Nursery Today by Lema Publishing

AUGUST 2018 ISSUE 11 VOLUME 21

The All-In-One Baby Carrier Top of the Which? Baby Carrier & Slings comparison table!

AURA

BABY WRAP

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

Ad Manager Christine Contreras christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design Production Director

file Retailer Pro apshot Supplier Sn

cts New Produ

roducts The Baby P

Cover Story 14

p18

Ergobaby Take a closer look at Ergobaby’s award winning products.

Circulation

Features

Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

www.nursery-today.co.uk

Intelligent Retail David Fairhurst takes a look at negative search engine optimisation – are your competitors shady?

n Associatio

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

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

Insights People Nick Richardson asks is your brand keeping up with the changing needs of parents?

Publisher

Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Ross Hewitt Ross Hewitt runs us through options for video content and products/software that can assist.

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director

Barking Mad This issue John Barker looks at why it’s time someone championed the positives within our industry.

News

Contributors 25

Editor

AUGUST 2018 ISSUE 11 VOLUME 21

Carriers/Slings

Feeding

Baby Gifts

Annual Golf Day 48

Golf Day Malcolm Naish brings us the highlights of Nursery Today’s 20th Annual Golf Day

p26

p38

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

OCTOBER 9-11, 2018 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER | LAS VEGAS, NV

My Business. My Show. My Business is Retailing. My Show is 2018 ABC Kids Expo, where I get hands-on, personal access to the products, people, and retail strategies that will help me make better buying decisions, increase profit margins, and find broader selling opportunities.

WHY SHOULD I AT T END • Preview new products from over 700 manufacturers exhibiting in more than 1,600 booths, with innovative products ranging from gear, apparel, home furnishings, nursing, maternity, toy, gift and more • Get hands-on experience with the products and learn how to effectively use them

• Shop the trade show floor and enjoy show specials exclusive for this event

• Participate in ABC Exclusive LIVE Events:

• Discover more than 250 first time exhibitors, who may hold the key for exclusive products in your market • Network with your peers, including more than 3,000 registered buyers and media attendees

– New Product Showcase and reception – Runway Show— The LIVE Event – Industry reception for all event participants – Buyers Lounge

Register today at www.theabcshow.com FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Zachary Leard • 210-691-4848 Ext.104 • zachary@theabcshow.com ATTENDEE

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EXHIBITOR

http://www.theabcshow.com/exhibit.asp

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

hat a month it’s been and I’m talking weather! I’m not a huge fan of sitting in the sun, but I’m sure many of us have enjoyed waking up to blue skies (albeit it with a storm in between!). With the weather not set to alter for the foreseeable few weeks (they will be my famous last words if it changes prior to this issue being on your desks!), I am confident that many nursery retailers have had to place additional orders with their suppliers due to demand of parasols, UV protective coverings for buggies or car seats, UV clothing, etc. This issue we cover a variety of product categories. For example, we take a look at baby carriers and slings. This is a category that never stands still and we have seen quite a renewed interest in babywearing, further bolstering the sector. There is huge innovation with many established brands leading the way with many new parents turning to these as an alternative wat to transport baby when out and about as they provide a totally hands free experience to the wearer. You will find our carriers and slings product feature starting on page 16, where we showcase many of the

Looking for feeding products? Turn to page 26.

Thi s is sue “ w e co ver a va

leading brands in this category and highlight a selection of products that will enhance your in-store ranges. Further complimenting this feature, you will see this month that our front cover is adorned by established and award winning baby brand Ergobaby. Take time to look at the features in more depth of their latest two products to receive Which? Best Buy Status - turn to page 14 to find out more. We also take time to focus on products that fall within the feeding and w accessories sector. From bottles, a teats, tableware, highchairs and te bibs b – this is a growing sector and one on which covers a vast amount of innovation. This can be a very rewarding category for retailers. re If there is one thing we all have in common is the need to eat! From co the moment parents start to wean their the babies onto solids, the plethora of ‘must haves’ start to ple appear app on their shopping lists. Make Ma sure you keep up to speed with any emerging trends and new innovative products that may start inn to eemerge. Turn to page 26. If you are looking for inspiration with the lead up to insp Christmas (yes I’ve said it in Ch August!), turn to page 38 where we Aug highlight products that would make high perfect gifting options (not just for per Xmas Xm but also as general gifting ideas for you to offer to your customers). You will find this feature starting on page 38. Taking a quick look to the future, as an industry we have quite a lot of activity on the horizon. The first of which will be when the doors open to Kind Und Jugend in Cologne. This may feel like ages away, but time so far

ri ety of produc t ca te go ri es . Fo r ex a mple, w e take a look at ba by ca rriers an d sl in gs . Thi s is a ca te go ry th at never stan ds st ill an d w e have seen qu ite a rene w ed interest in ba by w ea rin g, fu rt her bo lsterin g th e sector.

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Time to get carried away! Turn to page 16.

this year has quickly sped by and September will soon be upon us. It may be wise (if you haven’t already done so) to think about your flights and accommodation. I realise that this may feel like I am stating the obvious, but the earlier you book, the better rates you will achieve. For more information on Kind Und Jugend visit www.kindundjugend.com, where you can also secure your entry tickets in advance of your arrival. Finally, can I take this opportunity of thanking all those who attended our Annual Golf Day. From what I can gather it was a resounding success and enjoyed by everyone – it would be great to see more of you there next year – you never know, I may even decide to ‘caddy’ for one lucky person (well from the luxury of a golf cart). Malcolm (Bubba) Naish brings you a full ‘round up’ of events, simply turn to page 48 to read all about it and find out who the winners on the day were and who took home the BabyStyle four ball trophy. Why not put the date into your diary for the 21st annual golf day in 2019 - Thursday 20th June, Puckrup Hall. So, that’s it for now – not long before we all congregate together again at Kind Und Jugend. Our September issue should thud through your letterboxes 10 days prior to the show to help assist you in pre-planning your time at the this goliath of a trade show.

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

news Award winning baby toys Transitions™ Sippy Cup Set

Training Lid Disk Open Cup Training Lid

Done by Deer has designed a set of three Red Dot Award winning Tiny Toys. Specifically for baby’s first precious months – each toy has a clear focus on the early development stages. Created in soft and subtle colours with features that will trigger the baby’s curiosity and develop the reflexes and coordination skills. Being smaller, it’s easier for tiny hands to grasp and activate the tiny rattles. For more info or to see more Done By Deer products please visit www. donebydeer.com or contact Gwen Peacock, Country Manager for UK & Ireland at gwen@donebydeer.com

Nicola Carrera joins the WHL team WHL Europe (home of Pink Lining, purflo and Koo-di) is delighted to announce the appointment of Nicola Carrera as UK Sales Account Manager. Nicola will be working across all three brands in the Independent trade sector and joins WHL Europe from Cheeky Rascals where she spent eight years, latterly as Northern Territory Account Manager. Nicola is excited about joining the team at WHL Europe, as she feels her passion and focus for Brand Building through existing and new retail partnerships, combined with her product knowledge will help grow WHL’s brands Nicola will be attending K+J for the duration of the show and can be contacted on nicola@whleurope.com

Sippy Cup Lid

Removable Handles

Kiddicare set to close their doors HANDLES

NO HANDLES

TRAINER

OPEN CUP

from 4-12 months

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

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Dunelm are closing down Kiddicare’s flagship store after nearly 44 years of trading with the website arm of the business also being phased out. A Dunelm spokesperson said: “We acquired Kiddicare as part of our acquisition of the Worldstores business in December 2016. Since this time, we have made good progress in developing our approach to our baby and kids category, including the expansion of its in-store presence, building our own label ranges and growing Dunelm.com sales. “We remain very excited about the opportunity in this category, however, having had 18 months since bringing the Kiddicare brand into the business, we are now confident that the most effective and simplest route forwards is to operate this category under the Dunelm brand. As a result, we will be ceasing to trade Kiddicare as a standalone brand and website in the coming weeks and months.” Dunelm are currently in the throws of transferring the Worldstores and Kiddicare lines to Dunelm.com. “We continue to transfer Worldstores and Kiddicare lines to Dunelm.com and expect to complete this process in the coming weeks with around 5,000 further lines transferring (making 20,000 transferred in total, and bringing our total on-line assortment to over 60,000 lines). “We look forward to continuing to develop our offering to customers in this category.”

End of an era for Recaro Child Safety GmbH & Co. KG, manufacturer of high-quality child seats and strollers, will be ending its business operations effective July 31, 2018. The parent company Recaro Holding GmbH made this decision with the consent of the advisory board of the Recaro Group. Business operations will continue without limitations until the company closes; orders will be processed as usual. The closure will take place in the following steps: regular business operations will end on July 31, 2018; child seats and strollers will be sold until December 31, 2018; customer service including warranties will be provided until December 31, 2019.

Keeping baby socks on!

The decision to close the company was made due to the company’s ongoing negative sales and earnings trend, which has deteriorated once again since the beginning of the year. While comprehensive measures introduced last year to reduce costs, improve the positioning in an intensely competitive market, and develop new products were able to be implemented, they were not enough to compensate for the negative business development.

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Nimble scores a hat trick As the saying goes, “When it rains, it pours!” and it rings true with Nimble Child-Friendly Cleaning Products as they won not just one, but three awards from BizzieBaby 2018, which is an excellent recognition of the awesomeness of their latest products in the market. Nimble Sticky Stopper and Nimble Laundry Lover both won a Silver and Bronze awards, respectively, for the Best Household Cleaning Product category. Nimble’s Household Cleaning Gift Set won a Bronze award too, making it a hat-trick! It is a small gift set containing small bottles of their three cleaning products. It is a great item to gift new mums and mums-to-be as they discover the challenges of cleaning up after their messy little ones. Web: www.nimblebabies.com

Harrogate set for success Baby brands across the UK are looking forward optimistically to 2019, with many companies already confirming their attendance at Harrogate International Nursery Fair next March. In fact, one hall of the Harrogate International Convention Centre almost fully booked. Adrian Sneyd show organiser, comments: “The show enjoyed a fresh format this year utilising new halls which proved hugely successful and feedback has been extremely positive. Exhibitors and visitors alike both commented on how well the new layout worked contributing to a renewed vibrancy; and because of this companies are securing their positions early for next year’s show.” Harrogate International Nursery Fair will be from 24th to 26th March 2019 and companies wishing to be part of the UK’s only nursery trade event are encouraged to join the bigger brands by securing stand space for the show early. Full information is available on the website at www.nurseryfair.com or contact Adrian directly on 01902 880906 or email: adrian@nurseryfair.com

Foot ﬁnderr toys that actually ally stay on! n!! w Ne uct! d Pro ust J ed! riv Ar

Dribble free fre bibs!

Precious metal As part of its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, which includes moving one of its best-selling products, Tidy Tot, from plastic into cardboard and replacing all its plastic bags with paper ones, Hippychick, a Bridgwater based business, specialising in accessories for new parents, is also delighted to have donated some waste metal, to an art project for young people masterminded by a local Somerset sculptor, Jan Niedojadlos. Hippychick is delighted to be part of a project that aligns so closely with its own objectives Commenting, Jeremy Minchin, Joint Managing Director at Hippychick alongside his wife and company founder, Julia Minchin said: ‘Encouraging children to interact through creative play has always been at the heart of Hippychick’s ethos since the company began almost twenty years ago. One of our key objectives going forward is to become a more environmentally friendly business – and this project has provided yet another opportunity to achieve our ambitious goals in this area.’ Further information about Hippychick available at www.hippychick.com Further information about Jan Niedojadlos’s work available at www.podules.org

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...Easy to order directly from our NEW trade website... www.sockons.co.uk All products are supported by a comprehensive press and pr campaign.

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news Better together Ben B e Hodson, Head of of Creative and Marketing M looks at how h by working ttogether the end results r can be outstanding.

he h e old old d ad adage dag age a ge e tth that hat at two tw wo w o heads are better than one certainly makes a lot of sense in business. Working together with complementary brands or organisations can make the attainment of shared goals more achievable and beneficial to consumers. Our relationship with The Lullaby Trust, UK’s leading the safer sleep charity is a very good example of two organisations with shared goals. For our part we are able to promote their safer sleep advice and give our audience access to the latest research and safety guidelines from the charity. While they are able to access our audience of new and expectant parents; to be able to inform and educate them about safer sleep practices. More recently for our Grobath range Gro has partnered with Booktrust the leading children’s reading charity. As experts in sleep and children’s bedtime, Gro is going to be supporting Booktrust’s aims for families, to connect, to enjoy reading, and its associated benefits. We shall be promoting the Bath, Book and Bed campaign to families, to help them establish a healthy bedtime routine. As a well established organisation with great resonance amongst our audience, they will help give greater authority to our range. Through working together we will be able to improve outcomes for both parties. Having a similar consumer demographic and working together through paid or unpaid partnerships is mutually beneficial in a multitude of ways. Working with non-competitive brands is a great way to up skill your team, share experience, offer insight into audience behaviour, and reflect upon on your own methods and results. Reaching out to the audience of a like minded brand via competitions and giveaways is a well established method of two brands working together, introducing your brand to a new audience, while offering the consumer a great value added opportunity.

New BeSafe ‘crash-tested’ car seat accessories Scandinavian Car Safety brand BeSafe are now launching an innovative range of new car seat accessories. True to their ethos BeSafe are now ‘crash-testing’ ALL their Accessories in line with car seat testing. Beautifully packaged in premium boxes easily stacked or hung in your store, this range has the appearance and style of a gift range, really standing out in an otherwise commoditized sector. There are accessories for all the latest BeSafe iSize seats – the first brand to offer an iSize solution for parents from birth-12years. Do contact your BeSafe representative for your store to stand out too. BeSafe… Good for Children, Good for you… BeSafe UK/IRL: +44 (0)1606 814 638 sales@hts.no www.carseat.co.uk

The Media Snug strikes gold at SME business awards Digital Marketing, Media and PR Agency, who work with many clients in the parenting, health and lifestyle sectors, The Media Snug, have had an amazing month with a successful awards win and the recruitment of a familiar name in the parenting sector! After a successful nomination at the SME Bedfordshire business awards, The Media Snug were announced as the 2018 winners of the ‘Best New Business” Award. The awards celebrate hard work, determination and enterprise in businesses from the county, so being recognised for each of these qualities is a real coup. The Media Snug were nominated on the merit of its tailored and integrated approach which helps brands grow using a wealth of traditional and digital marketing methods tailored to suit every budget. Then judges commented that The Media Snug is an “Outstanding business with a fun, fresh and exciting energy that jumped off the page.” Through winning the SME business awards in Bedfordshire, The Media Snug are now on their way to the SME National Business Awards Final under the category “Best New Business”, which will be held at Wembley Stadium on 7th December. For more information please contact hello@mediasnug.com or call 01582 434331.

BLE moves to ExCel London from 2019 Organiser UBM is relocating Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) to ExCeL London from 2019 as part of an ambitious strategy to evolve the show, attract even more European licensees, retailers and licensors, and improve the customer experience for visitors and exhibitors.

The Snowman turns 40! Rainbow Designs is helping retailers to turn up the heat on The Snowman sales this year as the UK gets set to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Raymond Briggs’ classic picture book. To mark this momentous year, the Home of Classic Characters is launching The Snowman Collector’s Edition presented in an illustrated keepsake gift box. The instantlyrecognisable character from Raymond Briggs’ enchanting and magical tale – and star of the renowned Christmas TV favourite - is perfect for collectors and fans of all ages. Web: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

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www.kindundjugend.com

NEW

PERSPECTIVES

20. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 23.09.2018

International Business Media Services Ltd. 42 Christchurch Road, Ringwood BH24 1DN, Tel. +44 1425 48 68 30 Fax +44 1425 48 68 31, info@koelnmesse.co.uk

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Advertorial DOREL

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retail

LITTLE GEMS BABY STORE

What a gem This issue we had the pleasure to question Darran Neal, Owner of Little Gems Baby Store, who due to expansion recently relocated to larger premises. You have recently relocated to new premises, what was the reason for this?

It made sense to move to Telford, since we first opened in Cannock we had a lot of customers from Telford, Shrewsbury & Stafford. The M54 is only a mile or so from Cannock town centre and Telford is only 15 mins from Cannock.

Since that time, what would you say has been the biggest challenge you have faced?

Firstly, tell us a little about the history behind Little Gems Baby Store - when did you first open your doors?

Little Gems Baby Store started trading in March 2016 on Cannock outdoor market, on a very cold morning with us donning three layers of clothing to keep warm! Within eight months we realised we couldn’t take Little Gems any further unless we moved in to shop premises, so we looked in Cannock as we had a good following from local people and social media. So we took the plunge and rented a shop 1000sq foot retail space.

What was the inspiration behind opening a nursery store?

Funny really Sandra and I were thinking about this question! Over the years we have been property landlords, pub landlords and even debt collectors. A couple of things we hadn’t done? Tax collector, funeral director or been a nursery shop owner. Out of the three we thought shop owner would be a lot nicer and a lot more fluffier - how wrong was I!

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Without doubt relocating to another larger unit in a different area and investing a lot more money in the process as it is three times the size of our old unit. I should say online shopping, but we believe people like to touch and feel the products as we operate in a very emotive industry.

Do you have a particular product category that you feel you are a specialist within?

I would like to think at Little Gems Baby Store we have a good knowledge across the board. However, there is one thing I do specialise in. I sign for the deaf and as news of this has spread we get a lot of the deaf community in our store and helping them is so rewarding.

What benefits does your new showroom bring?

“ The

cons umer w e fin d do a lot of resea rc h on th e intern et , but don’t alw ay s kn ow w ha t th ey ac tu ally need . ”

W believe brands are important to We oour business, it allows us to offer what the customer wants to offer a w vvaried selection.

IIs there a particular cconsumer trend you have noticed within a category n at present? a

Over the past 12 months it’s getting O h harder to get the consumer to part w with their cash, they seem to be h holding on to it for dear life as cconfidence is dropping yet again w with the closing of so many big n names.

How do you keep up and H m monitor current trends?

We use a variety of channels. For W ex example, we attend the trade shows, ar are active on Social Media, read co consumer magazines and of course -N Nursery Today. One aspect that we have always fou found extremely helpful is the support ff d to us by the NSG. There are always offered lots of conversations going on with like-minded people asking questions about what’s selling and what’s not. Finally, of course, we speak a lot to our reps as they are always in the know.

Do your customers have knowledge of what they require before entering the showroom?

Moving to Telford allowed us to install a coffee lounge and seating area so customers can relax. We can now also offer free parking, which also provides us with easy access to vehicles so we can fit car seats for our customers with ease. This move has also enabled us to trade on Sundays and of course by having a larger store we can put more stock and choice of ranges onto the shop floor.

The consumer we find do a lot of research on the internet, but don’t always know what they actually need. They know what they want until you sit with them and ask questions on things like their life style, when it will become apparent that their wants are very different to their needs.

How important are brands to your business?

To be blunt and honest we are middle aged and just missed out on the computer era!

You don’t actively sell direct from your website, what is the rationale behind this?

More importantly though, Sandra and I like the customer to call in to the store so we can do a demo, and to get to know the customer and the customer to know the product.

Do you use Social Media and if so, what benefits do you gain from this?

We use Social Media every day, for the cost of ÂŁ10.00 I can reach 6000 people within seconds. I can get an immediate reaction on a product that we would like to put on the floor and the popularity and demand for it among consumers. That said, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always get it right according to my daughter who is my biggest critic. Little Gems Baby Store has been rated 5 Star for the last two years which

has been achieved through dedication and hard work and something we are incredibly proud of.

Do you feel adequately supported by the brands that you stock or is there more they could assist with?

I can say with my hand on heart we receive great support from our suppliers.

Finally do you have any exciting plans on the horizon you would like to share?

With this question I am keeping my cards close to my chest, all I can say is watch this space!

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Cover Story Ergobaby UK

Tried and tested The Best Money Can Buy… Ergobaby UK OMNI 360 Carrier and Aura Wrap Awarded a Which? Best Buy

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rgobaby, designer of premium ergonomic baby carriers, has received a Which? Best Buy for its Aura Wrap and All Position Omni 360 - which is Top of the Which? carriers and baby slings comparison table. Which?’s testing process is particularly rigorous, which is exactly why consumers have confidence in its accuracy, it’s a standard they can trust. Endorsements such as the Which? Best Buy can be used by retailers alongside their own experiences and training to help consumers choose the product or consu products that are right for them. prod They test each product on a T number of different criteria, num including comfort which is tested inclu by real r parents for Which?. This helps help sets parents’ minds at rest that the carrier is comfortable in ‘real ‘rea life’ as well as in a lab. Comfort is one of the key Com considerations for parents; as con education around babies’ physical edu and physiological development improves, Ergobaby has seen a im shift shi in motivators for purchase being be dominated by comfort for wearer and baby. we Parents are also putting increasing importance on in ensuring child safety through en proper ergonomics, another pr feature praised by Which? for fe both products. Ergobaby works b with w leading medical professionals around the world, p and a across several areas of expertise. This helps them e scrutinise their products s through the development t

process to make sure they continue to deliver products of the highest quality and standard, which support every stage of babies’ development.

The Omni 360

The new OMNI 360 all-in-one baby carrier is top scoring in the Which? carriers and baby slings comparison table and was described by Which? as being ‘a worthy Best Buy carrier [as] it ticks all the boxes’. The carrier offers four carry positions and enables the carrier to quickly and easily switch baby to face out, or in while on the move. The OMNI 360 Baby Carrier adjusts from newborn to toddler (7-33lbs), without the need for an infant insert. Like each product in the Ergobaby range, the new Ergobaby OMNI 360 supports baby in a hip-healthy “M” shape position, at all stages and in all positions including outward-facing. Additional features include lumbar support waistbelt, extra cushioned, crossable shoulder straps, and a large, detachable storage pouch. It is also available in Ergobaby’s supple yet durable 3D mesh fabric that allows for ultimate breathability and airflow. This unique Cool Air carrier is ideal for warmer temperatures and active lifestyles, as the mesh panel ensures carrier and baby are kept cool and comfortable at all times.

Key features of the Ergobaby OMNI 360 Carrier:

• Flexibility: Accommodates all carry positions: front facing parent, front facing out, hip, and back • Adapts to baby’s growth: Newborn to toddler (7-45 lbs / 3.2-20 kg), no infant insert needed • Exceptional comfort: Longwear comfort with lumbar

support waistbelt and extra cushioned shoulder straps, crossable for a snugger fit and easy adjustability. Cushioned, adjustable head and neck support for baby • Ease of use: Easily switch baby to face out or face parent • Ergonomic design: Supports baby in a hip-healthy “M” shape position at all stages and in all positions. Acknowledged as a “hip healthy” product by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute • Everyday convenience: Includes a new large detachable pouch for storage, and a tuck-away baby hood for sun protection (UPF 50+) and privacy, e.g. for easy and discreet breastfeeding • Premium quality: 100% Premium Cotton and machine washable

• Ease of use: The gilding edge makes it easy to tie, an ideal and straight forward wrap for new mothers and new babies • Ergonomic design: Supports baby in a hip-healthy “M” shape position. Acknowledged as a “hip healthy” product by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute • Everyday convenience: Includes integrated pocket with handle for storage, convenient on the go. The wrap also allows a closeness with your baby and privacy e.g. discreet breastfeeding • Premium quality: 100% Viscose made from eucalyptus & acacia and machine washable

If you want to become an

The Aura Wrap

The ergonomically designed, lightweight Aura Wrap has also been awarded a Which? Best Buy as its ease of use make it ‘a good one to start with if you’re new to babywearing’. The wrap also gives parents peace of mind knowing that their baby is secure, comfortable and reassuringly close by. What’s more, the wrap provides just thee right amount of privacy needed for mums looking to nurse on the go, so no need to carry an additional breastfeeding scarf either. The Aura Baby Wrap comes in five stylish colourways; Coral Dots, Pearly Grey Dots, Grey Stripes, Indigo and Sage and comes in a light and durable fabric which o keeps babies cool when snuggled up close to the parent’s body. The gilded edge allows the wrap to be tied and adjusted easily in a fuss-free manner, making it the perfect ergonomic solution to comfortable, convenient and safe bonding, throughout babies’ development. The Aura Baby Wrap is also acknowledged as “hip healthy” by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. Ensuring babies’ knees are kept above their hips in an ‘M- shape’, the wrap maintains and supports this position at every stage of babies’ development.

authorised Ergobaby retailer email: service@ergobaby.co.uk 1 Ergobaby YouGov AAU EU January 2017 2 Ergobaby YouGov AAU EU January 2017

duc t in th e ro p ch ea e ik L “ ran ge , th e new E rgob ab y E rg ob ab y in a by ba ts or p p su 0 6 3 I N OM os it ion , h ip - h ea lt h y “M ” sh ap e pos it ion s at all stag es an d in all p g. in clu d in g outw ard - fa cin ”

Key features of the Ergobaby Aura Baby Wrap: • Adapts to babies’ growth: The wrap dimensions are: 192.9 x 21 in / 490 x 53.4 cm and will support baby from 8 to 30lbs (3.6 to 13.6kg) • Exceptional comfort: Aura is petite to plus size friendly, with one size fitting most, for a snugger fit and easy adjustability

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focus CARRIERS & SLINGS

Image courtesy of Ergobaby

The Carrying kind The baby carrier and sling sector appeals to many new parents as these enable the wearer to transport baby in a simple, hands-free manner. aby wearing isn’t a new concept, mums around the world have been adopting this way to transport their babies for years by way of using a baby sling. However, through clever design and innovation baby carriers and slings are continuing to show signs of growth in their popularity and are now a staple product for many retailers, with consumers weighing up comfort and functionality against brand awareness and aesthetics. We asked LittleLife’s Nina Cochran whether she feels that consumers are brand focussed? “Actually we’ve found that consumers are looking for ease of use and strength and security from the product to influence their purchasing decision. These attributes are then followed by value for money.” Brand names that are recognised by the consumer are also viewed as perhaps more ‘trustworthy’, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a buying decision is necessarily set in stone, Brianee Reed of independent retailer GroovyStyle knows from first hand experience by talking to their customers, often a different brand name will be purchased from their original choice. “We do find that some customers are interested in brands,” said Brianee. “Obviously we do not stock all brands and we find that they become more open to other brands when we have shown them other options.” With the length of time the product can be used a major aspect, so it can grow in size along with the baby, the main feature given consideration is largely comfort, both for infant and parent. Baby carriers have also become lighter and offer parents more support in terms of weight distribution with a longer product lifespan. For this reason carriers and slings have fast become a fashion choice with people looking for individual, design-led products to suit their personal style. Brands are certainly reacting to this development, with limited edition prints and seasonal changes now commonplace. Function is equally important and there is a clear demand for adjustability from a carrier or sling, with parents wanting to find multipurpose products to be adapted to every journey. “We have noticed that customers have taken more interest in carriers and it is becoming more popular and asked about more frequently.” commented Brianee. “Customers that come into the store are opening up to baby carrying with quite a few looking for soft and durable fabrics. We get a lot of questions about the 4 position which seems to be

more popular than the 3 position.” We asked Ergobaby’s Amanda Loveday if parents are looking for carriers/slings that can grow and adapt with their child? “The diversity of products available can quite often be overwhelming for consumers, particularly first-time parents, and there are significant differences to consider between consumers who prefer carriers to slings and vice versa. “One consideration is the longevity of a product, for example, carriers tend to be more comfortable the larger a baby gets, meaning that carriers that are built to last and can be adjusted (for both child and parent) are popular choices for parents who want to get the most out of their carrier, sometimes with more than one child.” Brianee has found that the majority of their customers ask how much weight a typical carrier or sling can accommodate. “We often have customers asking how much weight can the carriers take up to and this usually means that they are looking to carry for as long as possible and getting a good amount of use for perhaps even a toddler.” Is this a product category that is researched prior to purchase? We asked Amanda for her thoughts. “The diversity of products available can quite often be overwhelming for consumers, particularly first-time parents which means they tend to do a lot of research. “This is a vital opportunity for retailers to educate and assist customers on their choices, so we recommend reaching out to brands to ensure you and your team have the right tools, are trained on each of the products and know what consumers want. Retailers can also aid this process by allocating more space in-store to develop a carrier category with the right brands and products for their customers.” Michelle Smith (Close) agrees and feels that modern parents are better equipped with knowledge when it comes to babywearing. “Parents are very informed these days on the benefits of babywearing and safe carrying and want to ensure that they are buying a carrier that is right for their family and adheres to the T.I.C.K.S guidelines for safe babywearing.” Said Michelle. “The awareness around hip healthy carrying is increasing with parents looking to purchase a carrier which is deemed to be hip healthy and endorsed by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute , which all of our newborn Caboo carriers are.” There are many other factors, which make baby

wearing popular. It enables parents and babies to bond closely but also give parents a hands-free solution to better multitask – essential for juggling modern parenting, busy lives and older children. We bring you a selection of products over the following pages which are all available to order now.

The survey says… Nursery marketing specialists FanFinders surveyed 1200 consumers via their platform Your Baby Club focussing on carriers/slings. Here’s the results. 1. Did you buy a carrier or sling?

- Yes: 326 (27.2%) - No: 874 (72.8%)

(if YES for Q1) Were you brand driven in your purchase?

- Yes: 201 (61.7%) - No: 125 (38.3%)

Did you research carriers/slings before purchase?

- Yes: 249 (76.4%) - No: 77 (23.6%) Did you look for a product that was approved by the Hip Dysplasia Institute?

- Yes: 163 (50%) - No: 163 (50%)

Are you aware of Hip Dysplasia?

- Yes: 198 (60.7%) - No: 128 (39.3%)

Were you looking for a product that would grow with your child?

- Yes: 283 (86.8%) - No: 43 (13.2%) Is this a product that was used by dad?

- Yes: 261 (80.1%) - No: 65 (19.9%) 16

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Easy-to-use, Award Winning Baby Carriers in a Variety of Stylish Prints

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focus CARRIERS & SLINGS

Carried in comfort The BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Mini is a small baby carrier which is ideal for newborns when baby needs to feel in close contact. The soft fabric feels soft against their delicate skin, while simultaneously supporting baby’s back, legs and hips to maintain the newborn’s position and the natural C curve of their back. The size and head support are fully adjustable, which means the baby carrier can adapt as baby grows and it can be easily unfasted to lift a sleeping baby out with no fuss. Available in jersey, cotton and mesh and a range of colours, ensures the wearer can carry baby in comfort and style - handsfree! Web: www.babybjorn.co.uk

Selection of style

Looking ahead brands in

Infantino is one of the leading baby carrier the US, and the team are thrilled to offer a huge selection of these award-winning carriers to retailers across the UK. There are two new carriers entering the UK market this year. First up, the Together Soft Knit Carrier, a comfortable wrap with an easy-on design. The soft, stretchy fabric is gentle on little ones while providing complete, ergonomic support. Adjustable back support evenly distributes the weight and makes this carrier the perfect option for most body types. There’s also the Go Forward Carrier, which has the luxury of 4 carrying positions to choose from. The smartly designed seat transforms to fit the needs of your growing little one, suitable from birth, the comfortable material and wide, weight-transferring waist belt, make this carrier perfect for both parent and baby’s comfort. For retail enquiries, please contact Jérôme Lomer, Senior National Account Manager for Infantino. Tel: 07921 212072 Email: Jerome@infantino.com

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There are a large variety of carriers, wraps and slings available to parents. Whilst this provides ample opportunity to find a product or products which suit individual needs it also means that retailers need to be able to offer advice and guidance based on individual consumer requirements. It is vital retailers understand why parents buy into one of these products over another. For example, some parents prefer the likes of a stretchy wrap, such as Ergobaby’s Aura Wrap, as the fabric is soft and comfortable, and it helps facilitate skin to skin contact. Buckle carriers such as Ergobaby’s Original, Adapt, Four Position 360 and Omni 360 carriers can be used in a number of positions from birth until toddler age, they provide great weight distribution and support for the parent and offer additional features such as sun hoods, storage pouches and lumbar support. Retailers should reach out to Ergobaby and ensure you and your team have the right tools and are trained on each of the products. Email: service@ergobaby.co.uk Web: www.ergobaby.co.uk

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27/07/2018 06:51

focus CARRIERS & SLINGS

Compact carrying

Multi- award-winning Baby K’tan Baby Carrier – perfect for getting out and about with baby! The innovative soft cotton Baby K’tan Baby Carrier is a blend of a sling, wrap and carrier individually sized to fit the parent. With its patented double-loop design, it provides the positions and benefits of all three, offering multiple wearing positions from newborn to toddler (8-35lbs). Available in five ranges, multiple fabrics, designs and colours, the Baby K’tan Baby Carrier slips on easily like a t- shirt to comfortably carry baby. Lightweight and compact like a sling, yet supportive like a structured carrier, it is the ideal carrier when travelling with baby. Recognised by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as a “hip healthy product” when used as directed in the instructions. This acknowledgement sits alongside the brand’s ASTM Sling Safety standard approval and EU safety standard certification. Machine washable, dryer safe, and comes with a matching sash that converts to a carrying bag. For more information please contact UK and Irish distributors 2012 Ltd.

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The affordab as it from Chicco is exactly y to eas ar, we to y eas sounds – ver cle e Th ! use to y eas d fit an r you to ts ap design perfectly ad to you g win allo body shape, r baby comfortably carry you g it on ttin close to you and pu as you r ple sim n has never bee head r you r ove it ll pu simply e just like a t-shirt. Th o been ergonomic seat has als p the kee to d ate cre specially on at siti po t rec cor the in by ba a ing vid pro all times, whilst for ce pla e saf d an le comfortab o features als r rie car e Th first few months sit. to them k of the baby in those nec d an d hea the for pe as they grow from additional support to perfectly suit their sha ted jus ad ily eas be n and can the 0 months to 9kg. uk Web: www.chicco.co.

Tel: 01202 303 777 Email: info@2012ltd.co.uk Web: www.2012ltd.co.uk

Take a seat The Hippychick Hipseat is an institution, the original back saving baby carrier. Created by Hippychick founder Julia Minchin, its back supporting design is perfect for carrying children between six months to three years old. The bestseller is renowned for its durability, style and comfort – it is tough, hardwearing and machine washable, so can go anywhere with you! Specifically designed to address one of the root causes of adult back pain, the Hipseat provides a firm shelf for the child to sit on and supports of twisting the Instead underneath. from weight heavy increasingly their spine, the parents back stays straight and the child is tucked into the chest, providing comfort and security for both adult and child. The Hipseat has a padded seat with a non-slip pad for extra comfort. Tel: 01278 434440 Web: www.hippychick.com/hipseat

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What an adventure LittleLife’s Adventurer S2 has received the Silver award at the 2018 Mother & Baby Awards in the competitive category ‘Best Carrier or Sling’. One of the lightest child back carriers on the market, it is equally at home around town as it is for country walks. The kick-out leg offers stability and allows the carrier to collapse to store neatly - ideal for travelling. New to the LittleLife Child Carrier range for 2019 is the Voyager S5 which incorporates everything the experienced team know about carriers into a carrier. The result is a product that is comfortable and packed full of features enabling parent and child to explore in real comfort and safety. The ultimate carrier for parents who like to spend valuable time with their child in the great outdoors. Web: www.littlelife.com

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For this and more cute designs, email sales@littlelife.com or call 0118 981 1433

littlelife.com | LittleLifeUK | LittleLifeUK | LittleLifeUK

NO wrapping

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Place the carrier over your head.

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Tel: +44 (0) 1202 303 777 Web: www.2012ltd.co.uk

focus CARRIERS & SLINGS

Keep up with changes

Optimum comfort

The Carramio from Clippasafe allows parents to keep baby close and snug with a carrier that’s as stylish as it is comfortable. Designed to offer optimum comfort for baby and wearer, it features a lightweight, soft fabric lining to keep baby cool, with wide padded straps and lumbar support to spread the baby’s weight evenly across the wearer’s body. It also includes a detachable and washable dribble bib. The Carramio is a two-way carrier, so as soon as babies can support the weight of their own heads (at around three months) they can then face outwards and enjoy watching the world go by. The Carramio safely carries babies of 3.5kg to 9.0kg and meets UK & EU Safety Standards. It retails at £32.99 and is available in two colours - Black and Oatmeal. Web: www.clippasafe.co.uk

Close mark the season change with a brand new collection for Caboo. Caboo +cotton blend is going from strength to strength with the introduction of two new colourways for AW2018, Callie and Fleur. Hester MacAnara, Business Development Director at Close says, “Our foray into print with Caboo has received such a positive response as expectant parents look to extend their style to include their baby carrier that we have decided to create two bespoke print collections this year. The new prints will be available from October.” Caboo DXgo also gets its first update with the introduction of two new colourways, Ink and Steel. Building on the success of the carrier since its launch Close felt the time was right to refresh the colour palette and introduce some timeless colours into the range this Autumn. Email: James@closeparent.com

Fashion forward Babywearing needn’t be purely functional. Fashionforward and stylish, Baby Tula is known for quality products with unique and ergonomic designs, providing both style and comfort for baby and caregiver. For retailers looking to offer their consumers something that allows them to express their own sense of style whilst babywearing, Tula offers dozens of new patterns every year, many with limited productions meaning your customers can be safe in the knowledge they have an exclusive product. Made with soft luxurious fabrics Tula carriers come in a number of different size ranges to ergonomically support babies at different stages of development. Email: service@ ergobaby.co.uk Web: www.ergobaby.co.uk

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supplier snapshot This issue we’re talking baby carriers and slings. We spoke to some of the industry’s finest to find out their thoughts.

Amanda Loveday

MARKETING MANAGER - ERGOBABY UK Do you feel there any specific trends in the baby carrier/sling sector at present? As education around babies’ physical and physiological development grows we have seen a change from motivators for purchase being dominated by comfort for wearer and baby; parents are now putting increasing importance on ensuring child safety through proper ergonomics. Ergobaby works with leading medical professionals around the world, and across several areas of expertise. We have seen an uplift in sales across both our wraps and carriers as parents become increasingly aware of the benefits of using a carrier or sling. UK parents’ three primary uses for a carrier are to conveniently transport baby (as an alternative to using a stroller), to be able to keep their hands free to get other things done and to keep baby close. Do you feel that this is a product category that is researched prior to purchase? The diversity of products available can quite often be overwhelming for consumers, particularly first-time parents which means they tend to do a lot of research. This is a vital opportunity for retailers to educate and assist customers on their choices, so we recommend reaching out to brands to ensure you and your team have the right tools, are trained on each of the products and know what consumers want. Retailers can also aid this process by allocating more space in-store to develop a carrier category with the right brands and products for their customers. Social media also plays a large part with 50% of parents using Facebook to get info on babies/parenting, and 40% using it to help decide what to buy. Multimedia communications on social media channels are a useful tool in educating consumers, creating communities, and encouraging trial - thereby driving sales. Family and friends remain a vital resource with 48% of those who have not bought a carrier before (and 40% of those that already own one) discussing their potential purchase with friends / family and 59% discussing their options with other mums / mum groups. Do you think parents look for endorsements on products - for example Hip Dysplasia Institute? Organisations like the International Hip Dysplasia Institute offer parents with a guarantee that brand’s claims that their baby will be correctly supported by a product throughout their development can be substantiated through independent study. This allows them to make informed choices when considering products. Retailers should signpost these endorsements and ensure parents are educated on their importance and meanings. All Ergobaby carriers are acknowledged as ‘hip-healthy by the International Hip Dysplasia institute and have the AGR’s seal of approval. Which?’s testing and ‘Best Buy’ is also popular amongst consumers. 1 Ergobaby YouGov AAU EU January 2017 2 Ergobaby YouGov AAU EU January 2017 3 Ergobaby YouGov AAU EU January 2017

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Holly John

MARKETING MANAGER - CHICCO Are parents looking for carriers that can grow and adapt with their child? As with most purchases consumers will always consider the versatility of a product, and multi-functional carriers that offer various configurations to suit different needs as the baby grows are becoming more and more popular. Do you feel we have experienced an increase in the demand for these products? Modern day parents are always on the move and sometimes taking a pushchair or stroller isn’t always the most convenient, and in some cases parents might just want to have their little one that bit closer to them – as seen in the recent growth in the trend of babywearing. Carriers can offer the perfect travel solution which is lighter, cost effective and a more suitable option for getting out and about with little ones, and have therefore become increasingly popular amongst active parents. As well as being highly useful, carriers also allow parents to nurture their bond with their baby right from birth by keeping them close to their chest.

Michelle Smith COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER CLOSE

Do you feel there any specific trends in the baby carrier/sling sector at present? Parents are looking for carriers that offer the perfect positioning for baby without compromising on style or function and expectant millennial parents are continuing to extend their style to include their baby carrier. Are parents looking for carriers/ slings that can grow and adapt with their child? They are looking for multi-functioning products that offer this convenience but also consider the positioning of baby to be of the utmost importance so carriers like the Caboo range that offer excellent support at each age and stage of baby’s

Do you feel that this is a product category that is researched prior to purchase? Choosing the right carrier is an extremely important t t decision when it comes to the safety and comfort of both baby and parent. For this reason, they are a considered purchase as consumers are on the lookout for a carrier that offers long-term comfort, practicality and absolute safety at all times. In most cases, parents will be looking to test out the product before they buy, so events such as The Baby Show and in-store displays can be a great way of showcasing your carrier. Offering parents peace of mind over their child’s safety, the Easy Fit carrier is designed by our professional experts at the Chicco Baby Research Centre, based at our Italian Head Office. Our experts continuously look for the most ergonomic and user-friendly solutions when it comes to product design. For this reason, the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IDHI) approves Easy Fit as a “hip healthy” product, meaning parents can rest assured that it is safe to wear for their baby. development continue to grow in popularity. Do you feel we have experienced an increase in the demand for these products? Parents do want and expect more from their purchases, be that a carrier that they can use for longer, one that offers different positions as baby grows or one that fits into their specific lifestyle and look. Are consumers brand focussed? Consumers do continue to look for trusted brands that they feel provide safe carrying solutions for their babies and offer support and advice on how to use them.

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30/07/2018 14:35

focus FEEDING

Super bowl Feeding baby is a necessity, from breast to bottle, bottle to solids. The amount of products available to new parents looking at products in the feeding category can be overwhelming. he weaning process is a difficult time for parents and the first steps for many new parents will be the transition from breast to bottle feeding, swiftly followed by introducing solids. We are fortunate that research and development is continually conducted by manufacturers and we have a plethora of products available to offer to your customers to assist. We are fortunate that there is a huge variety of choice available, which is good news for the industry,

but perhaps daunting for the consumer as not every baby/toddler is the same, although this is where a strong nursery retailer will assist with their guidance toward products that are suitable, whether this be a bottle or teat, utensils and tableware that are best suited to their little ones needs. Take a look through the following pages, where you will find a whole host of products that are bound to be a success in store for your customers.

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Brand new to Hippyc e has been Twistshake click mat and plat e easier, tim developed to make feeding ! Easily fun re mo more productive and just a with e plat ake istsh Tw attach your e or tabl click, the mat then sticks to the ost alm e plat highchair making the an energetic impossible to move, even for toddler! The click mat and plate even veniently includes a smart lid, which con box for ch lun a into e plat the transfor ms a trip out or for storage. perfect Also available in a mini size, irs. cha high ll sma for travel or

Highs and lows

Cybex has expanded its interior range with the launch of a new 4-in-1 seating solution. Inspired by minimalistic pieces of furniture, the LEMO Chair has been designed to find a place at any table long after a child has outgrown the need for its highchair support, whilst providing parents with a modern and stylish piece of furniture to blend into any contemporary home. Parents can use the LEMO Chair from birth with the bouncer, add the optional baby set, comfort inlay and tray, and convert it into a classic highchair letting a toddler from six months join the table. From approximately three years, it can be used as a classic chair by adjusting the height, depth and footrest of the chair as the child grows. From approximately five years, the footrest can be removed and the LEMO Chair can be used for the whole family. With only four screws to assemble, the LEMO can be put together in less than three minutes, leaving parents with more time to spend with their little ones. Web: www.cybex-online.com

Tel: 01278 434440 /twistshake Web: www.hippychick.com

Perfect fit The world’s first made-to-measure suction plate for the IKEA Antilop Highchair will be unveiled in August by EasyMat designer Helen Davies – crowned a ‘Rising Star’ in this year’s WeAreTheCity Awards. Following the success of the UK top-rated EasyMat table placemat and EasyMat Mini for travel feeding, the newest weaning accessory in the EasyTots range is the first in a series of ‘perfect fit’ bespoke suction plates planned for customers’ favourite highchairs. Available in three gorgeous pastel colours, it features the usual EasyMat ‘happy face’, secure suction cups and a perfectly snug fit. Email: helen@statusproducts.net

nursery today

Spoon fed Boon leads the way when it comes to feeding essentials with its collection of innovative, designer and contemporary baby and toddler products. The stylish and affordable line appeals y to cool and modern parents with a varietyy of p products suitable for feedingg and nursery. Boon’s feeding range features the popular Squirt (SRP: £8.99) a food eal-times. The easy-to-fill bulb dispensing spoon that revolutionises meal-times. holds up to 85 grams of baby food and d attaches firmly to the spoon end, including a protective coverr that clips on to the rt allows for clean, spoon for those in between feeds. Squirt convenient feeding on the go, one bite at a time. Tel: 01392 281 928 m Email: ukcustomerservices@tomy.com

Make reaching those important milestones easier with OXO

FEEDING & WEANING • DRINKING • BATH • CLEANING • ON-THE-GO

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#ThisTotCan info@oxouk.com www.oxototuk.com

focus FEEDING

Sip, dip and away Sip, the natural drinking cup from Cognikids, encourages independent feeding and is perfect for healthy oral development. Dip is a weaning pre-spoon which allows little ones to create perfect portion sizes and supports baby led weaning. Together, both products help to develop confidence in babies and aid in neurological development in key areas such as manual dexterity and hand eye co-ordination. Born in Ireland, Cognikids is a young, yet innovate and multi award-winning brand with products that not only have a striking aesthetic but also aid and assist babies during their developmental stages The Cognikids range of products is now available in the UK through DCUK. Tel: 01422 383555 Email: sales@dcukltd.com Web: www.dcukltd.com

Get stuck in The world’s first made-to-measure suction plate for the IKEA Antilop Highchair will be unveiled in August by EasyMat designer Helen Davies – crowned a ‘Rising Star’ in this year’s WeAreTheCity Awards.Following the success of the top-rated EasyMat table placemat and award winning EasyMat Mini for travel feeding, the newest weaning accessory in the EasyTots range is the first in a series of ‘perfect fit’ bespoke suction plates planned for customers’ highchairs. res the usual Available in three gorgeous pastel colours, it features ctly snug fit. EasyMat ‘happy face’, secure suction cups and a perfectly Email: helen@statusproducts.net

Squeeze the nation ing product is the ingenious

Infantino’s leading feed the top spot Squeeze Station. Having just scooped best for rds in the 2018 Made for Mums Awa place in its t earn inly certa weaning product, it has been has et gadg r cleve The . oard cupb the kitchen and are prep to designed to make it quick and easy the t selec ply Sim . store homemade baby food to squeeze ingredients and use this clever system hes. pouc able port into es pure de ema the hom od for meth e nativ alter Offering today’s parents an stoponethis , food es babi their storing and serving into food unit presses delicious, homemade baby hes. easy-to-store and ready-to-serve pouc Tel: 07921 212072 Email: Jerome@infantino.com

nursery today

Wooden it be lovely

East Coast Nursery offers customers a choice of wooden highchairs to suit every need. Made from solid, sustainably sourced timber, they are reliable and built to last. Wooden highchairs are wonderfully functional and practical, as they’re smooth and easy to wipe clean. Their classic Folding Highchair can be seen in countless adverts, restaurants, and homes across the country. A firm favourite, it’s stylish and practical, folding neatly for storage. The tray can be flipped back behind the chair, so baby can be pulled up to the table to join in with mealtimes. It’s available in natural, white, or white and grey. Tel: 01692 408802 Web: www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk

BETTER BOTTLE FEEDING Haberman Suckle Feeder technology

Helps prevent overfeeding, colic and reï¬&#x201A;ux Enables baby-led paced feeding O Feeds in an upright position O Encourages breastfeeding O

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No other bottle works like this info@habermanbaby.com | www.habermanbaby.com

focus FEEDING

Brighten up mealtimes

After an amazing launch year, family business Nana’s Manners multiaward winning cutlery launches new colours. The launch colours of orange and gree n received a great response, and Nana’s Manners are thrilled to anno unce they will be adding teal blue and pink sets to their range. The new colours will be available at selected retailers from September 2018. There will also be a limited edition set available later this year, with more details being released nearer the time. Kathryn said: “Nana’s Manners had an amazing launch year with a great response to our knife and fork from parents, grandparents, teachers , childcare professionals and, most impo rtantly, children themselves. We’re thrilled to be adding to our colour rang e!” “We are excited to now be developin g more simple and effective products for children because the best way to build kids’ confidence is to help them learn independently.” The multi-award winning cutlery is now stocked in John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe and many other retailers.

an ds to get the best feeding equipment Deepds specndle hundreds of poun t get used

Mums and da can cost quite a lot bu by bottles in particular because of the residual for their little ones. Ba y and smelly over time ud clo e om bec ey Th y. every da milk. breast milk or for mula ducts. fats and proteins from if you have the right pro y eas rly fai is s ttle bo by ba se mb the Caring for residues like Ni le duct specially for milk pro a h wit rly ula reg m Wash the Milk Buster. bottle cleaner with ning and patented baby ach milk fat and It is a multi-award win for mulated to gently det lly cia spe ts ien red ing plant-based fect for home use and proteins from plastic. l bottle (RRP £4.99) per .99) perfect to clean It is available in a 200-m P -ml travel size (RR £2 60 a in d an s she wa 0 lasts up to 40 a 400-ml eco refill pouch t. It also now comes in ou ab d an t ou en wh s pump t to two full size bottles. (RRP £4.99) equivalen babies.com Email: von.sy@nimble s.com bie ba Web: www.nimble

Web: www.nanasmanners.com

Update to next level

The Red Kite Baby Co boast an ever updating range of their compact highchairs, updated design each year enables Red Kite to offer a selection of highchairs both in trend and on point. The Compact Highchairs offer a large feeding tray to ensure baby has plenty of room to enjoy along with a comfortable padded seat for the slower eaters, safety of baby is taken care of with a five point harness and a sturdy footrest. The Compact Highchairs also come with a free matching splash mat to help with messy feeding times. Suitable from six months, these highchairs offer great value in both cost and the use parents will get from the Compact range. Tel: 01454 326 562 Email: sales@redkitebaby.com Web: www.redkitebaby.co.uk

It’s a Doodle DoddleBags are the reusable plastic pouches which cut down on landfill waste and help you make all aspects of your life a doddle! Designed with a healthy purpose for both people and the planet, DoddleBags are easy for small children to hold, hygienic, safe, reusable and recyclable. You can fill your DoddleBag with anything from porridge to paint! Use them for snacks like yogurt or smoothies on the go or fill them with glitter and glue for mess free arts&crafts at home - no matter what your need, DoddleBags have the answer! Lightweight DoddleBags are easily filled with any liquid or puree without hassle and with the knowledge that the leak proof seal won’t let you down. Use the classic DoddleBags with the anti choke lid or add a DoddleSpoon for hassle free weaning, a DoddleBrush for arts&crafts, or a DoddleNozzle for decorating baked goods. Best of all, when you use Doddlebags you help save the planet! Email: margie@doddlebags.com Web: www.DoddleBags.com

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Night time glow The Groegg2 is a great light to use for feeds at nighttime. With adjustable light levels parents can choose the highest setting for feeding and easily reduce the brightness to help settle baby back to sleep. A Gold winner as best Nursery Accessory in the Made for Mums awards the Groegg2 also acts as a room thermometer. The innovative colour changing system and digital temperature display make it easy to see the temperature at a glance and ensure that little ones are dressed comfortably for the temperature. Web: www.gro.co.uk

CogniKids products are distributed in the UK by DCUK. Please call 01422 383555 or contact sales@dcukltd.com for more information.

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Grip® is designed to help babies grasp their own bottle, encouraging them to develop the skills necessary for independent feeding. Easing the transition from breast to bottle. (RRP: £8.49)

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focus FEEDING

ding Wonder of feeproducts to help parents as

Baby&More has a wealth of award winning they embark on their child’s feeding journey. The Mum 2 Mum Wonder Bibs make mealtimes as mess-free as possible, keeping baby clean and dry as well as protecting their clothes. Available in an array of colours the Standard and Sleeved Wonder Bibs are machine washable, dryer safe and sized 0-3 years. When it’s time to introduce cutlery, the Baby&More Clever Grip Training Cutlery helps toddlers through the all-important transition stages. The moulded edge knife, fork and spoon set, has perfectly contoured finger guides encouraging children to hold the utensils correctly for self-feeding. T: 0333 014 4242 Email: info@babyandmore.co.uk

Mess No Stress with Bibetta

Bibetta wants parents to embrace the mess that comes with weaning and feeding and let little ones have fun with food! Their range of durable and easy to clean (mach ine and handwashable) bibs, sleeved bibs and placemats make ideal mealtime accessories. Available in a number of bright and engaging designs for every adventurous little one, including cars, eleph ants, dinosaurs and the new Annabel Karmel Apple range. In a recent survey conducted by Weaning Week, parents cited a sleeved bib as the number one can’t live without product for weaning – Bibetta has listened to this and extended their range of sleeved bibs, now boasting 17 different designs and colours to give parents choice for their little one’s weaning and feeding journey!

Tel: 01223 840236 Email: enquiries@bibetta.com

Weaning by design Doidy Cup, the open slanted weaning cup recommended by professionals, trusted by parents and leading ‘Weaning by Design’ for over 70 years, is now joined by the new Doidy Bowl. The Doidy Bowl features the unique signature slanted design and a suction pad base to help infants learn to feed themselves with ease. Doidy Bowl is designed to help develop motor skills, with a slanted high lip on one side to allow infants to push the food up and load more easily onto a spoon. Doidy Bowl is made from food grade silicone and is soft and pliable – making it easy to roll up and transport and is BPA, PVC and Phthalate free. Doidy bowl’s design fits most highchairs so is perfect for baby-led weaning and is suitable for finger foods, purees and soups. For babies of 6 months+, the new Doidy Bowl is available in red, blue and pastel pink RRP £9.95 / Gift packs with Doidy Cup £12.50. Tel: 01224 790626 Web: www.doidycup.com

Healthy feeding in a bottle There is a proven link between over-feeding in infancy and increased risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes in later life. “At least 20% of adult obesity is caused by over-feeding in infancy,” says Professor Atul Singhal from UCL’s Institute of Child Health. The award-winning bottlefeeding technology by Dr. Mandy Haberman represents a giant leap forward, as it helps protect infants against these long-term health risks. The Haberman Suckle Feeder’s long malleable teat has a valve instead of a hole. A filter component, situated between bottle and teat removes micro bubbles, keeps the teat filled at any angle and enables the system to work using breastfeeding action, putting the baby back in control and helping to prevent guzzling and overfeeding. Email: info@habermanbaby.com Web: www.habermanbaby.com

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BABYMOOV

feature

Bit of a foodie Twist by Babymoov wist is the first complete breast milk expressing, storing and feeding solution for mothers that are unable to feed directly, are returning to work or wanting a convenient feeding solution on-the-go. Designed around the use of pre-sterilised pouches, Twist enables mothers to continue feeding baby with perfectly preserved breast milk with no transfer at all while also enabling dads to be involved in the feeding process. Twist is the only breastmilk storage system that can be used in conjunction with every major brand of breast pump AND bottle teat that your baby may already be comfortable latching onto.

silicone squeeze spoon (suited to delicate gums) onto the Foodii pouch and watch them feed themselves with ease! Perfect for use in conjunction with the Nutribaby(+) food prep processor. Twist and Foodii are available Sept 18. To pre-order, contact sales@babymoov.co.uk or visit Babymoov at Kind Und Jugend, Hall 11.2 Stand G38.

Foodii by Babymoov Foodii is the ultimate snack filling and feeding system for easy baby-led weaning at home and on-the-go! Pre-sterilised Foodii pouches are filled with homemade baby food, purees and smoothies without mess using the Foodii wide spouted snack bottle. Screw the snack spout or unique

Exceptional value Packs from

Pack Ip-Op classic XL shown in Slate Grey (Includes chassis, carrycot, pushchair seat and group 0+ infant car seat)

www.bebecar.co.uk

BebecarUK

nursery today

focus THE VOICE OF FEEDING

Natural growth Oxo Tot - for life’s little adventures n the space of five years, 25 babies were born to OXO’s then 50 employees. Discussions around the office soon moved from kitchen tools to how to make the lives of new parents that bit easier. In typical OXO fashion, the company set out to solve some of the common problems they encountered as new parents, creating a line of thoughtfully designed products to help parents guide, nurture and care for their little ones. OXO examined every aspect of children’s feeding, weaning, cleaning and bathing products looking at a range of design features from how children hold their utensils, through to what support is needed when sitting at the table. The result? A collection of nursery and infant products designed to make every day living for parents and children easier, so more time can be spent on the fun things in life.

Feeding and weaning

This year sees the expansion of OXO Tot’s feeding and weaning range with the introduction of the Silicone Self-Feeder and Stick & Stay Suction Dishware. Designed to help babies safely explore new tastes and textures, the Silicone Self

Feeder promotes the art of selffeeding, helping little ones experience new flavours from six months onwards. The silicone pouch fits comfortably in baby’s mouth and features a soft grip handle, which is comfortable for little hands to hold. Small perforations allow tiny amounts of food to be dispensed as baby chews on the silicone, and the fresh food feeder sieves food preventing any large pieces from passing to baby’s mouth, removing the risk of choking. Easy to clean, the pouch and handle can be separated with a simple twist, and it features a handy cap to keep the pouch clean when out and about. 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 surfaces with the twist and lock mechanism to ensure the sticky pads stay put.

sturdy, non-slip base, tots will master the important milestone quickly and easily. The inner bowl shape helps to minimise mess and features a supportive back rest to keep little ones comfortable, as well as integrated handles for support and stability. Once tot has finished, the inner bowl is removable for easy clean up. Whether you’re at home, or out and about, the back handle makes it easy to transport.

Bath

OXO Tot has been busy developing its bath range with a selection of products including the Potty Chair and Step Stool, designed to help parents and children tackle those first tricky stages of toilet training. OXO Tot’s Potty Chair is designed to help little ones in the first stage of toilet training. With a seamless seat design, and

The Step Stoop encourages independence in the bathroom. Taller than most on the market, it gives little legs a 7” boost to brush their teeth, and wash their hands on their own. The large, even surface is perfect for standing and turning under supervision, and the stool features a soft, non-slip coating on the top and bottom keeping it firmly in place. The sleek, lightweight design makes it ideal for on-the-go or transporting from room to room, and soft grip handles make it comfortable to carry

Innovation – Awards With over 31 awards won in the last designed with eight years, OXO Tot continues to products to appeal to mums and developing tots in create dads all over the world, to make everyday life for parents and tots mind easier. At OXO, the team are always learning, growing and looking for ways to improve consumers’ lives through its products. The company

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applied that same philosophy to its new line of Transitions Sippy Cups. OXO Tot partnered with speechlanguage pathologists and paediatric dentists to learn about palate development and how best to design a line of products that would support a child’s growth from first sippy cup to grown-up beaker. The new range, which is available now, has been a huge success with parents and children alike since its launch, and is testament to the company’s commitment to creating products that make a difference.

For more information, please visit www.oxototuk.com

nursery matters JOHN BARKER

Barking Mad This issue John Barker looks at why it’s time someone championed the positives within our industry. oy is it hot, too hot in fact. . .And that’s just the tempers on the NSG! It’s that time of the year where I put the cat amongst the pigeons, ruffle some feathers and say enough is enough. Some of you reading this will be mortally offended by my comments and some of you will see what I’m trying to say. For those of you offended I apologise for the offence but not what I am about to say. This industry needs a lift and I think it’s time someone championed the positives. Being what I would describe as a casual NSG member (someone that uses it to swap stock only) I have to say that the tone and mood has become very dark of late. Call me selfish, self-involved or just plain ignorant but I struggle to see why what everyone else is doing should dictate my life, and more importantly how it affects our store. I’m not saying that we are special, nor am I saying that we are immune to trade shows, online discounters or the nationals with their constant, suicidal sales. I’m simply saying I don’t worry about them. To be completely frank I pay them absolutely no attention unless they are mentioned to me by a customer seeking a deal. I do however worry about what we are doing. I don’t look at our business and think last week, month or quarter was terrible, who or what can I blame? Instead I look at our figures (and I look at them regularly) and ask what can I do to ensure we do better? If the industry won’t change maybe we must change instead? That hasn’t sold? I’ll clear off the stock I have, raise some capital and re-invest that money in new stock. Where do I have a gap in my proposition? We don’t have many twin strollers so let’s have a

go with them. Maybe we can market ourselves as the regions twins and multiple birth specialists? If within a six month that hasn’t worked we’ll try something else. We simply keep looking at what we are doing and evolving, adapting to the market, looking for a niche for us to hook on to. Negativity breeds negativity and when your heads down it’s very hard to lift it up again (I should know; being an Arsenal supporter). One thing is certain and that is that drowning in negative comments from others in a similar mood will not help. Distance yourself and do something different. Remember it’s your store and you are not answerable to anyone! You make the calls in your business and if you are succeeding or failing is partly down to you. Yes economic circumstances will affect you but how you rise and respond will determine your future. Be in total control of your finances and know your figures. Know what you owe and what is owed to you. Know how much your stock costs and know how much you need to sell it for to earn your money. I’ve said before we all have different costs and expenses so if you’re trying to compete with a store down the road or online you may be wasting your time as their costs may allow them to sell at a price you will never be able to match. First port of call should always be your rep. You never know you may have missed a promo email (all our reps will confirm I’m terrible for this). If the item isn’t on promo the rep may be able to assist with some form of support, the very least is they will address the pricing issue. If all else fails head to the NSG and ask the other members to support you by contacting their rep too. The end

result however comes down to you. Are you happy to sell the item at that price or not? Don’t fear the online stores, they are completely transparent as you can see their offering at any time of the day. Instead concentrate on your local competition, it doesn’t matter if you are on friendly terms or the worst of enemies if you are constantly at loggerheads with pricing the only winner will be the customer. Look at your local competition and consider their proposition, target your range to fill gaps in theirs, why compete and earn less? If you share brands look at the level of business you are generating from that brand. Are you happy with that level of turn over? Is it what you’d expect it to be? Are you just acting as an extra showroom for the competition at the other side of town? With the advent of the internet it’s questionable if multiple stores being supported by the same brands in the same town is worthwhile. If store A and store B both sell brand X and they’ve both had pricing issues all that will happen is both stores will push brands the other store doesn’t have – the end result Brand X will see lower levels of support than they deserve. If Brand X chose just one stockist they’d no doubt see an uplift in sales with whichever they chose, and it’s safe to say the level would far exceed the level generated from the two stores combined. Without sounding like a self-help book you are in control and you need to steer your ship. Yes people will cross you and you’ll no doubt shout

back at them but don’t take your eye of the end goal – your business needs customers and it needs to earn. Been a quiet week? Look at your social media – when did you post last and what did you post? Customers want to see your business is active and they love it when you are stood on top of a mountain shouting at them that you are the best. As Kevin (Why did you bother making Waterworld) Costner once said “build it and they will come”. Next time you’ve had a bad day or week instead of hitting the NSG and venting, visit your stores Facebook page and get creative. Every minute you are posting on Facebook forums is a minute wasted. A minute you could have spent trying to get customers through your door. And before you run around your shop snapping all those prams stop and think! Don’t just take a picture of a pram pulled out of the line of prams on display, trying to cover up the tea stain on the carpet where Sandra got excited last week after selling her 3rd pram of the day. Use the brands lifestyle pictures, customers love them! It makes them aspire to be the beautiful people in the picture. They think “if I buy that pram my life will be better”, and that’s better than seeing Sandra’s tea stain. Your customers want you to give them a reason to spend their money with you – DON’T LEAVE THEM WAITING! So, on that note I’ll sign off with a “Mic drop” and avoid the NSG page for a few weeks as I may not be very popular this month.

john@pramland.co.uk nursery today

social media ROSS HEWITT

Hollywood or bust Ross Hewitt runs us through options for video content and products/software that can assist. ’ve wibbled in previous articles about the importance of video marketing and explored some of the planning theory and tthe types of content that you can ccreate, but it can be an intimidating prospect if it is a completely new thing p tto you and your business. It can also be an expensive thing tto outsource, so I’m going to give a rrun down of some of the kit and that you can use to give it a ssoftware tha whirl yourself yours and you will hopefully be relieved to see that it doesn’t have to break th the bank. The m most important part is the actual cam camera itself. You can spend a l of money on this if you heck of a lot desire but often a lot of the so desire, features oof a high-end camera are surplus too requirement when

M an a g in g , t it w e H an d Ro ss ec ret Pi e e d i a ’. S f o r o t c M D ire vvy S oc i a l a rket in g a ‘S f o r o al m a ut h n h is d ig it h a d h is fi r st a g e b s s o R try 1 9 9 8 an d 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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it comes to making online videos. You do not need a 4k camera. Mobile phones, tablets and even basic to very good quality TVs will not support proper viewing of 4k video for quite a few years yet, so stick to something that gives a good 1080p HD picture and slice hundreds and hundreds of pounds off the cost. If you are looking for suggestions, then here are a few to take a close look at: Canon EOS 1300D (£299) Nikon D3400 (£370) Canon EOS 200D (£490) If you really must be budget aware then the best entry level at under £200 is the Panasonic Lumix TZ50 (£199). Anything less than this and you may as well use

your smartphone if you have a new model from the last 18 months as they are getting better and better each year and are already a very good option if you want to give video a whirl without a big outlay upfront. If you can stretch to the Canon EOS 1300D then you will have absolutely everything you need. I am using the EOS 200D and this will last me for a few years yet and is the best piece of kit for cost per use I have spent Secret Pie’s money on in a long while, and it is also very good for normal photographs which will help in other areas of content creation. If your camera supports it then an

external microphone is a very important piece of equipment and look no further than the Rode VideoMicro Compact On Camera Microphone, which costs around £40 on Amazon. It’s very, very good value and very easy to set up and use. Any of the cameras mentioned above though will give you good enough audio with their built-in microphones. That extra £40 is money well spent as it provides excellent sound as opposed to good. A decent camera and that microphone and you have addressed pictures and sound and it comes as no surprise that almost everything that is important in video production is now covered! That said, you MUST get a tripod. You can spend £15 or £150 on one of these, but to get you started just get a low cost one that fits your camera and is able to be extended to be as high as yourself as it is just easier to stand behind a camera and film

rather than crouch or stoop. A tripod keeps a steady consistent picture whereas holding a camera introduces shakes and wobbles. If the place where you are likely to record most of your videos needs a bit of extra light then a continuous lighting kit will be useful, and these are the lights that are attached to a stand and you can pick up a perfectly good one of these for £30 and that will include the softbox fabric that goes over the bulb if you want a ‘warmer’ lighting effect. That’s your lot…you can get kitted out perfectly well for under £300 or spend under £500 and have an almost professional setup. The difference between a good video and a great video lies in the editing software and the skill of the person using it. There are lots of very expensive video editing packages out there and some of them need years of dedication to be able to master…but slice through all of that and investigate

The di fferenc e betw een a good vi deo an d a grea t vi deo lies in th e ed it in g so ftw are an d th e sk ill of th e pers on us in g it . Filmora by Wondershare. I have given up spending hundreds and hundreds of pounds on software and now exclusively use this package…and it costs $60 to download for a lifetime licence! There are plenty of online tutorials from Wondershare on how to use the software and a complete beginner can pick up the basics

needed in an afternoon. It is the BEST piece of software vs price vs learning curve I have ever encountered and has never let me down. It even allows you to create videos with an aspect ratio of 1:1 which is a perfect square for use on Instagram. Buy the kit, download the software and dive in…it really could make a difference to your business.

Designed in Germany

Urban design and intelligent functions on four easy-steer wheels for style-conscious and active parents. The Salsa is suitable from birth and is dynamic, lightweight and extremely easy to manoeuvre. Its contemporary look is in keeping with its fashion-conscious and functional design. Surprisingly compact when folded with the seat unit supporting a maximum weight of 25kg and including UPF 50+ sun protection. Front swivel wheels enhance its agility. Ball bearings and integrated suspension also add to the smoothness of the ride, even on the biggest rural adventures.

Leaf

What‘s in the box? • Chassis (lightweight and compact fold) • Carrycot (suitable from birth and for overnight sleeping) • Seat unit (with large 25kg maximum capacity seat unit) • Car seat adapters (compatible with Maxi-Cosi, Cybex and Kiddy) • Mosquito net (for use with carrycot and seat unit) • Cup holder (with numerous accessory points on chassis to attach) • Raincover Optional extras: • Car Seat • Matching accessories

Piano

Mountain

Walnut

Think Baby. Race

abc-design.uk.com

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focus BABY GIFTS

Truly gifted The gifting sector is vast and the arrival of a new born is an occasion to be celebrated. rom the moment baby arrives, through to their first birthday and beyond, there are many gifting opportunities for babies and infants. Practical and developmental products all have their place in gifting, but also important to gift givers are the more emotional aspects of the gifts they give. They want their gifts to make an impact and to bring pleasure or even joy to baby and parent alike, they want something that delivers a certain ‘wow’ factor.

As with most things a lot lies in the presentation and so the packaging and presentation of a product can be a key trigger in gift purchasing. A great gift idea presented badly will struggle to succeed, but a great gift idea with great presentation is sure to be taken to the till. Expectant mothers have huge wish lists of items that they would like to have once their baby is born (probably more so with first time mums) – and for this reason, gift buying within the new baby category will always continue to boom. This is a great opportunity for grandparents and other family members to be able to contribute items towards what is always quite an expensive time for a family (especially if this is the parent’s first child). Grandparents or other close family members may opt to purchase one of the larger nursery items, but friends and wellwishers will seek items that may not be quite so high in value. Examples of gifts can range from bedding, toys, nursery accessories, clothing, keepsake items – all of these will be very high on their shopping list for this purpose.

Gift of sleep Give

parents the gift of sleep with Ollie the Owl Grofriend. The plush Sleep aid is utterly adorable and brilliant at help ing parents settle their young babies to sleep . With CrySensor technology Grofrien d Ollie, automatically activates when baby cries, soothing little ones gently back to sleep. Three light settings and four soun ds, including white noise and lullaby, mak e him a useful comforter at bedtimes. Joined by a range of co ordinate products including a cuddly owl comforter, Supersoft velour Ollie Grobag and perf ect for newborns the Ollie Grosnug. This beautiful Ollie family collection mak es the perfect gift or newborn starter set for parents and parents to be.

Web: www.gro.co.uk

Keep them active Give the jitters Featuring cute fox and owl characters, the Fisher-Price Woodland collection from East Coast includes plush activity toys. Ideal for impulse-buy gifts, there are two cute little jitter toys with jingle bell and rattle sounds to discover. For bigger, squishier fun, the Rolly Polly Owl and Full Of Fun Fox are packed with activities. Both have jingles and crinkles, which make them fun to push and roll. The owl has brightlycoloured knots and ribbons for little hands to explore, while the fox has a beanie bottom and ribbon whiskers. Each toy has a linking ring for attaching to a pushchair. Tel: 01692 408802 Web: www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk

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Lamaze has met consumer demand by adding to its popular gifting collection this year. Lamaze will expand its range with new activity toys including its Rolling Rosa (SRP: £14.99), Blushing Blossom (SRP: £24.99) as well as a 4-in-1 Play Gym (SRP: £69.99). All products incorporate the Lamaze Infant Development System which is designed in conjunction with child development experts to guarantee ‘the right toy at the right time’ making them an excellent choice for gifting. Tel: 01392 281 927 Email: ukcustomerservices@ tomy.com

Adding a little more

sparkle to all princesses’ days…

Gift Giving…all wrapped up

See our beautiful Baby Gift Sets perfect for any occassion. Available now at www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

The Home of Classic Characters

www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Guess How Much I Love You TM and © Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram 2018. Licensed by Walker Books Ltd. Guess How Much I Love You is a registered trademark of Walker Books Ltd, London UK.

Beatrix Potter Frederick Warne & Co., 2018. Frederick Warne & Co. is the owner of all rights, copyrights and trademarks in the Beatrix Potter character names and illustrations. Licensed by Silvergate PPL Ltd. part of the Silvergate Media group of companies. www.peterrabbit.com

Enesco Limited, Head Ofﬁce & Customer Services, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 0EN. Tel: 01228 404022 email: trade@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services: Tel: +44 1228 404066 email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk © GUND 2018. © 2018 Enesco Limited.

focus BABY GIFTS

Hop to it before she sells out! Famous for creating the world’s most huggable soft bears and animals, America’s prestigious soft toy company, GUND has unveiled an edition to its animated plush range. Flora the Animated Bunny is a sumptuously soft rabbit presented in a white fabric for her fur. Her features are highlighted using softs tones of pink and black, creating a warm and friendly face inviting baby to stay and play. Building on the internet sensation that was Flappy the Animated Elephant from GUND, Flora the Animated Bunny features the same voice and sayings as her trunked friend. With two play patterns, Flora plays peek-a-boo with her large bunny ears moving to cover her eyes and reveal them again, engaging baby in active sensory play. Like Flappy, she also sings the popular childhood song, ‘Do Your Ears Hang Low’, encouraging little ones to join in with the tune too. Flora the Animated Bunny is surface washable, CE marked and suitable for children from birth. Web: www.enesco.co.uk

Twinkle to sleep Little Chick London’s gorgeous Twinkle Lights Bed-time Soother makes a beautiful addition to every nursery and the perfect gift for new-borns. It brings the room alive with colourful lights projected onto walls or ceilings accompanied by soothing lullabies, heart beat and nature sounds to capture attention whilst babies slowly drift to sleep. Made from super soft, machine washable plush, the Twinkle Lights Bedtime Soother which comes in either a star or heart shape – can be placed on a flat surface or hung using the hook and loop strap provided. Tel: 07976 773486 Email: hello@littlechick.london

Towel dried The Groswaddledry is the perfect newborn gift for parents. Part of the new Grobath range of towelling products from The Gro Company; it is an ingeniously shaped towel. The Groswaddledry is made from hypoallergenic, supersoft, and super absorbent towelling that stays soft against baby’s skin even after multiple washes. The unique swaddle shape of the towel is ideal for wrapping up newborns nice and snuggly, and recreates the soothing effects of swaddling after bathtime. Gro are partnering with Booktrust, to support their ‘Bath, Book, Bed’ campaign which communicates the importance of having a great bedtime routine. Web: www.gro.co.uk

Animal magic Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world with strength and the new bamboo range from Lesser and Pavey is growing quickly. This new eco-friendly range will feature heavily on stand E02-F03 in hall 5 this September at the NEC. The range features Flamingo, Llama, Unicorn, Bee, Panda and Zoo animals on youngsters are these feeding sets. These reusable and environmentally friendly made from Eco Friendly sustainable natural bamboo fibre, BPA and phthalate free whilst still being dishwasher safe. Tel 01322 279225 Email: sales@leonardo.co.uk Web: www.leonardo.co.uk

Piu Piu the rather special octopus In tuneician with Piano DJ Mixi, the cute console DJ toy

Inspire any young mus ix music. that allows little ones to create and rem range, Piano DJ Mixi is ready to get ic Mus py Hap new co’s Part of Chic Featuring two different settings, are. the party started no matter where you deck with LED light panels will keep fun mode and play mode, the realistic little ones entertained for hours. dies, children can add in With four musical styles and eight melo sound effects and musical notes ch scrat stic animated sounds including reali to create their own song. o with five keys that children can The deck also features a miniature pian r allows them to either speed up slide the use to play their own melodies, and or slow down the songs. o DJ Mixi is suitable for ages 1 to Available from July/August 2018, Pian 4 years. Web: www.chicco.co.uk

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Piu Piu the octopus is the perfect baby shower/christening or keepsake for a baby. The octopus was developed for premature babies, the plaiting of the tentacles remind them of the umbilical cord, which helps them feel safe and secure. The idea originates from Denmark - as well as calming babies, their tentacles make them less likely to pull on their monitors or tubes. The latest cuddly character from Nattou that comes in 6 soft and calming colours. Little ones will love to stroke, pull and twirl the tentacles. Tel: 01278 434440 Web: www.hippychick.com/ piupiu

Making life less worrying

Bring some fantasy into your shop

Proud to support independents The all NEW Twilight Baby Unicorn DĂŶĂŐĞĚ ďǇ dŚĞ Z,^D 'ƌŽƵƉ Ͳ ǁǁǁ͘ůŝƩůĞĐŚŝĐŬ͘ůŽŶĚŽŶ ŵĂŝů͗ ŚĞůůŽΛůŝƩůĞĐŚŝĐŬ͘ůŽŶĚŽŶ dĞů͗ Ϭϳϵϳϲ ϳϳϯ ϰϴϲ

Contact Claire at Tel: +44 (0)1243 780501 or claire.bradley@whitepebbleint.com

focus BABY GIFTS

Sit, spin, stand Infantino, the brand creating smartly designed products for happy parenting, has a whole host of baby gifts to suit every little personality. From sensory toys to soft rattles and big box items, the Infantino gift offering is second to none. Two new products hitting the shelves this year is The Sit, Spin and Stand Entertainer & Stand and Grow-With-Me Playtime Teepee. The Sit, Spin ones as little allows Entertainer is an ingenious 2 in 1 toy, which enchanting six re explo they as 360 full young as 4 months to spin the into a orms transf then it ment, invest great A toys. and interactive -loved much the h, stand-and-play activity table. If that wasn’t enoug the for gned redesi been just has Grow with me Playtime Teepee with a pop of colour. modern parents featuring monochrome colours ceiling along with a Featuring four adorable toys that hang from the ss entertainment. endle e large-mirrored mobile, this toy will provid Tel: 07921 212072 Email: Jerome@infantino.com

Cute comforter

Sweet Dreamers’ all new and super cute comforter, the utterly adorable ewan baa baa blankie, is proving a big hit with parents and children alike! Each blankie has ewan’s friendly face in classic purple or soft grey, meaning that little ones can instantly recognize their sleepy pal. Better still, babies can snuggle up and smooth the incredibly soft blanket with silky edges, to help them drift off into the land of nod!

Tel: 02392 262332 Email: harry@sweetdreamers.co.uk Web: www.sweetdreamers.co.uk

Cuddly gift BreathableBaby’s bedtime companions make perfect baby gifts. Beautiful and safe, these adorable plush characters are made from breathable fabrics, safe to cuddle, with no beads or piling and are hypoallergenic and machine washable. Choose from Monkey, Puppy, Giraffe or our gorgeous new Owls in Neutral or Pink Email: rachelle.harel@breathablebaby.com

Peter’s perfect as four items Christs 20m fro 18 m Enesco are

New for Christma ic Dinner bbit Christmas Organ including the Peter Ra bbit’s Ra er Pet ck, Sa ristmas Set, the Peter Rabbit Ch y nn Bu n mi nja Be d an e) Letter to Santa (Figurin s (Figurine). ma rist Ch for g rin pa Pre mas Organic Dinner Set The Peter Rabbit Christ in £22.00 and is presented igh full-toretails with an SRP of er Rabbit pulling a sle Pet es d greens, and featur an s nths+ and is red mo of 18 es d ton age e en tiv fes suitable for childr is set e Th ts. gif s ma the-brim of Christ hwasher safe. microwave use, but is dis bbit to set not recommended for for little fans of Peter Ra t fec mas Sack is per Winter the of l fee d an The Peter Rabbit Christ k e. Following the loo Ev s ma rist tag, Ch on l ng mplete with a ful hang out as their stocki l and 42.0cm wide. Co tal m .0c 68 is k sac the Collection, SRP of £15.00. nny the sack retails with an rine) and Benjamin Bu it’s Letter to Santa (Figu Santa’s Ra for g rin pa pre s ter Finally, the Peter bb rac e) feature the two cha rin gu (Fi s P of ma SR rist an h Ch and retail wit Preparing for th pieces measure 9.5cm Bo y. Da s ma rist Ch on arrival £16.00cm. .uk Web: www.enesco.co

All things rabbit Nursery retailers can meet the demand for all things Peter Rabbit this year with exciting new arrivals to Rainbow Designs’ Peter Rabbit Nursery Collection. Brand new for this summer are the irresistibly cute ‘Made with Love’ Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny toys. Made from soft and tactile knitwear fabric, the nostalgic ‘Made with Love’ soft toys are designed to be cherished forever and make the perfect heirloom gift. Also new on the nursery gift scene are two beautiful gifts sets, perfect for marking baby’s arrival, a Christening or first Christmas. The Peter Rabbit Comfort Blanket & Rattle Gift Set is presented in an eye-catching gift box and features a Peter Rabbit Soft Toy Rattle and a Comfort Blanket, both made from soft premium plush. The Guess How Much I Love You Comfort Blanket and Rattle Gift Set is also launching this summer. This beautifully-styled box features a super soft Little Nutbrown Hare Rattle and a tactile Nutbrown Hare Comfort Blanket. Tel: 01329 227300 Web: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

First best friend Hot off the press, the brand-new and innovative ewan Deluxe is the perfect gift for new arrivals. Sure, to be their first best friend ewan Deluxe offers 4 comforting sounds all combined with resting heartbeat to help calm and reassure little ones. He also has a super intelligent crySMART sensor and will pick up when baby or toddler cries, automatically activating and coming to the rescue of tired parents at bedtime. Now machine washable due to his removable control pod, ewan Deluxe really does have it all. No need to go on a wild-goose chase, we have brought the goose to you. Introducing Gertie the Good Goose, a 100% all-natural rubber teether toy. When tender gums are sore, Gertie is expertly designed to soothe and help babies through the teething stage. With her contrasting colours and smooth design, she fits perfectly in little hands for surely the trendiest teething companion around. Tel: 02392 262332 Email: harry@sweetdreamers.co.uk Web: www.gertiethegoodgoose.co.uk

nursery today

Wheely great gift The Hippychick team are pleased to welcome a new plush Unicorn, Lion and Dog to their Wheelybug collection! Wheelybug bodies have a padded layer of sponge, covered with a tough layer of polyurethane letheroid that is easily wiped clean, and are ideal for use indoors or on level paths outside. These colourful ride on bugs are designed to offer hours of fun and help to promote self-confidence, spatial awareness and gross motor skills. They come in a small size perfect for 1-3 year olds. Tel: 01278 434440 Web: www.hippychick.com/plushwheelybug

Squeezy by name and by nature Squeezy by name, squeezy by nature, the soft silicone hand-held night light is the ideal night time comfort and sensory companion for babies and toddlers to keep close! Thanks to air sensor technology, two light intensities are activated, each with a single squeeze and another to turn it off. Squeezy’s handy 30-minute timer allows baby to be comforted by its soothing glow before automatically switching off to preserve its 200 hours of battery life. Squeezy’s compact and ergonomic shape is the perfect size for little hands and convenient for travel and holidays! Available now in white and grey Squeezy’s cute, whimsical design is a magical addition to any stylish nursery. COMING SOON in pink! Email: sales@babymoov.co.uk or acording@babymoov.com

Clean sweep Baby showers are becoming more and more popular nowadays. Why would they not be? It’s a perfect way to celebrate the coming of one’s precious baby, and perhaps also the last time for a long time to party! If you’re looking for a unique but useful baby shower gift item for your customers, why not check out the Nimble Household Cleaning Gift Set? It contains our multi-award winning products Milk Buster, Sticky Stopper, and Laundry Lover perfect for new parents to try. These help mums and dads clean up after their messy little kids and they will surely love having these to go along the new clothes, nappies, and toys that they’d receive. It retails at £8.99 RRP and comes in a small box the size of a quarter of an A4. It can be a standalone gift item or be put in a hamper. Email: von.sy@nimblebabies.com Web: www.nimblebabies.com nursery today

focus

THE INSIGHTS PEOPLE

In real time This issue Nick Richardson asks is your brand keeping up with the cchanging needs of parents? arents Insights is the most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence resource on aall things expecting and new parents iin the UK, from expecting parents all tthe way through to parents of ffour-year-olds. We survey 200 parents with children aged 0-4 every single w w week, which is more than 10,000 every yyear. We provide our clients with access tto ‘real-time’ data and four in-depth iinsight reports every quarter (16 per y year), providing the must-knows when iit comes to “flash” and “global” ttrends. We all know that as the landscape around us evolves, brands must evolve too. 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. Parents Insights provides the most comprehensive data and insights to brands, which helps them develop strategies across their business including advertising, content, licensing & merchandise, marketing, product and sales. Our latest data emphasises the speed of change which is occurring. This generation of parents are like no other when it comes to their behaviour, consumption and how they are being influenced. A trend which we have seen develop is the increase in popularity of ethically and locally sourced products. Our latest data collected from February to April shows over half (52%) of expectant parents are purchasing free-range products, with almost half buying either organic or local goods. With ethical, local and organic purchasing being an important factor, brands must demonstrate strong values to this generation of parents. It’s also a potential deciding factor when it comes to methods of shopping - we’ve seen that preferences differ depending on the product. Amongst expectant parents, shopping in-store and online are the two most popular ways to shop, but the balance between these depends on what’s being bought. For financial services and holidays, there is a clear preference for buying online, with four in five parents

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 new parents in the UK, from expecting mothers all the way through to parents of four-year-olds. We survey 125 parents with children aged 0-4 every single week, which is more than 6,000 every year. We provide our clients with access to ‘real-time’ data and four in-depth insight reports every quarter (16 per year), providing the must-knows when it comes to “flash” and “global” trends.

nursery today

preferring to purchase these on the web. A common theme between these two categories is a need for research; consumers generally require more extensive research to buy these products, and therefore go online. For groceries and toiletries, the reverse is true, with in-store purchasing being the favourite. More considered purchases, like appliances, devices and furniture, seem to draw consumers towards in-store purchasing. Focussing specifically on supermarkets, Tesco score highly amongst expectant parents. Overall, 58% shop at Tesco, followed by Aldi and Asda, both with 47%. However, preference for supermarket brands change depending on income. In low income families, Asda, Tesco and Aldi are the top three supermarkets. Aldi and Lidl, which according to our data are the second and fifth favourite supermarket overall, have recently introduced a selection of baby food products which address these needs. Lidl have recently launched a selection of baby food made only with organic fruit and vegetables and no added sugar, plus fragrance-free, pH neutral baby wipes. Iceland have pledged to go plastic-free, and Aldi

have launched range of organic and sugar-free food pouches. This is interesting because expectant parents in higher income households tend to favour supermarkets which don’t have an exclusively organic baby range such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose – yet free-range, local and organic purchases rise accordingly with both age and income. Our data shows that 43% of low-income parents buy free-range, but this rises to 61% of those earning £50,000 a year or more. It will be interesting to see if Aldi and Lidl’s moves towards ethical products begins to attract more of the higherincome parents, and how they draw them in without excluding families on a lower income. Understanding the values and requirements of today’s parents when developing new products will better place brands looking to connect to their customers. Considering factors such as ethics, carbon footprint and even the economic impact of products will help to engage and convert this generation of parents towards a brand. To find out how we can help you anticipate the needs of your customers, visit www.parentsinsight.co.uk/ nurserytoday or call 0330 159 6631.

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01/08/2018 12:25:26

retail TECHNOLOGY

Image source, Pexels.com

Step into the light Negative Search Engine Optimisation – Are Your Competitors Shady? revenue for a fee. The easy Search Engine Optimisation gravy train is well and truly over, it seems many are turning to the ‘dark side’ in order to keep the money coming in… Popular crowd sourcing websites like Fiverr advertise these sorts of services all the time and these sorts of ‘black hat’ techniques have been continually practised since search engines came into being.

Early Negative SEO

David Fairhurst Head of eCommerce, Intelligent Retail, http://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 here’s an old saying… “If you hear a lie often enough, it becomes the truth!” Google used to say repeatedly that there was absolutely no way that anyone could negatively affect anyone else’s website search engine listings by under-hand means. This “truth” was believed by many. Most online marketers now know for certain what we have all known for years. Negative Search Engine Optimisation is not only possible but rife, especially in eCommerce.

What is Negative SEO? Negative SEO is the practise of using tactics that will harm a competing website’s search engine listings purposefully, to gain a commercial advantage. Whilst there are many online marketing companies globally willing to promote a website in exchange for money, there are arguably a faster growing number of companies and individuals willing to damage reputation, search engine listings and 46

nursery today

Those of you with long memories may remember the protracted and at times quite humorous efforts to damage the reputation of George W Bush, who was running for presidential election in 2004. The so-called “Google Bomb” campaign against Mr. Bush utilised Google’s algorithms to promote several George W Bush related websites and pages for terms including “miserable failure” and many others which were not quite so broadcast-able! The Google Bomb technique employed link building to rank a page for any terms the attacker wishes. In the past (before Google updates designed to deflate this technique) it was possible to use targeted linking to rank websites and pages for some very competitive terms, however this loophole has all but been closed by the Google Penguin update in 2012 and further refinement of ranking algorithms. That doesn’t mean negative SEO is dead and buried, current techniques make a bit of political name calling pale into insignificance, especially for eCommerce retailers…

Modern Negative Link Building Google Penguin and later inclusion of these technologies into Google’s core algorithms was designed to penalise both paid and spammy link building techniques. Using targeted anchor text, it used to be possible to rank a page or entire website in Google’s search results for very competitive, money rich keyphrases using anchor text manipulation alone. As initially Google started to penalise those using spammy, manipulative link building of this type to promote their websites this gave rise to negative link building, where a competitor would deliberately build links with exact match anchor text to a

Whilst there are many online marketing companies globally willing to promote a website in exc hange for money, there are arguably a faster growing number of companies and individuals willing to damage reputation, search engine listings and revenue for a fee.

competing website in order to trip Google’s spam filters. Google’s Gary Illyes has publicly stated that Google no longer penalise for spammy links, but instead devalue those links, here is what he said: “Traditionally, webspam algorithms demoted whole sites. With this one we managed to devalue spam instead of demoting AND it’s also more granular AND it’s realtime.” This should mean that negative link building won’t work going forward however from first hand experience on our own client sites I can tell you it does… sometimes with great effect, sometimes having the opposite effect and promoting the website in search results. In any case, as the owner of an eCommerce website you really should be monitoring external links to make sure nothing ‘fishy’ is going on… Paid tools like Moz and Majestic SEO are better at highlighting negative link building techniques than Google’s own search console, but if you have a limited budget you should take a look at inbound links in Search Console anyway, this can definitely give you indications that something nefarious is going on.

Cracked Website? Websites infected with spam, viruses or trojans are dangerous and Google really hates them. Allow your website to get cracked by a competitor and your eCommerce business is immediately in a World of pain! Even if the attacker who has managed to access critical areas of your website doesn’t do irreparable damage to your website content or server setup, many businesses have gone under in spectacular fashion purely because of the reputational damage caused by a cracked website. Google search console is your ally here. Google monitor the safety of websites cached in their index very closely and if your website has been cracked by someone and rogue code

inserted then you will get a notification pretty quickly. What can you do to protect against this sort of attack on your business? Well going fully secure (using the https protocol) throughout your site is the first step, this helps with ranking in Google as well. Unfortunately, eCommerce sites especially those based on popular platforms are prone to intrusion unless both the structure of the eCommerce framework and any plugins are secure. Hosting technologies employed also need to be geared towards security. First thing to remember here is that you must make sure website, database and server setup is backed up regularly. In many cases of this type of intrusion, this is an eCommerce website owner’s only defence against permanent damage, however do bear in mind that Google has a pretty long memory… better that you don’t let anyone get into your website in the first place!

Negative Review Spam The first thing many people do nowadays before purchasing anything online is to look at reviews of the company they are buying from. Having a good review profile can in many cases be the difference between clinching a sale and a potential buyer going elsewhere. Negative review spam is now big business and something you should monitor very carefully! Again, there are companies offering mass negative reviews to damage reputation and reduce click/purchase rates on competing websites. The damage caused by these types of attacks is immeasurable and long lasting. The only way to protect against these types of attacks is to choose a review system that has verification of purchases from the reviewed store or business. Trustpilot do this very well as do a couple of others. Whatever you do… be vigilant. Take professional advice if you suspect an attack on your eCommerce website and act quickly. Doing an Ostrich impression is definitely not an option!