is great for your child’s first sleepover or a family weekend away. Their unicorn print will be a huge hit with children for the brightly coloured, twinkling stars, multi-coloured rainbows with a graceful unicorn sitting atop each one! Purflo has always been synonymous with breathable, fully air-permeable, washable, hypoallergenic sleep options to reduce the chances of overheating, most clearly seen in the ‘Pur Air Keep me Close Bedside Crib’ which has been winning many Industry Awards recently due to its breathable mattress, clever drop side rail attachment connection system and six-height adjuster making it the perfect height to clip onto your bed. The incline option is a clever feature, raising one end helps ease congestion if baby has a cold or reflux.

“ A ll o rder s

p la c e d a t K & J w ill rec eive a 10 % d isc ount ”

Purflo will be Purflo introducing i new animal a characters Gigi G the Giraffe, Ziggy Z the Zebra Z and Ellie the Elephant El to co-ordinate across our continuation ranges of Breathable Nests, Sleepsacs, Muslins, Blankets and Comforters. With their soft, dove grey colourway these adorable animals will fit into any nursery scheme, or opt for un-patterned Grey Marl for the ultimate pared-back look. Koo-di, the brand that caters for all the things parents didn’t know they needed but then can’t do without, will be showing pop-up travel cots, foldaway playpen, feeding kit and the most fun bath toys. Soon to launch – a brand new colourway for their high chair due to the continued popularity of the design. For further information, please contact: Natasha Leviton natasha@whleurope.com or on 07790 898478.

interview CHICCO

Hall 10.2, Stand: B019 A010

Sixty years strong Chicco is celebrating this month as 2018 marks their 60th anniversary. Nursery Today’s Editor, Penny Franks, speaks to Chicco’s Managing Director, Mitch Levene to find out how from their first product launch in 1958, Chicco has grown into the mammoth international household name it is today.

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This year marks Chicco’s 60th anniversary, how has Chicco adapted its products since its launch in 1958 and how has the changing market influenced this?

and their little ones in these incredibly special moments in their lives.

From our very first product to market in 1958 – our range of anti-hiccup feeding bottles – to our latest developments, it’s safe to say that a lot has changed in the last 60 years. In 1967, we launched our first mealtime solution – a hook on chair – and while this is still an area whereby Chicco still has leading presence, our product range has significantly changed over time. As space and value for money become a much more important factor for many parents, it has led to the development of products such as the Polly Magic Relax highchair that offers multiple functions and can be easily stored without taking up room in the home. Over time, as we saw success within the business, this has allowed us to develop our product range and move into new markets to now offer nursery essentials, outdoor and mealtime solutions, as well as a wide range of toys. Over the past six decades, the needs and wants of parents have also changed, and at Chicco, we always aim to remain ahead of trends. As technology t has improved, this is something we w have looked to incorporate into our p products, and as colour and style preferences e evolved so have our designs. Another element that th is increasingly considered by parents is safety, sa so we always ensure that the most vigilant testing is undertaken in order to meet vi th latest standards and provide parents with the peace pe of mind. However, no matter how much our products pr have changed our core values rem remain the same, and we will always strive to sup support that precious bond between parents

What has been your standout moment in Chicco’s history?

The launch of the Next2Me side sleeping crib will always be a memorable and iconic moment as it was the first of its kind on the market and has since become one of the most popular ways for parents to sleep side by side with their baby without sharing the same bed. At the time, the Next2Me was incredibly forward-thinking, and it was exciting to be able to bring this innovation to the UK market. Since then, the original side-sleeping crib and the follow up, Next2Me Dream, have both been a huge success, collecting a number of accolades and awards over the past five years. We’re excited to build on this success with the launch of the super innovative & sophisticated-looking Next2Me Magic in 2019, which will again set the standard in providing bonding & a precious night’s sleep for babies & parents. At Chicco, one of our key focuses is innovation, and it is really exciting to be a part of a brand that is highly invested in its research and development capabilities. One of our most recent innovations that launched in Q1 this year was the Baby Hug 4-in-1, and its been great to see the incredible success it has had among parents. And let’s not forget the awards! We’re extremely proud to have won hundreds of awards for a wide range of our products and we never take that for granted. We work hard to ensure that our products are the very best and ensure they are recognised for innovation by both industry experts and even more importantly, our customers. What plans do you have to celebrate 60 Years of Chicco?

For the past 60 years, Chicco has accompanied parents

in this extraordinary adventure called life. To this day, many Chicco products – including baby walkers, cribs, highchairs, strollers, booster seas, baby carriers and toys – can be found in millions of family households. As well as commemorating the moment ourselves, we can’t wait to celebrate this amazing milestone with parents. To get everyone involved, we have developed an integrated marketing strategy, which will see us work in partnership with key retail partners who have supported Chicco and who we have enjoyed strong relationships with over the past 60 years. We will also be running in store promotions and online activity to help us celebrate further. On Facebook we will launch our #ChiccoLittleDiamonds competition

Building on the popularity of the Next2Me and Next2Me Dream, the latest sidesleeping crib has been designed with a number of innovative new features, including a sliding side panel and rocking function, that are expected to be incredibly popular among parents and also set the new standard in the sleep-time market. 2019 will also see Chicco further expand into the outdoor market with the launch of the revolutionary Trio Best Friend travel system and collection of accessories. Offering a carrycot, car seat and stroller seat, each element of the Trio has been specifically designed to simplify parenthood and a range of accessories including a versatile organiser bag, tote bag and universal foot muff will be launched alo alongside. To celebrate our new innovations, we newest will be running a fully inte integrated marketing pla across each sector. plan We will be returning to nat national TV screens acr the country in across Fe February 2019 with an advertisement for th Next2Me Magic the a further and strengthen our p position as sleep time experts, while soci social media activity and in store displays will support our wider range of products.

e will be As we hhead into 2019,mwarkets to lookin g to move into newrents, and we expand our offering to pa new product have a number of exciting veiled at this launches th at will be un Show. year’s Kind Und Jugend

“

Step back e in Tim

”

to invite our loyal fans to share their family time memories. As well as taking a trip down memory lane with some of our historic products, we will also be giving parents the chance to get their hands on our latest nursery essentials and toys. As well as reflecting on the past 60 years, this milestone has also presented us with a great opportunity to look toward to the future, and we have been working hard to develop our newest innovations that will be introduced to the market in 2019. Tell us more about these exciting new innovations

As we head into 2019, we will be looking to move into new markets to expand our offering to parents, and we have a number of exciting new product launches that will be unveiled at this year’s Kind Und Jugend Show. Our biggest development for the new year will be the latest member of the Next2Me family, the Next2Me Magic.

What do you think the future holds for Chicco and the needs of parents, particularly in terms of new innovation for the nursery sector?

The importance placed on product features such as safety and comfort is highly unlikely to change in the future and these must be the foundations on which we develop all of our new innovations. We’ve already seen that modern day parents are looking for more convenient solutions, both in the home and on the go. We imagine that this will only continue and manufacturers are expected to provide a wider range of multifunctional products, such as our unique Baby Hug 4-in-1 daytime solution.

To find out more about their latest innovation and new collections, turn to page 51. Team Chicco is looking forward to welcoming you to their stand at Kind Und Jugend, where you will be able to view their new range, order and receive product demonstration.

Web: www.chicco.co.uk nursery today

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All in the fold Hall 11.2, Stand: H061

d a new Karibu Baby understand how precious your littles one are and have develope Due to its larger. is it but bath folding previous the folding bath which keeps the features of various the through baby service will bath The ‘Mega). it ed nicknam mega size, they have growth. of stages Email: info@karibubaby.com Web: www.karibubaby.com

A must have Hall 10.02, Stand: D040 H V Venicci prams are combination of elegance, art of-designing and the absolute must have. of All the products have been designed to provide a solution to the reality of life with a baby. The alluminum a alloy used to make their frames si signifi cantly reduce total weight and make their prams p unusually light-weighted and easy to drive. This T Travel System makes life of every mom effortless because of selecting the best materials, e durability d and easiness of cleaning. The fabrics are w waterproof as well as UV protected due to water-repellent w impregnation and UV50+ technology allowing it to absorb more than 50% t of o ultraviolet radiation. Not only do the Venicci deliver d on style, but more importantly on p performance and safety! T Tel.: +44 (0) 1302 953872 Email: info@venicci.co.uk E

It’s a breeze

to an everyday The Breeze Baby In-Sight Mirror was developed as an innovative solution a two-speed, With ed. overheat getting problem for parents – children in rear-facing car seats The mirror enough. not is AC the when seat back the in cool tilting fan, Breeze helps keep baby multiple has and minutes 10 after feature turn-off auto an with activated is remote control convex, creating a wide headrest attachment options which fit most vehicles. The mirror itself is a superior reflection provides mirror ght Clear-Si the angle view of your rear facing baby, whilst crash tested to are mirrors their all mind, of peace al addition For and distortion free image. ensure they remain shatter resistant. Travel range, which The Breeze Baby In-Sight Mirror is part of Munchkin’s comprehensive g parents with providin ies, accessor and rs protecto seat rs, organise includes sun shades, travel journey. every out through mind of peace e complet young children Email: enquiries@munchkin.com Web: www.munchkin.com/uk

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Feeling nimble Hall 4.1, Stand: C045c Nimble, the UK’s first and only makers of plant-based cleaning products for kids’ mess, are exhibiting once more at the UK Pavilion in Kind und Jugend 2018. Following a successful first exhibition in 2017 where they made new leads from over 50 countries, Nimble are coming back to meet more distributors for their multiaward winning cleaning products for homes with messy kids. Come and visit them in Stand C-045C for a chance to speak to the Nimble team and see, touch, and feel their products, Milk Buster (baby bottle cleaner), Laundry Lover (kids’ clothes detergent), and Sticky Stopper (toy & surface cleaner). Email: von.sy@nimblebabies.com Web: www.nimblebabies.com

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to see you at Kind + Jugend Hall 11.3, stand B40-48

Come and share in the excitement of our new products and designs. Email: nicola@whleurope.com or ruth@whleurope.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1384 298531

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off eo t Importanc Th I The Nasal Aspiration by Babies Hall 11.2, Stand: H034

Almost 77% of the questioned British parents know about the importance of nasal aspiration for babies and toddlers.*

The baby’s blocked nose can be a disaster for the entire family, especially during the night. Your little ones can’t blow their noses yet. As a parent, you try everything to help them breathe normally. In doing so, Nosiboo gives you the ultimate solution for home usage or even on the go. The use of Nosiboo helps your baby to breath easily. It supports both of you to get back to the normal routine. Nosiboo helps. Web: www.bebelephant.com Web: www.nosiboo.eu *Opinion survey by Nosiboo in 2018

Pure romance Hall 11.2, Stand: B030 Ju-Ju-Be, one of the best-selling changing bags in the US which, for the past decade has combined fashion with the highest quality materials and smart technology, is delighted to showcase its latest collections at Kind + Jugend. Visitors will be among the first to view the new Rose Gold collection – where precious gold meets copper alloys for a romantic effect – which is featured on the best-selling BFF bag, among other styles. In terms of prints, Ju-Ju-Be will be showcasing the worldwide best-seller, the Sakura Swirl. Imagine the Eastern winds causing the resplendent cherry blossom tress to sway and you can picture Sakura Swirl print. Web: www.europe. ju-ju-be.com/en

Milestone year for Konfidence Hall 4.1, Stand: B048a Its 20 years since they launched their innovative Original Konfidence Jacket onto the UK market from the back of the family Vauxhall Cavalier. Notable retailers including Marks and Spencer, Early Learning Centre, Mothercare and John Lewis all saw the enormous benefits the Swim Jacket provided. Since 1998 the world is very different; Amazon no longer just sell books, phones now play music, take photos, play games and talk back. The Konfidence range of buoyancy, baby swimming and beachwear products includes as wetsuits for babies, neoprene diapers and wetsuits for the beach and still it’s number one Original Konfidence Jacket. Email: sales@konfidence.com Web: www.konfidence.co.uk

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Pssst! Can you guess the first colour newborns see? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a biggie. Find out and discover the new Cosatto Baby Science Partnership. Kind + Jugend 2018 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 23 September UK Pavilion, Halle lle 4.1, 4.1 Stand A060. Be in the know. Join us.

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Take time to ‘Gro’ Hall 11.2, Stand: G009 The Gro Company is looking forward to exhibiting new products and designs from their award winning range at Kind + Jugend in Cologne. With the full breath of the range on display distributers and retailers will be able to get the full Gro ‘experience’. As well as a strong focus on core product the Grobag, Gro will also be introducing new customers to innovations including their latest Grobath range of towelling products and toddler sleep solution the Groromper. The Gro Company will be exhibiting on stand G-009 as part of the Mayborn Group. To make an appointment to visit a Gro representative please contact sales@gro.co.uk.

Get your sneak preview Hall: CC-Ost, Stand: CCO-0

On top of another very successful year, Joie will be unveiling a number of great new products at this year’s Kind & Jugend. The new showcase of collections will include wheeled goods, car seats and indoor items that build on the success of previous key product launches such as the Pact stroller, Multiply Highchair and i-Level lie-flat infant car seat. Visitors to the stand will get a sneak preview of the new lines and whilst they’re strictly under-wraps at the moment all of the new products encompass style and innovation yet retaining all the practicality and value for money you would expect from Joie. Don’t miss out, be the first to see the new Joie lines, and visit the stand CCO-0 in hall CC-Ost. Tel: 01889 808 900 Email: uksales@joiebaby.com

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Web: www.gro.co.uk

The doorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open!

Kind + Jugend: Sept 20-23 Hall 11.2 Booth H41

We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for you to meet our family of products and the newest additions.

Please contact Jerome@infantino.com to arrange a meeting.

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One not to miss s Hall 11.2,, Stand: G018 New productss from Prince Lionheart will be on view at the Kind und Jugend Fair in Cologne this September. Bee one of the first to be introduced to innovation from Prince Lionheart. Retailers are invited to meet, discuss and explore how working with Prince Lionheart can add additional benefits to their business. Prince Lionheart designs and manufactures, but not just anything – they make products that matter, is safer or just plain better. During Prince Lionheart’s 45+ years, the company has led the field with creations to help babies grow up happy and safe and where the quality of the products outweighs the price you pay. NEW products to whet your appetite and give your retail channel a boost! See for yourself at 2018 Kind und Jugend, Hall 11.2 Stand G018. Tel: +44(0) 208997 7054 Email: uksales@princelionheart.co.uk Web: www.princelionheart.co.uk

Safe, practical, stylish Hall 4.1, Stand: C048 Nibbling is a boutique range of premium remium fashionable teething jewellery and accessories. The collection of stylish teething necklaces for mum, a natural wood teething range, dummy clips, pregnancy bola necklaces, pram mobiles, gift sets and toys is made from 100% food grade silicone and natural wood, and is BPA-free - safe and soft enough forr ant, baby to chew. It is also heat-resistant, safe for the dishwasher, microwavee and o clean freezer - a reassuring and simple to solution for parents. vana New for K&J 2018… the Havana and Rio teething necklaces, available ble in a number of on-trend colours, thee Jet icone Set Dummy Clip, single colour silicone ollection dummy clips and Forest Friends Collection hers. of natural wood and silicone teethers. Tel: +44 7943 958860 Email: Emily@nibbling.co.uk Web: www.nibbling.com

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us Celebrity stat B055 Hall 4.1, Stand:

nd und nd 4.1 B-055 at Ki UK Pavilion on sta e th Collection, in s ild be ll Ch wi y s Roma Pram 2019 and the Am for e ng ra w ne e sto g th ependent res. Jugend. Showcasin eases exclusive to ind rel w ne ing e Vita2 has cit ex e ccess of the Vita, th Roma have som su e th on ing ild ta2, bu e multi awardIntroducing the Vi theirr retailers. Th m fro k ac arket, db fee h roug allest folds on the m been developed th with one of the sm r, lle ro St el av Tr winning Capsule across the range. w feature! has an exciting ne fabrics and colours ted da up res tu fea ok an The 2019 collection of Dolls Prams. Bo with Roma’s range as tm ris Ch for e ar Prep appointment! s.co.uk

mapram Email: hello@ro

Hall 11.2/B30

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Smart Bags For Smart People

Machine washable + air dry Lifetime warranty! Teflon™ fabric protector Agion® antimicrobial treatment Memory foam changing pad The ‘Mummy Pocket’ ‘Crumb Drains’ make cleaning easier Bottle pockets insulated by 3M Thinsulate™ Self-healing zipper technology High quality and durable metal hardware

www.europe.ju-ju-be.com

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Make an impact Hall 10.2, Stand: C041

impact at Cologne this ABC Design are aiming to make an e. Innovative new year with their cutting edge 2019 rang by all new fabrics d ecte perf are lines and refined classics Which best buy the ing winn 4 Salsa the and designs, With pushchairs the rated this year scoring amongst the highest gn will also be Desi ABC d. consumer group has ever teste units in the seat all to e mod at fl lie introducing the new gn Desi range first range. To experience all of the ABC d C041. Stan , 10.2 hand, make sure you visit Hall Tel: 01652 641491 Web: www.abc-design.uk.com

Perfect grip Hall 11.3, Stand: C046

The door is open at Infantino! Hall 11.2, Stand: H041 Team Infantino can’t wait to welcome those attending K&J into the brand’s home and to present the extensive family of products and latest additions. Infantino is committed to creating smartly designed products for happy parenting and the team is extremely excited to show the award-winning range of products that focus on innovation and style. Highlights at the show include Together Pull-On Knit Carrier, the Musical Soother & Night Light Projector, the Grow-With-Me Playtime Teepee Gym, the Sit, Spin & Stand Entertainer 360 Seat & Activity Table and Stack & Spin Seal. The range supports the complete 24/7 family day so make sure you pop in and take a look at the Infantino home. For appointments contact Jerome@infantino.com Web: www.infantino.com

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Inch Blue, the much-loved British baby and toddler shoe brand, is delighted to be showcasing their new Gripz range at Kind + Jugend. Gripz feature the same popular Inch Blue designs - just grippier! They combine Inch Blue’s original soft leather shoes with natural rubber soles. The result is a shoe which creates the perfect grip to accommodate for the liveliest of antics! Little ones can hop, skip and jump into life’s next adventure whenever they are wearing their Gripz. The full range of designs along with gift sets, pebble purses and sheepskin boots will be available on stand C046, Hall 11.3. Email: hello@inchblue.com Web: www.inch-blue.com

heading to

KIND + JUGEND? Book your appointment now to see our fresh new product picks in toy, gear and much more! Kind + Jugend | September 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 23 Cologne, Germany | Hall 10.1 Stand C030/D039

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Award winning Hall 4.1, Stand: B047

Multi award-winning Baby K’tan will be exhibiting at K&J in the British Pavilion on stand B-047. 2012 Ltd, the European distributor for Baby K’tan is hoping to build on its enormous success in the UK, by introducing the brand to European distributors, agents and retailers. The innovative Baby K’tan Baby Carrier is an ideal blend of a sling, wrap and carrier individually sized to fit the parent. With its patented double-loop design, it provides the

Beneath the surface Hall 11.1, Stand: G030

Green Sheep Group (GSG) has been established since 2006 and specialises in the design and manufacture of nursery baby products. Two brands operate under the company umbrella of GSG; The Little Green Sheep and Snüz.This year Snüz is back at Kind und Jugend in what will be their BIGGEST EVER stand to date! It’s been an exciting 2018 so far for the brand, with the successful launch of the new SnüzPod3 bedside crib, and their Queen’s Award win for Innovation! Join Snüz on their stand (Hall 11.1, G030) where they will be showcasing exciting upcoming new launches including SnüzSurface - the next generation baby mattress! Email: mark@greensheepgroup.com Web: www.greensheepgroup.com

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positions and benefits of all three. New for Cologne are the Weekender changing bags in various designs, with a built in wet bag with anti-microbial lining. Baby K’tan EU (2012 Ltd) will be showcasing their products in the British Pavilion. Hall 4.1, Stand B-047 Tel: +44 (0) 1202 303 777 Email: info@2012ltd.co.uk Web: www.babyktan.co.uk

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Take a look at Mamas & Papas Hall 10.2, Stand: C040 Mamas & Papas continue to grow and evolve, here we take a closer look at the reasons why. Understanding families at Mamas & Papas Parenting should be a fun and exciting time of customers’ lives. But it isn’t always the easiest. At Mamas & Papas they understand that which is why, for over 35 years, they’ve been committed to helping parents find products that help them reach their full potential without having to compromise. They design their products in the UK, listening to the experiences of real life parents and using that feedback to inform everything they do. They look for solutions to life’s problems and then put them to the test at their own accredited test lab.

Leading the way with wheels A pushchair is one of the most important purchases a parent can make, and the team at Mamas & Papas believe they’ve got something for everyone. The Ocarro pushchair, one of the UK’s bestselling first stage travel systems, headlines their range. Its plush, luxury design offers babies ultimate comfort with an easy, one-handed fold that is so compact it can fit into the boot of most small cars. This year, they are excited to showcase the Ocarro X Moon – a unique pushchair enriched with quality woollen fabrics from the UK’s last remaining fully vertical woollen mill. Celebrating the best of traditional British design. Also on display this year is the new Flip XT3, a bold reimaging of their most compact pushchair. The slick new design includes a new shape hood and visor with stylish chrome chassis and touch points. Designed for the smallest of spaces and ultimate portability, it’s a compact solution that’s suitable from birth.

Creating a space for baby When it comes to the nursery, they have a range of collections that are designed to suit parents’ space, style and budget. With a combination of contemporary and classic looks, there is a nursery style for everyone. Each of their furniture collections includes practical pieces that adapt to growing children, including cots that convert into toddler beds and changing stations that can be turned into bedroom dressers. Additional features such as soft close doors and drawers help to elevate their furniture while additional pieces such as tall boys and storage chests round out their offering. Complementing their furniture is a range of nursery décor and interiors. From soft cotton bedding to sleep bags, fitted sheets and quilts, they have everything baby needs for a reassuringly soft night sleep. Plus, they offer customers the chance to accessorise their nursery with additional pieces such as curtains, lampshades and decorative wall art. The stunningly detailed and intricate designs use the latest trends for 72

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inspiration, with embroidered touches and quilted details that help create a luxury, premium feel at an affordable price.

Setting a standard for style On the softer side, they have an eclectic collection of newborn baby and toddler clothing that gives parents a variety of outfit options. The sophisticated Occasionwear range brings grown up fashions to small outfits with lace dresses and tweed suits ideal for special occasions such as weddings, Christenings and birthdays. For a casual wardrobe, their Everyday Special range is full of bold, colourful pieces that can be mixed and matched to suit customers’ tastes. The quality designs are durable and long lasting, perfect for days out or attending nursery. The jewel in their clothing crown has to be the Welcome to the World collection. This incredibly popular newborn range is full of stunning sleepsuits and outfits that are sure to get parents’ hearts racing, as well as being the perfect gifts for new families. The pieces feature a subtle colour palette, intricate stitching and incredibly soft fabrics, like 100% Supima cotton, making them reassuringly comfortable outfits for tiny babies.

They’re still growing At Mamas & Papas, they’ve had a strong few years, building the brand and raising their profile, not only in the UK but around the world. With popular products, quality customer service and a website that features ‘Discover’, their exclusive online content hub; the future looks exciting. And now you have the chance to get involved. They’re looking to expand their reach by working with international partners to help more families around the world. Email: international.enquiries@mamasandpapas.com

Love the curve

The ultimate pushchair, for the ultimate lifestyle. • First pushchair to market with a curved frame, for greater safety. • First pushchair to market with a magnetised harness buckle. • First pushchair to market with a detachable shopping basket. Ruk-bug SOLIS delivers the strength and size of a pushchair with the convenience of a stroller. Convenient 3-way carry system: • grab it by the handle • carry it over the shoulder • or wear it with the rucksack straps It comes with fully removable, washable fabrics and is suitable from birth to 22kgs. &ZEMPEFPI [MXL E [MHI VERKI SJ EGGIWWSVMIW XS ǻ X XLI YPXMQEXI PMJIWX]PI Ruk-bug SOLIS sets new standards in safety, user-experience and style.

Are you ready for the Ruk-bug experience? Visit us at Kind & Jugend in Cologne, Hall 04.1 Stand B-053a. Or contact us now at sales@ruk-bug.com

www.ruk-bug.com

Born from experience, inspired by life.

feature Shnuggle Hall 4.1, Stand: B041a

Belfast to baby boom Shnuggle is, without doubt, a brand that is synonymous with the nursery industry.

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ince its conception in 2007, founders and husband and wife team, Sinead and Adam Murphy have made their mark through quality product design, strong supportive retail relationships and a host of prestigious awards, not just for the innovative product range, but for business success too. From humble beginnings with a truly heart-warming backstory, Shnuggle has rapidly become a brand that is loved the world over. The original Shnuggle Moses basket – still a top seller – was created by Adam and Sinead with a purpose – to provide their first born with a hypoallergenic, easy to clean sleeping space while she u underwent hospital treatment. From there, the couple saw a gap in the market they kknew they could fill and what started off as a night shift p packing orders when the children were in bed and driving p packages to the post office, quickly became their full time fo with 2010 seeing a turning point when major retail focus a accounts started showing interest in the Shnuggle Moses b basket. With further investment and a successful funding p pitch, Adam and Sinead were able to develop their second p product – the incredibly popular Shnuggle Bath which la launched early 2011. Fast forward to the years 2013 -2015, major retailers h started selling the Shnuggle Bath and by had 2 2015 Shnuggle were exporting to over 20 countries and u using a large third-party warehouse – a bit of a step up fr the family garage! The growth continued and in from 2 2017, Shnuggle achieved a £1M revenue for the first time. Today, Shnuggle sees no decline in growth, doubling t turnover each year. The product range is currently being s in over 35 countries with a further 13 territories sold identi ed for 2018 and beyond. Shnuggle have added identifi 1 countries cou 18 to their growing list of export territories this y aalone, with major launches in America, Canada and year South Africa. O of the most successful of these markets is South One Korea where the Shnuggle Bath became the top selling bath w within the first 6 months of launch. Shnuggle also recent announced their partnership with the world’s recently leadin Asia Pacific distributor Bloom & Grow, which is leading their biggest contract to date and will see the launch of Sh Shnuggle in Australia as well as supporting further g growth of Shnuggle’s Asian market share. Joining o other reputable brands such as Skip Hop, Ergobaby, Trunki and Nuby, the deal with Bloom and Grow opens up the Shnuggle brand to a potential two b billion people. Closer to home, there has also been significant grow within the UK market with 2018 seeing the growth launch of top selling category products at major retailers a John Lewis and Mothercare, adding to their such as strong portfolio of customers including a large number ind of independent baby stores across the UK and Ireland Strength of the Shnuggle business and Ireland. brand will continue in store through 2018/2019 n POS development and continual with new

development of training materials to support retail sales staff, along with more opportunities to bring exclusive product offerings to market. Product development continues to be a focus of the business and Shnuggle are committed to continually design innovative products which make life easier for new parents. The Shnuggle HQ team has grown significantly over the past 12 months including a New Product development department being established with key recruitment of an experienced Product Development Manager to support the continual development of a current and future new product development roadmap. 2018 saw the launch of two new products to the bath time category and there will be a number of exciting new ‘game-changer’ products launched over the next 6 months and into 2019. The Shnuggle product range is a firm favourite with consumers, but also award panels with Shnuggle continuing to win awards, achieving over 40 consumer and industry accolades to date. Most recently, multiple wins with Loved by Parents and Made for Mums saw Shnuggle dominate the bath time categories including wins for new products – Wishy and Washy, two fantastic additions to the Shnuggle bath time range. Commitment and significant investment in growing brand awareness and marketing is hugely important to Shnuggle. Not only in developing in-store materials and resources for retailers, but in talking to consumers too. Their social media channels are growing rapidly and investment has been made into targeted launch campaigns, digital marketing, collaborations, influencers and PR. With multi award winning products, a globally recognised brand and business awards to add to their name, Sinead and Adam are parents with a passion and a true inspiration. Shnuggle have led the way in making baby’s first 12 months a safe, relaxing and fun experience around the world and with ambitious growth plans for the future in terms of sales, product development and logistics, Shnuggle really is a baby brand that is all grown up.

Tel: +44 (0) 2891 815169 Email: sales@shnuggle.co.uk Web: www.shnuggle.com

Be part of the bigger picture ...

24 - 26 March 2019

Harrogate Convention Centre, North Yorkshire

Your next not-to-be-missed trade event after Kind+Jugend www.nurseryfair.com Tel: 01902 880906 / 882280 Email: adrian@nurseryfair.com HINF SEPT 2019 ADVERT NT - DRAFT.indd 1

31/08/2018 15:32:48

focus KIND UND JUGEND

Swan meets Elephant! Hall 10.2, Stand: C069

Swandoo is pleased to announce the appointment of Bébélephant as their UK distributor.

These a mbitious and visionary new kids on the bloc k are truly disrupting the industry with thei r unique designs, inte grated tech nolo gy and attention to the finest deta il.

About to create a lot of excitement at the Kind & Jugend exhibition in Cologne, Swandoo have really hit the ground running with their unique and innovative range of products. “We are passionate about creating products that not only surpass safety standards, but provide parents with complete peace of mind. We are excited to be working with Bébélephant in launching our products across the UK, which is a key market for us.” said Kenny Lai, Managing Director and Founder of Swandoo. These ambitious and visionary new kids on the block are truly disrupting the industry with their unique designs, integrated technology and attention to the finest detail. They are excited to be on the threshold of launching their first i-Size infant car seat in the UK, which they have christened “Albert” (after the celebrated scientist Albert Einstein). Albert’s harmonious proportions, refined contours and innovative features set it apart from other car seats. It not only offers outstanding safety features but also an eye- catching style that will appeal to modern families. “This is a new venture for us, which we are very excited about. We are deeply impressed by Swandoo’s high quality and premium products and can see that this is definitely a company to watch.” commented Elliot Bishop, Managing Director of Bébélephant Swandoo’s talented design team in Vienna have kept the momentum going and have more exciting products in the pipeline, which they are eager to showcase at the upcoming Kind & Jugend. They are looking to expand their existing i-Size range with the market debut of “Albert Go” in the Autumn, which features an innovative blend of smart technology making it the first seat of its kind. Albert Go keeps guardians connected and tackles the most common issues that can lead to serious injury. In addition, Swandoo is launching Jody next year. This user friendly reboarder seat features 360° rotation capability from any of the 4 recline positions. Like Albert, Jody features a stunning, fresh design offering maximum comfort and protection. Swandoo also has more surprises up their sleeves that we can look forward to in the near future. For more information on ordering Albert i-Size please contact the below. Bébélephant: info@bebelephant.com Tel: 0208 2021 467

OR Swandoo: nicole.m@swandoo.eu Tel: 0151 5560 869 Web: www.swandoo.com Photos: Michael Liebert

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CuddleCo_NurseryTodayAdvert.pdf

15/08/2018

14:08

CMY

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first silent, wearable breast pump Hands-free

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Come and see us in Cologne Hall 11.2, Stand G012

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elvie.com Launching in the UK in September 2018. Available to order now. Contact: sales@elvie.com

focus KIND UND JUGEND

Born from experience, inspired by life Trend driven Hall 10.1, Stand: H14 Bizzi Growin are really excited to be exhibiting for a fifth year at the Kind & Jugend Fair. After a hugely successful launch of the award winning POD bag last year, they are back with even more beautifully designed product including award winning knitted blankets, trend driven bedding ranges, play gyms and so much more! Their bijou stand really is a hidden gem offering superbly thought out and designed products, which are that little bit quirky, but delivered to the highest quality we have now come to expect from this exciting on trend company. Bizzi Growin is fast becoming a ‘must have’ brand so don’t miss out, visit their stand in Hall 10.1 H14, you won’t be disappointed.

Hall 4.1, Stand: B053a

Showing for the first time in Cologne is the NEW Ruk-bug SOLIS Pushchair. Designed with fun & freedom in mind, Ruk-bug is setting new standards in safety, user-experience and style in the baby care sector. Ruk-bug SOLIS is the first pushchair in market with a telescopic curved frame, for greater safety and stability. SOLIS delivers the strength and size of a pushchair with the convenience of a stroller. It is the first pushchair to come with an easy to use magnetised buckle and the first in market to offer a detachable compactable shopping basket. While it passed and exceeded 2018 safety standards, SOLIS is suitable from birth to 22kg. Ruk-bug SOLIS: the ultimate pushchair, for the ultimate lifestyle. Email: sales@ruk-bug.com Web: www.ruk-bug.com

Email: c.bolton@bizzigrowin.com Web: www.somitex.net

ewan’s flock have a lot to bleat about! Hall 4.1, Stand: B041 Feast your eyes and graze on the ever-growing flock from the brand behind the iconic ewan the dream sheep. Their latest and highly anticipated addition to the herd, the ewan Deluxe, will be joined at K+J by all their sleep soothing products, lovingly designed to help babies sleep peacefully. Using sophisticated MoonMode smartCRY technology, ewan Deluxe uses his intelligent sensor to learn baby’s cry and automatically activate his magical sounds to soothe little ones back to sleep. He also now features a removable pod which means he can be washed, a must for any parent. Classic ewan will also be on show with his calming pink glow and 4 sleep inducing sounds ensuring little one drifts off into a slumber without the need for counting sheep. Keep your eyes peeled for the reveal of our new colour range. Joining them will be their super soft comforters; the baa baa blankie and ewan snuggly. Both feature ewan’s friendly face in either the iconic purple or the popular grey colour. With silky edges and velvety soft material, these are the perfect bedtime companions. Watch out for a new addition the snuggly range which is sure to be a hit with parents. And last but not least and set to cause quick a quack, is Gertie the Good Goose! Expertly designed to soothe tender gums, this teething toy not only offers the ultimate rescue remedy for the teething phase, but is a super cool companion little ones won’t want to be without.

Find the whole flock at B-041 in the UK Pavilion. Email: harry@sweetdreamers.co.uk Web: www.sweetdreamers.co.uk

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focus KIND UND JUGEND

Showcasing innovation Hall 11.2, Stand: C048 D049 Visit the Summer Infant stand this year to view a host of products from their International range.

ummer Infant will be introducing a whole host of new products in 2019 that further strengthens their expert and trusted position in the bath, potty, safety and sleep time categories. This year they will be displaying a selection of products from the International range, which also includes strollers and safety gates to demonstrate their extensive range of specialist products. They’ll be showcasing a range of new innovative digital video monitors with patent pending, leading edge technology to offer fantastic new features that parents will love! Innovative new solutions within sleep time will be presented, including new features in SwaddleMe to help keep baby even more comfortable and cosy at night time. While the award- w winning Slumber Buddies® range will see further expansion, with the addition of a new portable soother and nightligh nightlig t at a compelling price point, which uses technolo technol gy to good effect in order to help soothe baby on the go. Summer Sum Infant will also be showcasing an exciting brand refresh for 2019 which features a new cross category catego collection of curated products at an elevated price point. p The collection will be centred around thoughtf thoug ully designed, intuitive products that parents and babies babie need. Summer S Infant pride themselves in delighting parents paren and infants alike with their products, which means mean constantly evaluating and improving existing products prod in the range, so in addition they’ll be refreshin refre g other key products within the bath and potty pott category. This includes an addition to the popular pop My Size Potty to provide a complete potty training trai solution, with new features that will help little ones’ one transition to an adult toilet and modern updates that tha parents will love. To find out more visit Summer Infant at Kind & Jugend, Ju Hall 11.2 Aisle C 048 / Aisle D 049. Please book an appointment in advance via socialme so diauk@summerinfant.com to avoid disappoi d ntment! Web: www.summerinfant.co.uk W

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Introducing the fun, colourful and cuddly My First Peppa Pig collection from Rainbow Designs!

PP1512 My First Peppa Pig Activity Twin Pack

PP1513 My First Peppa Pig Chime & Rattle Peppa & George Assorted PP1513 My First Peppa Pig Comfort Blanket

www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

PP1580 My First Peppa Pig Activity Toy Peppa

focus KIND UND JUGEND

Express and go Hall 11.2, Stand: D038 Lansinoh is proud to launch its New Compact Single Electric Breast Pump available at Amazon and leading retailers. It’s ideal for expressing ‘on the go’: Small enough to carry in your bag when away from home, at work or travelling; lightweight design with micro USB power adapter as well as mains plug adapter. 5 adjustable suction levels for maximum comfort. Hospital grade with adjustable suction and rhythm, mimics the way baby naturally feeds and maximizes milk production. Simple to use with fewer parts to clean, saving time for busy mums LED back light indicates suction level, even during night-time breast milk pumping sessions. Tel: +44 (0) 113 2054207 Web: www.lansinoh.co.uk

Got it covered Hall 4.1, Stand: C041a

Stunning new bedding range launch with MJmark. MJmark look forward to welcoming you to their stand where you will find their brand new stunning range of MJmark Blossom bedding for their Bianca and Ophelia cribs. The Blossom range will be available in five colours white, baby pink, baby blue, cream and grey. You will also find their new w dolls prams on their stand. Visitors will receive 10% off all orders placed during the show. Tel: +44 (0) 1432 279055 Email: jack@mjmark.co.uk

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i-Size Baby Car Seat

Award-winning design with i-Size Base MORE VISIBILITY

UPF 50+ CANOPY

www.swandoo.com hello@swandoo.com

ADJUSTABLE HANDLE

NEWBORN PILLOW

INSTALLATION: ISOFIX

LIGHT WEIGHT

ADJUSTABLE HEADREST

tel: +44 151 5560869 Hall: 10.2 Stand: C069

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Modern baby care Hall 10.1, Stand: F010

Aden + anais introduce new night time essential Since 2006, aden + anais has brought the Australian legacy of cotton muslin to the forefront of modern baby care, offering signature products that combine comfort and safety with style. The award-winning collection includes a full range of multi-purpose swaddles, burpy bibs, dream blankets, sleeping bags and muslin clothing. aden + anais is now introducing its newest night time essential: the 2.5 TOG winter sleeping bag. The collection will feature 5 whimsical winter prints that pop and pair with the favourite prints of the oversized muslin swaddles. Have the opportunity to experience the magic of muslin at Kind & Jugend, Cologne.

Email: boutique@adenandanais.com Web: www.adenandanais.co.uk

Clippasafe expands safety range Hall 10.2, Stand: D051 Child safety experts Clippasafe have led the way with their innovations for protecting children for over sixty years and have just added another fantastic product to their new premium plus range - the Magnetic Lock. The ideal way to stop children from rummaging through drawers and cupboards, the locks feature a catch that unlocks with the use of a magnetic key which can be kept out of reach of children, preventing access to dangerous items such as knives, batteries and household chemicals. The locks are easy to fit with a simple peel and stick system, fixing screws are also provided for use if required and there’s a locating tool in the box to ensure precise positioning and alignment when fitting. For added convenience, the locks can be deactivated when not required. Clippasafe Managing Director Roger Cheetham said of the new addition to the range: “This Magnetic Lock will make securing cupboards and drawers really easy for parents because of the simplicity of fitting there is no compromise on the strength or effectiveness of the product so peace of mind is guaranteed too. We encourage retailers to come and take a closer look and see how effective it is!” Tel: +44 115 9211 899 Web: www.clippasafe.co.uk

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HALL 10.2 BOOTH D008

BABY INNOVATION

AWARD

WINNER 2018

KIDS FURNITURE

2017

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For baby and beyond Hall 4.1, Stand: B051

K&J is here again and it has been a busy year so far for CuddleCo who have been busy creating lots of new products and developing the brand. This year they are focussing on the independents again at K&J for their national market. The independents have been the life and sole of their sales growth this year and long may it continue. This year they are introducing a brand-new range of luxuriously soft bamboo textiles fully stocked in a wonderful new in-store display. Pop over to their stand where they are also unveiling a brand-new style for the Doona, which is undoubtedly the celebrity “must have” infant car seat and stroller! The team are looking forward to welcoming you onto their stand where you will receive a warm welcome, can enjoy and drink and nibbles at the bar and most importantly have a chat. For appointments contact Georgie georgie@cuddleco.co.uk. Web: www.cuddleco.co.uk

Yes please! Hall 4.1, Stand: B042c Celebrating their first year since launching at Kind + Jugend, Nana’s Manners multi award winning products are now stocked by major UK retailers and department stores. Through simple patented design, Nana’s Manners children’s cutlery empowers kids to learn to eat confidently and independently. Featuring on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den last October and following numerous professional endorsements in their first year, the team are very

nursery today

excited to be launching a range into UK schools and nurseries in September 2018. Meet Nana’s Manners at Kind+Jugend’s British Pavilion; stand 04.1B0-042c where they’ll be welcoming existing and meeting new international partners, showcasing their latest range and new tableware gift sets! Email: trade@nanasmanners.com

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Kid-Proof, ParentFriendly Design

Time to book

Hall 11.2, Stand: F021

Hall 10.2, Stand: B030-C039

This year’s K&J Show will stick with you for more reason than one, thanks to OXO tot and the launch of the Stick and Stay Dishware. Unlike regular tableware, the Stick and Stay Plate and Bowl has been made specifically for little ones who are learning how to feed themselves, keeping bowls of food exactly where they should be on the highchair or table. The collection features strong suction pads to keep the tableware firmly in place. Simply seal the bowl or plate securely to clean and dry surfaces with the twist and lock mechanism to ensure the sticky pads stay put. They will also present the full assortment in our new on-trend colours that they have introduced to give the range a modern refresh. Email: francesca.Turner@oxo.com Web: www.oxototuk.com

Launching at Kind & Jugend, and coming to the UK market in 2019, a fresh portfolio of colourways from Peg Perego for the Book 51 S Elite modular system: Luxe Mirage a metallic blue with white leather panels, Luxe Ecru a soft caramel with navy panels, Luxe Prestige a rich navy with white leather panels and Luxe Pure, a soft grey with white leather panels. These new colourways come with a smart buckle detail on the carrycot which characterises the Peg Perego eye for detail. The Book 51 S Chassis will feature a new telescopic handle bar in hand-sewn eco leather, and will be available in two colour options, Titania or Pearl. The multi-award winning Peg Perego Book 51 S modular system, featuring the Navetta Pop-Up carrycot is the perfect compact chassis for urban living. The compact carrycot offers a space-saving solution as it folds and unfolds while attached to the chassis. It’s suitable from birth and features a rocking base with stabilising feet, adjustable backrest and hidden net panel incorporated into the hood. With the Peg Perego G-Matic System, you attach the Pop-Up Seat, Navetta Elite or Navetta Pop Up Carrycots or the Primo Viaggio SL Car Seat with one click. Web: www.pegperego.com

S histicated Sop design d Hall 4.1, Stand: B046 H Hanababy is proud to release the new Hana H E Expand Baby Carrier. Sophisticated with intuitive i design, this carrier is simple to use and smart s to wear. Width and hight can be perfected to your baby b with simple sliding movements. Suitable from ffrr birth till toddler, this carrier can be easily used u for the different siblings. Carry your newborn n , or change it to the toddler size for your y big boy or girl when their feet get tired. And of course you can wear the carrier on your y front or back, crossing the straps or leaving llee them straight. Exactly how you’d like it.

Email: info@hanababy.co.uk E Web: W www.hanababy.co.uk

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British shoe brand Inch Blue returns to Kind + Jugend.

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Such a simple solution Hall 11.1, Stand: H012 Felibaby GmbH launches a new concept in safety gates, meet BUZZER, a new type of safety gate that can be operated hands-free. Due to it’s innovative design it has also been nominated for the Kind Und Jugend Innovation Award 2018. Typical locking mechanisms require two coordinated movements to be performed in sequence, e.g. pressing a button and then operating a slide. With the BUZZER safety gate, the designers of Felibaby are taking a different approach. Instead of making the lock “unbreachable” for the little ones, the company’s developers have simply moved the release button outside the access area for children under 24 months. The idea is simple: young infants are just not tall enough to reach the release button. At the same time, however, an adult can easily press the button (similar in size and shape to a buzzer) with their elbow. This new practical safety gate offers parents who may be holding a child in one arm and a plate of porridge in the other a simple solution! Email: info@felibaby.com Web: www.felibaby.com

Soft and Stylish Hall 4.1, Stand: A021

astle, the brand behind Castl Red Ca wa d winning aw the awar onababy, will be Coco Cocoo owccasing its range of show sho stylis styylish and comfortable sleep slee ing bags at this year’s K&J K& exhibition. Th super-cosy bags have a really useful These tric opening with a double zip for asymme asy easy ea changing, as well as featuring harness so baby can be put straight into a car slots, sl seat without the need for disturbing his sleep and removing the bag. Available in three different sizes, 0-6, 6-12 & 12-24 months, they can be cleverly adjusted in length to the baby’s size with press studs, plus they also come in rear r seasonal thicknesses for warmer different d or o cooler weather conditions. Trade Enquiries contact Natalie Jackson.

Email: natalie.jackson@beaba.com Ema

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Luxury Baby Skincare

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September 20-23 | 2018 HALL 04.1 Stand C045B | Koelnmesse

www.HarryandRose.com

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the new generation of nasal aspirators

Almost 77% of the questioned British parents know about the

importance of nasal aspiration for babies and toddlers.*

The complete Nosiboo product range is available by the baby products distributor BĂŠbĂŠlephant. *Opinion survey by Nosiboo in 2018

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Must have’s made better Hall 10.1, Stand: C030 D039

Skip Hop presents new products at Kind Und Jugend. At Skip Hop, they re-think, re-energise and re-engineer products to infuse joy. Endlessly curious, they’re constantly questioning functionality, form and design. As a global lifestyle brand, their core philosophy begins and ends with “Must-Haves Made Better” — an unwavering passion for well-curated, smartly designed essentials for parents, babies and toddlers. Take time to browse their product ranges on their stand at Kind Und Jugend.

Play, learn and develop The new stylish Silver Lining Cloud Baby’s View 3-Stage Activity Centre is suitable for babies from 4-months old. Designed under supervision of a paediatrician, this activity centre supports a “whole body” approach to play and learning. Easily assembled, the attachable toys can be positioned anywhere and features a 360° turning seat. The unique Discovery Window lets baby see their feet while they play to learn cause and effect. Plus, as baby grows, the activity centre converts, ultimately becoming a clean, sturdy table or chalk board for colouring, messy play and more.

Bags more choice with Skip Hop The stylish new Madison Square Changing Tote from Skip Hop features clean lines along with all of the great features that you can expect from a Skip Hop changing bag. With a wide-opening main compartment and a double zip for easy access, the spacious back pocket is great for holding all lots of nappy changing essentials. Complete with vegan leather detail and its own cushioned changing pad. The Vegan- friendly Greenwich Convertible Backpack is made of durable, wipe-clean vegan leather and offers laidback luxury for the effortlessly chic mum. Available in the neutral grey shade of Portobello with clean lines, it features nine compartments and double bottle pockets for the ultimate organisation. Like all the stylish Skip Hop changing bags, it comes with a cushioned changing pad for convenience. This two in one super-changer converts easily from cross-body to backpack. Complete with top grab handle, soft cotton webbing stroller handles and a cross-body strap, parents change their look from backpack to satchel in a matter of seconds. Web: www.skiphop.com

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Say hello to Ethan the Fox. The latest addition to the world of teethers, this cool little dude is just the guy to soothe sore gums â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and leave other babies drooling with envy. His pointy nose and perky ears are perfect for chewing on while those pesky teeth come through, and his jaunty tail will hit every hard-toreach sore spot. Made from 100% natural rubber from the Hevea tree, Ethanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debonair design, soothing texture will to bring some foxy fun to the teething game.

t 01992 301061 e Sarah.mooncow@gmail.com w www.mooncow.co.uk

One Giant Sleep for Babykind. Z Z

See Rockit in action at Kind und Jugend - Hall 4.1 Stand B-047B

www.rockitrocker.com sales@rockitrocker.com

@wearerockit #rockitrocker

focus KIND UND JUGEND

No tears or tantrums Hall 4.1, Stand: B041a Shnuggle are excited to be returning to K&J this year following a fantastic year of growth in both export and domestic business. This year, Shnuggle added to the bathtime experience with new launches – Wishy and Washy as well as a number of exclusive product offerings for both domestic and international markets. Off to a flying start since its launch in June and winning several recent industry and parent awards, Wishy is a light up bath toy featuring a soft light and texture to support newborn sensory development. With 3 parts to pull apart, play and connect, is the perfect bath toy to support co-ordination and play as baby grows. Washy is a brilliant bath time accessory that is designed to take the tears and tantrums away from hair rinsing and scalp washing! Due to launch September 2018, the neat little jug has a soft grip handle for parents and a flexible edge which contours gently to the top of baby’s forehead, tipping the water safely away from sensitive little eyes. For more information on Wishy, Washy and to hear more about exciting new ‘game changer’ product plans, please make sure you add a visit to stand BO41a Hall 4.1 to your K&J itinerary. Tel: +44 (0) 2891 815169 Email: sales@shnuggle.co.uk Web: www.shnuggle.com

The vital vision Hall 11.2, Stand: G40 Visitors to K&J will be able to immerse themselves in Vital Baby’s strategy and vision by previewing the exciting innovations new to the baby accessories category, with these latest developments becoming available in 2019. While exploring the Vital Cloud (in Hall 11:2 Stand G40), visitors will be able to immerse themselves in all that Vital Baby is recognised for. The experience gained from listening to parents from all over the world, has allowed Vital Baby to build a new strategic vision, to continue the exceptional growth of the Vital Baby brand both in the UK and Internationally. The multi award winning feeding range, including the “Worlds Strongest Suction Bowl - the Unbelievabowl and the NEW BabyFood Pro (which has already won it’s first industry award from Best Baby & Toddler Gear), will also be on display. Vital Baby – always there for parents, from birth to toddler years and beyond. Email: tracey@vitalgrup.co.uk Web: www.vitalbaby.com

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K&J

Hall 04 .1 Stand B-046

Hanababy Ltd www.hanababy.co.uk www.facebook.com/HanaBabyUK

supplier snapshot This issue we’re talking Kind Und Jugend. We speak to some of the industry’s finest to find out their thoughts on this growing international exhibition.

Cedric Rodrigues CHILDHOME

Why is K&J important to you as a trade exhibition? We also exhibit in Paris, Madrid, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Kielce and Orlando but K&J is the most important

international fair for us. Here we present our complete 2019 collection. Their award programme is very important to us as well. We have won the Innovation Award 3 times, which offered recognition and exposure for our A products and brand. We are selling in more than 50 countries, so during p those 4 days we are reunited with our existing international clients and we th connect with new buyers. It’s our 19th participation this year so it’s an event co we all look forward to. w Do you use this show as a platform to showcase new products? D Kind Und Jugend is a great platform for us and for our distributors to K present the new collection to existing and new clients who could not make p it to the Preview in Belgium. This year again we have a lot of novelties in different categories following consumer trends. Our team has put a lot of d effort in developing new products and we can’t wait to present them. e What about show offers - will you be running any this year? W We W do have promotions on a selection of our range, including furniture and a decoration. We invite you to visit us for more details. W there be any specific events on your stand this year that Will visitors should be made aware of ? v Visitors discovering our new collection is the most important, come and V find out!

Richard Trott

WHL EUROPE (HOME OF PINK LINING, KOO-DI AND PURFLO) Why is K&J important to you as a trade exhibition K&J is really important to us as it’s a worldwide platform visited by all major stores and buyers across the globe. We have noticed an increase in the number of independent UK buyers visiting Cologne, highlighting its attraction as the key Trade show both domestically and for the international market. All the major brands exhibit, so it’s not only the most important European Trade Show to be represented at, but also a useful way to track what our competitors are doing. Do you use this show as a platform to showcase new products? Timing wise we (along with most other brands) use Cologne to preview all our new launches for the coming year, which we’ve found fits in very well with most of the stores’ buying calendars. K&J truly is a great showcase for new product launches. What about show offers - will you be running any this year? The timing of the show falls over a week and weekend and we do appreciate buyers taking time away from their stores or personal family time, so as a gesture of our appreciation and thanks we will be offering a 10% discount on orders written at the show.

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e Will there be any specific events on your stand this year that visitorss should be made aware of ? We aren’t doing any specific events on our stand, however we have a huge number of new launches across all three of our brands rands which we’re looking forward to showing excited to share with our retail partners.

FIND US AT D2M M Innovation, Th he British Pavilion Halll 4.1, Stan nd A-044

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supplier snapshot

Simon Winskill

Matt Dyson

BABYMOOV

ROCKIT

Why is K&J important to you as a trade exhibition? K&J is massively important as it’s a truly international trade exhibition. We launched Rockit there in 2017 and have since achieved distribution in over 20 countries. Many of these relationships started in Cologne. wcase Do you use this show as a platform to showcase new products? We are currently working on a range of follow-up products all designed to help with various child sleep issues. We are really excited about these innovative products, two of which we aim to launch early next year. What about show offers - will you be running any this year? We will continue to ensure that we offer the best prices to our distribution partners whilst at K&J and can arrange both FOB and ex-works options. We will also be exhibiting our new multi-language packaging. Will there be any specific events on your stand this year that visitors should be made aware of ? Rockit has won numerous awards and really needs to be seen in action to be believed. We are looking forward to demonstrating it on our stand (Hall 4.1 Stand B-047B) throughout the show. It’s one giant sleep for babykind!

Why is K&J important to you as a trade exhibition? Kind + Jugend is the baby event of the year and particularly for us it’s that exciting time of the year once again, when we unveil many of our newest innovations for the first time! Babymoov really value being able to welcome our existing clients and getting to know new ones in person at Kind + Jugend as we put our best foot forward with an impressive display of our 2018/2019 collection - including a new select few premium range products to look out for... What about show offers - will you be running any this year? As always, unique offers will be revealed at the show exclusively for retailers who have travelled out to support the show and visit us! If you are going to be at Kind + Jugend come and visit Babymoov, our stand is in Hall 11.2, Stand G38, please do drop by to meet the team. We look forward to seeing you there!

Andy Crane BABYSTYLE UK LTD

Why is K&J important to you as a trade exhibition? This show is vitally important to preview new colours for next year to both our UK and overseas customers, our business is growing globally thanks to the exposure from K&J, also every year we are seeing more and more retailers from the UK making the effort to attend the show so with this in mind we always like to reward them with something new to see and exclusive offers for attendees. Do you use this show as a platform to showcase new products? Without a doubt, we always look to showcase new products as we are in front of such a vast global audience. This year the brand new Oyster3 will be the main attraction and as well as other established BabyStyle products there will also be new egg buggy that can be seen for the very first time. What about show offers - will you be running any this year? Just the well-known BabyStyle greeting and relaxed atmosphere along with the opportunity to see new products, colours and ideas.

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CENTURY LOGISTICS

feature

Ensuring orders are fulfilled

The right response Generating a great customer experience: Century Logistics or busy, tired parents, a broken strap on It is essential to provide a great customer experience, a baby’s car seat or a faulty wheel on a especially when there is an issue with the product.” pushchair, and the prospect of being Century Logistics’ dedicated workshops, on its without that vital piece of equipment for main site in Bury St Edmunds, are calm, clinical and who-knows-how-long really can push stress levels efficient. Thousands of spare parts are meticulously through the roof. catalogued and stored. The workshops are staffed by How do they feel about the manufacturer of the highly experienced engineers with an obvious pride item? That, says Stephen Basey-Fisher, largely in their work. As time is of the essence, a ‘triage’ depends on what happens next. system is in place, which quickly assesses problems “A poor response can damage the and directs the products to the workshop. manufacturer’s brand reputation and perception. A “We aim to turn products round the same day as good customer experience can turn a negative into a receiving them,” says Basey-Fisher. “As a father of positive – good customer service actually four, I appreciate that parents can’t be left generates more sales,” he says. “That is without a car seat or pushchair.” where we fit in.” The key ingredient of all this is Customer care Century Logistics provides that Century’s customers, the is the heart warehousing and distribution nursery equipment of Century Logistics for many of the leading manufacturers, have handed nursery equipment brands. over the whole Alongside this, the responsibility to the company provides a company. Century’s unique repair service, people deal direct with the which provides a solution end user. This is an for over 1,000 pushchair example of customer and car seat returns per relationships that really work month in the UK. – and the ‘thank you’ cards, The continuing advance of baby photos, boxes of chocolates eCommerce is driving ever more and flowers that find their way to returns and ever more contact with the the team really reflect that. end consumer. Social media is ensuring that contact “The end user with the problem doesn’t want with those consumers comes in many shapes and more stress,” says Ian Pack, Century’s customer sizes. From Twitter and Facebook, to more services manager. “We all hate being treated like a conventional emails and phone calls, the Century ‘process’. The sooner we can get in contact with the Logistics team takes it all in its stride. end user, the better experience we can give. We are “We handle 12,000 customer contacts a year on the human face and we take away the frustration site,” says Basey-Fisher, Century’s managing that people might otherwise feel. When it comes to director. “Ensuring an immediate response and baby goods repairs, we believe that our expertise is first-time solution to the consumer’s issue is essential. second to none – not just in the UK, but in the This is why we believe that outsourcing customer world. services provides access to a wider range of expertise Century’s bespoke ‘Faultbook’ software program and cover than most companies can realistically tracks a product from the first phone call, through provide in-house. the workshop and finally to its return to a satisfied “For us, it is all about product knowledge, user. The program even provides defect trend training, quality and attention to detail. Our 20 analysis, helping manufacturers to spot any years’ involvement in the nursery industry has made recurring issues or problems. “We are not only us appreciate the unique requirements of the sector. repairing goods – we are giving information back to

Skilled engineers take pride in their work

our customers, whilst providing the best experience possible for the consumer,” says Basey-Fisher. As well as providing repairs under warranty, Century offers out-of-warranty repairs, servicing, check-ups and cleaning through its PramDoctor.com website. It also helps customers to return more to their bottom line by providing an eCommerce disposal solution through eBay, for both credited returns and end-of-line products. In addition to its main warehousing and head office site at Bury St Edmunds, Century Logistics has four other sites throughout East Anglia and one in Nottingham. The company provides expert warehousing and distribution services for a range of demanding sectors – including toys, beverages, apparel and bicycles, to name but a few. Expansion is definitely on the agenda. Being family owned is a major advantage, says Basey-Fisher. “We have strong values and are truly customer-focused. Our services and operations are scalable; plus, we can make quick decisions.” As he says, the team can never rest on their laurels or rely on luck. “We live and breathe customer service, repairs and logistics and our customers get the benefit of it. It is all about attention to detail, quality, understanding and determination. We always ask, what’s next?” Tel: +44(0)1284 413 100 Web: www.centurylogistics.co.uk

nursery today

focus DRESS UP

Dressed to impress Fancy dress is always extremely popular amongst adults, with parties often having a dressing up element thrown in for good measure and fun. This doesn’t stop with adults. Many parents are now taking to the trend to filter this through into their offspring from a young age, whether it be a cute rabbit baby grow or a more adventurous outfit. As soon as babies turn to toddlers, the fancy dress category starts to really shift. What little girl doesn’t want to be a fairy, or little boy a super hero? Manufacturers and suppliers are now more on board with outfits being available from as young as three months.

New Licensed Toddler and Baby on Dress-Up CollectiFever, and

R H Smith and Sons, the proud owners of the Smiffys, Time4Fun brands, are pleased to announce new licensed ranges; CBeebies favourite - Bing, Postman Pat, and TV classic Wind in the Willows, to their new range of toddler dress-up, aimed at the pre-school market. The range will be on sale in time for World Book day 2019. World Book Day is a firm fixture in the school calendar, and its popularity is growing throughout nurseries nationwide. As schools focus on the literacy aspect of the event, dress-up plays an important role in making reading fun for preschoolers and school age kids alike. Smiffys new pre-school and baby range of generic and officially licensed dress-up also includes characters from popular children’s books and pre-school television programs such as Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, Roald Dahl and Where’s Wally. The new toddler costume range brings characters to life, encourages development through imaginative play and is designed to inspire and excite the imagination. Baby dress-up has been crafted in soft fabrics and cute detailing, perfect for creating special moments in the early months, and those off-the-scale cute pictures! Smiffys take product safety very seriously. All Smiffys children and toddler costumes exceed the safety standards required by law and comply with EN71 regulations, Nightwear (Flammability) Standards BS 5722 and the BRC code of conduct, where required. Play it safe with Smiffys! Email: sharonpoulter@smiffys.com Web: www.smiffystrade.com

Perfect for parties

cess Roaring with suc range continues to be one of

The Official licensed Natural History Museum of the Pretend to Bee’s most popular lines. The high-quality costumes are one been now has range the and most realistic dinosaur dress up lines on the market s costume ’s children The s. costume dinosaur baby extended to include stunning r characte realistic a features one in all the plush, r polyeste 100% from are made rus Stegosau T-Rex, from hood act as the dinosaur’s head and you can choose with and Triceratops. Each features special effect embossed scaly skin and comes machine are range the in s costume All breed. dinosaur the fun facts about start washable and are hardwearing and can be worn again and again. Sizes from 6 months plus. Tel: 0115 921 5690

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Partyware suppliers Amscan have an extensive collection of infant and toddler fancy dress styles perfect for everyday and seasonal dressing up. The range features an adorable selection of Disney Baby themed apparel and costumes including the likes of classic favourites Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Disney Princess, as well as more recent characters such as Jack Jack from the Incredibles. Amscan also has a varied collection of unlicensed styles; new additions for 2018 include the popular Mystical Pony, plus Little Wabbit styles in pink and blue. Also, with Halloween getting closer don’t miss the spooky but cute new dresses Amsc an has launched, themes include Spider, Monster, Pumpkin and Ghos t.

Tel: 01908 288500 Web: www.asmcan.co.uk

interview

SLUMBERLAND

Spring into action Nursery Today’s Editor, Penny Franks ks had the pleasure to chat with Steinhoff UK’s National Account Manager, Steve Birds (who is also responsible for product development and marketing) to find out more from this recognised and trusted sleep time brand (Slumberland). How are you finding the nursery sector since first launching your cot mattress range?

This month we are celebrating our one year anniversary since the launch of our Slumberland Cot Mattress Collection! We have had a hugely successful first year; winning ‘Best Safety Product’ at the 2017 Harrogate Baby and Nursery Trade Awards for our Slumbertime Luxury Pocket Sprung Mattress was a real highlight and the first ever mattress to win this award! We have also recently been shortlisted for this year’s Mother & Baby Awards and the Best Baby & Toddler Gears Awards. With a successful launch into the independent market last year we are continuing to grow and are proud to have recently launched in our 60th independent retailer. What would you say are the main attributes that set Slumberland apart from your competitors?

The 99 year heritage of the Slumberland brand really sets us apart from our competitors. We’re a UK brand with a dedicated nursery facility in Somerset that has been making cot mattresses for over thirty years. Our established brand name and experience is something retailers and consumers alike can trust. We also have our own internal lab to guarantee that we are compliant with all British standards, giving consumers peace of mind that they are purchasing a top quality and baby-safe product. Do you feel that more parents are now viewing the mattress as a separate purchase to the cot?

I certainly feel this is the case and one of the reasons Slumberland has been performing so well in the independent market. Newborns will spend more than half their day sleeping, typically 16 to 17 hours so parents are realising how the cot mattress is one of their most important purchases. Providing a safe and supportive sleep environment is vital throughout a little one’s key developmental years and store staff do an excellent job promoting this. What about the materials used in manufacturer, how important are these?

It’s all about what goes into the product! We use Oeko-Tex certified materials to ensure there are no harmful chemicals in any of our products. Parents are becoming more cautious of the chemicals used during manufacturing which is why we chose to use a naturally Fire Retardant fibre so the sleeping surface

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is free from all antinomy, phosphorus and arsenic chemicals - the safest way for little’s one to sleep. Would you say that more parents are now looking at breathable materials?

The breathability of the mattress, along with practicality and safety, are the three key areas consumers are looking at. Newborns are not capable of regulating their body temperature so our Slumberland cot and cot bed mattresses have been designed using breathable baby safe fibre and a fully breathable temperature control cover. This allows for constant air circulation which is important in keeping your baby cool whilst they sleep in order to reduce the risk of overheating. What about anti-allergy properties, do you feel this is also now a large consideration prior to purchase?

This is becoming one of the most important requirements for a cot mattress. All of our mattresses are made using a natural anti-allergy treatment to provide babies with an allergen free sleeping environment. This helps to reduce the harmful dust mite build-up which is known to aggravate childhood allergies such as Asthma and Eczema. Do you think consumers are looking at price vs quality?

I believe consumers do look at value for money but ultimately they want to ensure they are getting a safe and quality made product for their baby. It’s the combination of value, quality and a brand name which drives consumers to our product. How important are brand names in the mattress sector?

Brand recognition is a strong factor; a well-known UK brand like Slumberland is instantly recognisable and can be viewed as more ‘trustworthy’ for both retailers and consumers. Do you use Social Media and if so, how valuable is this to your business?

We recognise that social media is an important aspect of digital marketing. As well as using our own social media platforms we recognise the importance of retailer partnerships to help increase brand awareness and to drive consumers to their websites and stores. It’s important to keep your content fresh to generate a good level of engagement.

Wh t ttype off b What benefi fitts can retailers t il expectt b by stocking your products?

In addition to a top quality handmade product we will provide retailers with the highest level of support. We are proud to provide a dedicated nursery Key Account Manager, product training and merchandising, plus a dedicated marketing team. We also support our retailers with free of charge bespoke POS stands which help aid sales in store. Can we expect any new product launches on the horizon?

After 12 months of development I’m delighted to be launching our new brand; Baby Dunlopillo! This September we will launch in Mothercare, as well as in boutique independents, so it is a very exciting time. We are proud that Dunlopillo is the UK’s leading manufacturer of 100% latex mattresses which offer a natural sleeping environment with a host of unique benefits. Natural latex is one of the most eco-friendly mattress fillings and a derivative from the sap of rubber trees. The unique manufacturing process of Dunlopillo latex ensures all the anti-allergenic, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties of natural latex are embodied within the Dunlopillo mattresses, so we thought it was about time we used this innovative technology in a cot mattress! Dunlopillo latex is also naturally breathable, responsive and completely noise free so it really is a wonderful material that makes a unique and premium cot mattress. Email: Steve.Birds@steinhoffukbeds.co.uk Web: www.slumberland.co.uk

your baby • our mattress • their dreams

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social media ROSS HEWITT

Kind Und Jugend Teile Deine Nachrichten Ross Hewitt runs us through why it is important digital marketing is while you are in attendance. arrogate Nursery Fair & Kind und Jugend are my two favourite shows of the year and the aannual trip to Cologne is upon us oonce more. For me it is the perfect place to ccatch up with clients, meet old friends aand get introduced to the latest batch oof wonderful innovations that will be h hittingg the market in the very near ffuture and I know the same applies to pretty muc much all of you reading this. With a buzz of excitement in the air and a ssmorgasbord of forthcoming products oon display, often for the very first time, I am surprised about how ever quiet everyone’s digital marketing is ind und Jugend. Very few during Ki Kind an nd even fewer retailers make brands and any real noise to the outside

an a g in g M , t it w e R o s s H S ec ret Pi e an d of D irec to r vvy S oc i a l M e d i a ’. ‘S a in g a ut h o r o f h is d ig ita l m a rket st r n R o s s b e g a 9 8 an d h a d h is fi y r 9 t 1 c a reer in t h e nu r sery in dus fo r a y into o f M a rket in g & a s H e a d r S ilver C ro s s in in c e fo E c o m mer set up S ec ret Pi e e g 2 0 0 8 . H d h a s b een h e lp in 2 0 10 an foun d an d lo ve d c li ents g et ever s in c e . on lin e k etp i e .c o .u k r c e .s w w w .u ec retp i e .c o | R o s s @ s 4 10 0 2 7 | 0 1 9 0 4 ec ret _ Pi e @S | Tw itter :

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world during those few days about what they are up to. Suddenly everyone is very softly spoken online. That would be fine if some noise was made upon returning to blighty but from what I have seen in recent years that is not the case; just business as usual resumes regarding marketing comms to consumers. Times are still very hard in the industry as consumer habits continue to shift and getting noticed by the long-standing digital citizens that are now having babies means that digital content needs to be created and shared at an increasing rate. A major trade show such as K & J provides a wealth of experiences and products to talk about.

If you are a brand and you are exhibiting your already publicly revealed products then get snapping and sharing. Along with Harrogate this is THE place where your products are displayed how YOU want them to be displayed…on YOUR stand. Let the consumer see that you work your fingers to the bone on trade stands, discussing new ideas for products that will make their lives easier in some way. Show them how you listen to retailers who feedback what the consumers say to them so that you can make the products better. Show your caring through your sharing.

Indies, this is your moment too… you also leave your business and family for a few days and travel miles and miles to bring the best of the best back to your store. Share the experience. Show your existing and potential customers how you work behind the scenes to make sure your shop has the best answer to every parent’s question. Help them to understand that when they walk into your store they deal with the person who speaks to the manufacturers direct and who trains the shop staff in person and who knows the names of the brand individuals to call when questions need answering or problems need solving. Show them how they avoid having to work through call centres when they come into your boutique and how they get the personal touch from the person in touch! Now is the time to make sure that you have packed the charger for your smartphone or tablet (and the plug

adaptor…I’ve forgotten that before now!), because this time you are going to snap and share and comment and post like a teenager who just got a double kill in Fortnite (anyone else got older kids like this?). Whichever side of the industry you are on, start to celebrate your time at the trade shows and bring the consumer with you…for some of them it will be an important glimpse behind the scenes that might help them make up their minds on a few key purchase decisions. For the brands, if you are revealing a product for the first time this year in Cologne then it is understandable that you might not want to do the full consumer ‘ta-da’ at this stage, but at least get some teasing images out there. Photograph the wheels or the stitching or the wood or the harness or some fabric or a handle…anything that will get the consumer wondering and asking questions and plant the seed of demand for your retailers. Tell

If you are a br an d an d you are ex hi bit in g your alrea dy publi cly revea led produc ts th en get sn apping an d sh arin g. Alon g w ith Ha rrog ate th is is THE pl ac e w here your produc ts are di sp lay ed ho w YO U w ant th em to be di sp lay ed …on YO UR stand . them a good thing is coming! Don’t lock the consumer out for four days…let them in, even just a little bit. It’s content and, as I have said so many times, today’s digital marketing challenge revolves around exactly that. I’ll be there for most of the show and will be presenting again on the Friday and Saturday so please check

the seminar timetables and try and pop by if you are free…it always helps to look out from the podium and see some familiar faces…unless said faces have closed eyes and are making snoring noises. That has happened before, and you know who you are… Safe travels everyone and see you in Germany.

Give your customers the power of sleep SOMNEX, 13-14th October 2018 Visit SOMNEX | The Sleep Show on Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 October at The Old Truman Brewery in London. Get exclusive access to expert advice, advi innovative new products, multiple mult interactive workshops and imm immersive classes - all designed to help you understand how to improve your you sleep. Jane Evans a childhood anxiety and parenting expert, talks to us today about what wh you can do if your child is struggling at bedtime: • Keep the pre-sleep routine simple and the same • Offer a small hand, foot, head hea or shoulder massage with some calming essential oils • Let them create some som breathing exercises they can teach you lying together on the bed • Have a ph photo of you beside their bed, printed on a t-shirt they can snuggle up with, or som something they create • Find out what they would like to do when they have wo worries - draw a picture before bed, agree you will listen to them without interrupting in or fixing, have a worry box to put them in… (keep it simple!) If children have an internal sense of their bedroom and sleep as feeling ca calming and restorative, rather than lonely and stressful, they will carry this fo forward to their adult lives so it really is worth the time investment now. Meet more experts like Jane at SOMNEX | The Sleep Show – book your ticket ti today www.somnexshow.com and quote promocode NT20 to save 20%!

Web: www.somnexshow.com W

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feature NIGEL PLESTED

Starting a new chapter This issue Nigel Plested, Diono’s Chief Brand & Product Officer, takes look at the journey of Diono and We Made Me (WMM) and the evolution of the brands. s we head into the cooler autumn months and another exciting Kind und Jugend, it bookends the close of one year (a bumpy one for many) and the end of a chapter, but as always it heralds the start of a brand new one. We head towards this year’s show with a real sense of excitement and optimism, embodied in a new stand incorporating both the Diono brand and We Made Me, (C008 & D008 in Hall H 11.3). Here we will be sh showcasing a significant step ch change for both of these w well-known brands and celebrating c the differences between b them. At Diono, we will be sharing o continual brand evolution our w the launch of a rational with and a sophisticated new identity. The T culmination of many months of tireless work by the m v very talented design teams both in the UK and Seattle, this new identity represents a culmination of relationships which echo the values we share every day when designing, detailing and defining what it means to “journey” with Diono. Like most industries, where physical products are the end result, the emphasis

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has shifted over the last half decade away from product itself and into a world where the consumer is no longer buying into product values in isolation, but rather a set of fulfilling, tangible and rewarding experiences. The outcome is certainly brand defining and begins to tell a story which is relevant to those who work with the brand, those invested in our brand, and in tune with an experiential marketplace. It represents strength and integrity: what we call “lovingly engineered”. This has always been a part of the brand’s persona but is something that we wanted to put into a human context. It also represents relationships and the bonds between parents and their children: the nurture, protection, and all-encompassing bonds shared between family and friends. It expresses a sense of balance and it typifies unity. The form of this new identity also provides punctuation in our developing design language, the details and touchpoints, the silhouettes and forms shaping the experiences we create and bring to market. Our new identity heralds a departure point for Diono as we continue to invest, innovate and evolve our product experiences within a wider, global landscape. So, we’re delighted to share this new direction with visitors at this

O ur ne w identity hera ld s a depa rture po int fo r D iono as w e cont inue to in vest , in no va te an d evolve ou r produc t experienc es w ith in a w ider, globa l lan dscape . year’s show and it’s fitting that we have a new location to frame our exciting new products. Meanwhile, of course we have recently acquired the We Made Me (WMM) brand, and whilst we have been extolling the pragmatic nature of the Diono, defined to move families from A to B, we have been getting to know WMM. We Made Me has been so well received since it became part of our business towards the end of last year, and with a growing interest and strong engagement with our cleverly defined wearing range, we’re delighted to share a re-imagined WMM for 2018. There is so much to share about We Made Me this year, and I am sure that everyone will enjoy the now presentation we have in store. Let’s start with what we’re famous for, and with five ways to wear the spectrum of wearing experiences within We Made Me is truly all encompassing. We have new names for the enhanced range, which we are delighted to invite you to come and try on. We know that different styles of wearing suit different parents, due to body landscape, posture, or other preferences defined by the wearing proposition. So, we have honed the range to represent what parents have been telling us in our wearing workshops. Many want more than one way to wear, depending on what they want out of their wearing experience,

whereas others truly favour a particular style or wearing, but what’s also resonated with our wearers is that the simplicity of the range allows them to migrate through the range as baby grows, and their wearing want list develops. The range provides a truly innovative starting point, with the We Made Me Flow, Life Active Wrap. We designed it to be soft, light and breathable, with a flexible fabric, which shapes to the contours of the body, echoing the beauty of both wearer and baby, but only stretching in one direction, providing comfort, room to move combined with vertical lift. We Made Me is also proud to announce our collaboration with Lisa Stannard, the celebrated fashion designer, who has created two wonderfully inspired versions of Flow; called wildflower and woodland they are wonderfully mindful and stunningly beautiful… Lisa, is also a qualified yoga instructor and will be leading a We Made Me do Yoga session, at 10am Friday live on the stand. Our next wearing experience is the We Made Me Smile, Everyday Sling, a great way to wear every day and anywhere. A hammockstyle sling, Smile supports five different carrying positions, including discreet breastfeeding positions and a cradle position for new-borns. With the We Made Me Imagine, 3-in-1 Carrier, we thoughtfully tailored this comfortable, stylish and practical

carrier, with a super-adjustable, soft-structured way to wear baby. Ideal from birth and offering both front and back-carrying positions. The Venture & Venture Plus, Front & Back worn Baby Carrier, comes in two sizes. One carrier, two positions, and inspired by Meh Dais, but made modern. This simple, light front and back baby carrier is perfect and comes in an array of contemporary fabric patterns. Discover & Discover Plus, All-inOne, baby carrier, hipseat and hipseat carrier. Designed to give you freedom to flex the way you wear and choose between belt and bolster. The ergonomic adjustable seat design supports your

baby’s hips and thighs perfectly, whilst offering comfort and stability. Outside of wearing, We Made Me is proud to unveil a joyous layette collection. With considered tailoring, exquisite details, motifs and contemporary patterns, combined with a range of blankets, muslins and accessories... so now everyone can wear We Made Me. All of this will be available to touch and feel first hand, and we’re looking forward to seeing you at the show. To arrange an appointment to visit the Diono and We Made Me stands at Kind and Jugend please contact sales@diono.com Web: www.uk.diono.com

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feature MEET THE PR’S

Say hello to the nursery PR’s Getting your news out into the world can sometimes prove quite a tricky business with an endless list of pressing things to do. Fear not, as a trade sector this where a good PR company comes in. They take the pressure off and do all your promotion for you. From contacting the necessary press to marketing online, good 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.

Getting you noticed Bertelli Communications has over 20

Bump for success BumpPR is an award-winning boutique PR agency dedicated to providing a comprehensive menu of bespoke services to suit your needs – and your budget! The team offer a down-to-earth, hands-on approach to the nursery and toy sector. They call it ‘Proper PR’. Simply meaning: things get done. BumpPR believe it’s all about making good ideas happen, and creating lasting relationships along the way. Each client is promised a personal experience with a passionate, well-connected team of professionals. Their methods are pro-active, immensely adaptable and packed with fresh thinking. Whether it’s a long-term, integrated strategy or a cheeky little tweet, they will ensure that your company, product or service gets credible exposure in all the relevant places. In other words, they’ll get the right people talking about you – without raiding the piggy bank. Tel: 01462 613 002 Email: lisa@bumppr.co.uk Web: www.bumppr.co.uk

years’ nursery industry experience and the agency prides itself on its relationship with clients with some of the most long-standing working partnerships in the sector. Working directly alongside their client, Bertelli Comms work hard to understand each individual client’s business and their goals. A ‘can-do’ attitude combined with solid grass roots PR gets clients where they should be – right in front of customers. Bertelli have worked on some of the UK’s most well-known brands as well as launching totally new companies and innovative products to the consumer and the trade. With experience in all aspects of PR, Lianne and the team can tailor cost-effective campaigns to suit a client’s specific budget from one-off bursts of activity to working as a retained press office. Bertelli Comms specialise in targeted product placement to ensure your products get noticed. Every week, their clients and their products appear in lifestyle magazines, online and on TV as well as in national and regional newspapers…in fact, whatever your target market read, listen to or watch Bertelli Comms will make sure you’re there! Lianne Bertelli, MD at Bertelli Comms says: “When setting up Bertelli Communications in 2010, we naturally gravitated towards the nursery sector because it’s an industry we love. Our experience means we have an unrivalled database of contacts within this sector both B2B and B2C and we make it our mission to get our clients coverage that will raise brand awareness and ultimately drive their sales.” Fiona-Jane Kenworthy, Marketing Manager at CMS Nursery comments: “We have worked with Bertelli Comms for a few years now and are delighted with the coverage we have received for our brands. Lianne understands our industry and indeed our end consumer and so she is always able to identify the perfect opportunities to further our brand awareness.” To discuss your PR requirements, please contact Lianne Bertelli on: 07739 023 756 Email: lianne@bertellicommunications.co.uk Web: www.bertellicommunications.co.uk

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A bespoke PR service Working with Neat PR amounts to a tidy return, from fantastic results in traditional and new media, to widespread Influencer and celebrity outreach, the team at Neat are passionate about PR. With a simple and personal approach that ensures they neatly slot into the way clients like to work, Neat PR will work in partnership with you to develop a tailored plan that suits your budget and business objectives. Working with the team of experts, clients receive column inches in all the right places, delivering brand awareness and sales, as well as SEO and fresh content for social media streams. Neat PR specialise in Parenting, with experience on some of the biggest British brands in the sector. Check out the website at www.neatpr.co.uk or have a scroll through their Instagram feed @neatpr to find out what you could be a part of. Like what you see? Get in touch with Hilary@neatpr.co.uk Tel: 020 8866 2245 Web: www.neatpr.co.uk

View from the top PR, content and social media specialists with an unrivalled perspective of the family market.

Vista PR are an award winning agency, delivering communications for today’s ambitious businesses. Their brand strategies inspire creative stories. Engaging content, social media management and influencer advocacy integrate with valuable media coverage and business profiling. Their dedicated Media and Social Hubs keep them at the forefront of the latest trends, stories and influences within the family market. Their client leads operate as ‘in-house’ consultants, delivering value to their clients, every day. This is the blueprint for a successful, contemporary PR business. Being experts in the family market is in their DNA. The team at Vista PR champion family friendly flexible working, equal pay, gender parity and shared parental leave. Visit their social media channels to watch them play this out, sharing news and views on issues affecting families. Visit their website to read award winning case studies. And stop by at the Vista Village blog, written by their network of parents across the UK. They provide a real view of family life. The family landscape. It’s their Vista.

Passionate about PR Azaria is one of the UK’s leading family specialist PR, Marketing and Social Media Agency. With a proven track record over 14 years and envied reputation, they work with brands big and small, helping their clients reach their business goals through targeted campaigns. From strategy to content to execution, they handle it all. Azaria nurture all their clients including Maxi-Cosi, Quinny, Skip Hop, Beaba, Tiny Love, Tutti Bambini, Red Castle and Safety 1st, looking after all their PR needs, as well as social media, awards, sampling, brand and expert partnerships, product placement, and much more. They’re well known amongst celebrities, media and bloggers as the go-to agency for all things family. They have a first class team led by MD Amber Steventon who has more than twenty years’ PR experience. The team at Azaria are experts at what they do and their passion shines through! Tel: 01604 217 000 Email: hello@azariapr.co.uk Web: www.azariapr.co.uk

Tel: 01295 369182 Email: knockknock@thevistavillage.com Web: www.vistapublicrelations.com

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retail TECHNOLOGY

The power of speech This issue David Fairhurst give us all a crash course in Voice Search Engine Optimisation ay back in the 1980’s I worked for an Engineering company making precision parts for trains, helicopters and all sorts of high-tech, extremely secretive military projects. All this technical wizardry was created by a CNC machining centre, programmed using a punched paper tape machine, allied with a green screen computer system with less processing power than the average modern wrist watch. How things have changed. The latest smartphones have more processing power than the supercomputers used by NASA to land men on the moon and the devices we use are only getting smarter every year, fed by enormous amounts of freely available data, AI systems and massively powerful multi-core processors. Now we all face a life dominated by AI driven voice activated search, things can never go back to what they were previously. If you want people to find your website using voice command search technologies, read on.

W David Fairhurst Head of Creative Online Marketing - Intelligent Retail

Optimising for Voice Search Before the development of voice activated search, the keyphrases we all input into search engines tended to be driven by the technologies of the time, namely keyboard input in most cases. This means keyphrases tended to get

Before the development of voice activated search, the keyphrases we all input into search engines tended to be driven by the technologies of the time, namely keyboard input in most cases. truncated as Humans adapted to the way search engines operated. Instead of typing ‘where is the best place to have breakfast in caernarfon’ we would type ‘breakfast caernarfon’ purely because it worked just as well, but maybe because we all secretly hate to type! For the large percentage of UK searchers using Google as their main search engine, the inclusion of the Universal Search update a few years ago meant that Google would now understand the longer, more conversational search queries we use now, leading to the uptake of longer search queries as the norm. Now that we have voice search,

David Fairhurst Head of eCommerce, Intelligent Retail, www.intelligentretail.co.uk 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

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normal Human speech is recognised to a high degree and used by search engines to return appropriate search results that would have returned large amounts of ‘junk’ previously, without AI systems and voice search. Knowing that the AI systems that power voice activated search systems understand real Human speech and can even adapt to regionality, this tells us how to optimise for voice activated search. Where previously with nonvoice search a small range of keyphrases would be chosen for each optimised page within a website, queries for voice search are much more semantic and will contain a broader range of phrases, following natural language patterns. For this reason, when optimising pages within websites for voice search, terms such as the following need to be included if appropriate for the page content: How, What, When, Where, Can, Why, Easy, Make, Top, Define There are a host of other terms to include in page copy. Just think of what you would ask for when speaking to Alexa, Cortana or Google and you should start to build a comprehensive list of things to include in page titles and page copy.

Top Factors for Voice Search Success 1). Optimised for Mobile? If your site isn’t built with a Responsive layout or at the very least has a mobile friendly version then you are most certainly going to be losing out on voice search. Google announced that they have now

Image source, Pexels.com

moved over to a mobile first indexing cache for all search results in March 2018, which means if you don’t have a mobile friendly version of your website people will go to your competitor’s website which does!

2). Use natural language and normal English sentence structure. This not only means people will be able to read your content and understand it, it also means search engines will be able to utilise the text

on your pages to return voice activated queries. 3). Make sure your page copy and page titles answer a searcher’s question – this is the key to getting onto those top results in search

queries. Category and product pages on an eCommerce website may not be aligned with this sort of content, so create static pages or blog posts that show this sort of content. 4). Go secure – Google is now heavily pushing the https protocol and those pages that don’t support https are less likely to be returned in search results on voice activated devices. 5). Use schema.org tagging – Google and others like Facebook use this to easily index your content and pages. Tagging important parts of your pages with Schema tags means fast access for search engines to your content and therefore a better chance of your content being returned in real-time search. There are many other factors to consider, but the best advice is to think logically about what you yourself would search for using a voice command and how this might affect the content you display on your own website.

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