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Month: February 16 Issue 5 Volume 19

www.nursery-today.co.uk

Independently audited ABC circulation of 4402 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015

How well do your logistics arrangements stack up? See featuour insid re e

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Regulars

CONTENTS February 2016

April 2015 Issue 7 Volume 18

5 6 11 12 16

Leader News Gfk Exhibition news Nursery Natter Retailers talk bath time and toilet training

Trade Talk Harrogate International Nursery Fair

the team

The BPA joins forces with Nursery Today and Harrogate International Nursery Fair

Editor Penny Franks penny@lemapublishing.co.uk

Assistant Editor

P24

Christine Contreras christine@lemapublishing.co.uk Paul Donnelley

P48 Christine Contreras

Ross Hewitt

Yasmin Ali, NSG

Features 14

Retailer profile

20 24 48 54

Logistics Bathtime and toilet training Swaddling Nappies and changing equipment Baby showers

Penny talks to Kevin Clarkson at Paul Stride

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director

P54 Mark Naish

Lema Publishing Ltd

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

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Nigel Plested

Yas looks forward to Harrogate

Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

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

The three Ps of email marketing

Circulation

www.nursery-today.co.uk

Christian Jones, Gro

On starting a new business.

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

This month Christian talk Big Data

Ad Manager

Publisher

New products

Contributors

Penny Franks

Paul Donnelley pauld@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design Production Director

BPA

Special features Paul Naish

13 18 36

Generation Media Cover Story: Torque Harrogate International Nursery Fair Preview of the big show

Malcolm Naish Malcolm Naish

P58

Meet the Newbies Who’s new at Harrogate International Nursery Fair

www.nursery-today.co.uk Twitter: @nurserytodaymag

appy February to you all. With this being the month of love and St Valentine’s and a leap year, here’s to hoping it also brings more babies. This issue we bring you a wealth of features and even take a sneaky peek at Harrogate International Nursery Fair in advance of the doors opening. As our only UK nursery trade event, it is imperative to be in attendance. This show has always given new companies, who offer something novel to the market, a superb platform to launch their product ranges and who could become the ‘next must have’ item for independent retailers and

message from the editor... consumers alike. We feature some of those new companies in this issue; turn to page 43 to Meet the Newbies. We also take a little sneaky peek of what’s in store for you this year (page 36). Harrogate will have a truly international flavour this year with a delegation of more than 30 Chinese buyers from 16 different companies attending including e-commerce, multibrand retailers, distributors, and cross-border service providers.

BeSafe

“

Harrogate will have a truly international flavour this year with a delegation of more than 30 Chinese buyers from 16 different companies attending including e-commerce, multibrand retailers, distributors, and cross-border service providers

Bambini and Me

”

Baby & Toddler Tod d dler Shoes

Adrian Sneyd, the show organiser, stated: “We are delighted to welcome this Chinese delegation to the show. They are coming with a serious intent to buy and have asked us to organise one to one meetings with exhibitors offering specific product ranges they are seeking, including everything from wheeled goods, car seats, furniture, feeding and bathing accessories, clothing and textiles to toys and gifts. This is a fantastic opportunity for British companies to expand into the Chinese market. Some of these retailers will be presenting seminars explaining their requirements and translators will be on hand to assist with business negotiations.” For companies wishing to participate at Harrogate International Nursery Fair this year who may not have already booked their space it would be wise to contact Adrian to discuss your options. With all of the major multiple retailers already signed up to attend as well as independent retailers from all

over the UK and Europe; the show offers greater business potential than ever before. Visit www.nurseryfair.com for more information and booking forms. We also take a look at logistics this issue. This is often a misunderstood sector of our trade and choosing the right logistics partner for your business is vital. Turn to page 20 of this issue to find out more from a couple of the leading nursery logistics companies. Furthermore, we also take a look at the bathtime and toilet training category (page 26), swaddling (page 48) and nappies and changing equipment (page 54) - happy reading. On a final note, if you are an exhibitor at Harrogate this year, contact Christine Contreras on 01442 289936 or email: Christine@lemapublishing.co.uk to discuss marketing opportunities that may still be available, whether this be through our Harrogate Preview in the next issue, the Daily Newspaper, or the official Show Guide.

Great shoe for little fee Proudly made in Britain

Leader 5

NEWS aden + anais launch two new brands - bringing muslin to all aden + anais the creators of the award winning muslin swaddle announce the launch of two new brands in 2016 – aden by aden + anais and Ideal Baby by the makers of aden + anais. Samia Khan – Brand President of aden + anais - “We believe that soft, breathable muslin is the only fabric you should use on your babies. We also believe that every parent and caregiver should have access to this “wonder fabric” and its benefits—which is why we introduced the aden by aden + anais and Ideal Baby by the makers of aden + anais collections. By creating similar products to our aden + anais range with just minor adjustments, we are able to make the calming assurance of muslin accessible to everyone everywhere.” Both collections feature a range of swaddles and musy squares as well as bibs, comfort blankets, hooded towels and sleeping bags all in unique exclusive designs. The aden by aden + anais range will launch in Babies R Us this Spring. Contact melissac@adenandanais.com for more information.

Helen Made Ernie There was great excitement amongst the tribe at We Made Me Ltd when adventure mum, Helen Skelton took to Twitter to broadcast about the brands revolutionary 3-in-1 soft-structured carrier. The much loved TV presenter, who is mum to eight month old Ernie, excitingly told her 92,00 followers how much she loved the brands flagship Pao Papoose and also shared a photo with her loyal Instagram fans. Tweeting her praise for the Pao Papoose Helen said: ‘Ernie & I love our pao papoose!! He outgrew his last one. Been looking for one! It’s so comfy! Thanks! #walkingformiles’. She also shared the cosiest of pictures of her wearing Ernie, both wrapped up warm on a walk! Commenting on the brand’s latest celebrity fan, Daniel Lucas, the founder and CEO of We Made Me Ltd said: “I am absolutely delighted to see Miss Skelton having so much fun with the Pao Papoose and could not be more excited to hear it’s so comfy she is able to #walkingformiles! He continued: “This is a new product so any feedback from real users is great, but of course for the recognition to come from a national treasure is simply wonderful.” Web: www.wemademe.com

Hippychick exceeded expections Hippychick has just released the sales figures for Christmas 2015 and overall they have exceeded expectation. Sales to key accounts witnessed the biggest rise with an increase of 8.91% year on year. Sales on many of the company’s individual toy brands were also way ahead of last year – in particular Nattou, Happy Hopperz and Moover up 66%, 12% and 37% respectively. Two new introductions to the Hippychick portofolio in 2015, the French-designed BoiKido wooden toy range and Pl-ug den making kits have proved to be a runaway success story, performing ahead of already ambitious targets in terms of listings. Julia Minchin, Managing Director at Hippychick is delighted with the results: ‘The retail environment remains tough and many major retailers have posted disappointing results. To be ahead of the game is a real bonus. This is in part due to the toy trade which was far more buoyant this Christmas compared to the same period in 2014 as well as our ability to select product that really hits the spot with consumers at Christmas time. But more so, it’s a testament to our committed team at Hippychick who have done a truly fantastic job getting the product out there.’

6 nursery today

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Rainbow celebrates as Whizzpopping BFG scoops Best New Toy Award It’s the year of Roald Dahl and stealing the show, scooping a Best New Toy Award at Toy Fair 2016, is the new Whizzpopping BFG. Dahl Fans will love the new fun-packed Whizzpopping BFG feature plush which produces eight different hilarious whizzpopping sounds when you press his tummy. Alongside the Whizzpopping BFG, Rainbow Designs is also launching a stunning new collection of Soft Toys featuring Roald Dahl’s most famous characters including Matilda, the BFG and Willy Wonka. Rainbow’s new soft toys will be on shelves in time for this year’s World Book Day celebrations in March. Celebrations of Roald Dahl’s centenary will continue throughout the year and include the summer blockbuster release of The BFG movie - a Dreamworks and Disney collaboration directed by Steven Spielberg. Anthony Temple, Rainbow Designs’ Managing Director said, “2016 will be a momentous year for Roald Dahl and we’re delighted to be kick-starting centenary celebrations with the launch of our new plush products and a prestigious award. “’The Year of Roald Dahl’, sees one of author’s most-loved characters in the spotlight more than ever before. We’re extremely excited to be launching two BFG toys and retailers can anticipate a greater than ever demand for BFG products thanks to the high profile new movie,” added Anthony. Web: www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Leeds law firm to sponsor the Concept & Innovation Awards Entrants in the Baby Products Association’s 2016 Concept & Innovation Awards are in with a chance to win an outstanding prize thanks to sponsorship from Leeds legal firm 3volution. The company is offering two prizes worth £750 of legal services; one to the winner of the Concept Award and one to the winner of the Innovation Award. Julie James of the BPA, who organises these annual awards, comments: “We are delighted to have 3volution on board as sponsors of these prestigious annual awards. The BPA is very keen to encourage innovation in the baby products industry and the Concept and Innovation Awards are always popular with designers and inventors of new products. The finalists already benefit from the opportunity to exhibit their product ideas at Harrogate International Nursery Fair in March 2016, as well as receiving advice from the BPA’s panel of industry experts; but the two prizes offered by 3volution will help these new businesses to get up and running.” Sara Ludlam, partner at the commercial law firm 3volution Limited said: “3volution is a keen supporter of new ideas and believes that innovation, passion and determination are key factors for commercial success. The British are well known for being brilliant innovators. What they seem to do less well is make money from their innovation. 3volution is keen to change that by providing ‘wrap around’ legal support to ensure that businesses get the right advice in relation to corporate and intellectual property and commercial requirements and manages any potential disputes effectively and efficiently. By taking a global view of a business we can ensure that its limited resources are spent effectively - so the owner can concentrate on the growth and success of its business.”

Introducing the Radian from Diono Multi-award-winning car seat brand, Diono are launching the ultimate Group 0-2 car seat for children, all the way from newborn to seven years old. Based on the bestselling US Radian with extended rear facing and longer five point harness use, the Diono Radian 5 is the only car seat on the market to rear face and forward face in a five point harness from birth up to 25kg, keeping little ones super-secure in their seat up to a maximum of seven years. The unique steel frame provides a tough immovable core whilst metal reinforced side walls along with advanced energy absorbing foam stop crash forces transferring to the child. Short and long journeys are a pleasure with ultra-comfort memory foam, expandable sides and a plush newborn insert to keep babies secure and content. Plus with an exclusive fold mechanism and industry leading lifetime warranty, Radian 5 is the complete all-in-one package. Web: www. uk.diono.com

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New Year with a bang for Baby Brands Direct Multi-award-winning wholesaler, Baby Brands Direct, have started off the New Year with a bang – adding around 200 new products to their already extensive range. Retailers can enjoy a wide selection of new trendy licensed toys - from soft, cuddly Star Wars plush toys from Posh Paws International, to interactive The Good Dinosaur figures from TOMY. Great new Munchkin, Mothercare and Mattel lines have also been added, including the Munchkin LATCH bottle range and new Mega Bloks playsets. Baby Brands Direct are also pleased to announce that they have taken on fun, colourful bedding and wall stickers from Leicester-based brand, Suncrest, and its sub-brand, FunToSee. All these brilliant products – and many more – are available online now. Tel: 0845 370 8370 Website: www.babybrandsdirect.co.uk

Cosy little slipper socks!

February free Angelcare gift & 10% off Sassy Gear and Sassy Blocks Great news! Head of Trade, Selina, has decided to extend the January Sassy promotion. Now trade customers will receive 10% discount on all new Sassy Gear to the end of February! They’ve also extended the 10% discount to cover our brand new Sassy Sensory Blocks range. The Sassy Blocks are a fantastic range of block gift sets. They’ve been designed to help little ones feel accomplishment when building and knocking down towers with the unique Sassy Stay Trays. The blocks also aid integral development during playtime. “The blocks are bright, colourful and make a fun collectable range. They develop motor skills and cognitive thinking”, says Selina. “The feedback which we’ve received has been incredible. Retailers are loving these new blocks! Definitely one for the 2016 wish list. We’re suggesting trade customers take advantage of this 10% discounts and take a look at the new Sassy Gear and Blocks range.” In addition to this, with every trade order placed in February, we’ll be giving away one brand new Angelcare On-The-Go Nappy Bag Dispenser! Helping parents dispose of dirty nappies easily and hygienically whilst out and about. For more information, to claim your 10% discount and free gift, contact: selina@hardenbergco.co.uk

Protecting babies knees!

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nursery today 7

NEWS Christian Jones, Managing Director of leading safe sleep brand The Gro Company, considers the opportunities and challenges of Big Data for SMEs

Bill Keddie announces retirement

Doing more with your data

egardless of whether or not you belong to the ‘if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it’ school of business thought, there is no denying the growing impact that data collection and analysis is having on businesses of all sizes. Companies have always collected data in one form or another, but it has traditionally been used to analyse past performances. The rapid advance of data science means that it is now faster and easier than ever before to derive relevant insights from an organisation’s data. This in turn means that such organisations are more likely to be able to formulate prescriptive actions for example, what products their customers are most likely to buy and at what price. The speed with which all types of data can now be collected, processed and analysed means that the definition of Big Data now encompasses ‘what happened, what is happening and what will happen.’ That is quite some remit, but it is important to remember a few basic facts. For starters, simply amassing data does not deliver insights. In fact, the bigger the dataset, the harder it becomes to search, visualise and analyse. Secondly, data analysis is an iterative process – it is as much an art as it is a science, and requires continual refining and updating. Thirdly, a company still needs to know what it wants to achieve, and have an idea of the questions it needs to ask,

for the analysis to generate any meaningful answers. But how do you know what those questions should be? How can you know what you don’t know? And how do you know whether investing money and resources in data analysis will yield worthwhile results for your company? Big Data for all What was once the preserve of large enterprises is becoming more and more accessible to SMEs. The shift towards more self-service data preparation and analysis tools is beginning to make meaningful data insights available to all companies, and not just those with the money to invest in sophisticated systems and highly-paid data scientists. It is also possible to start incrementally, by looking at a specific area that is most important to the organisation, then expanding out - especially using social media information, to create a three-dimensional view of a company or brand’s performance and opportunities. The future for most companies is not about employees becoming data analysts, but more about the need for a company to integrate all parts of the organisation, and to try and connect the dots with its consumers in order to create value from the data it has.

Christian Jones is the Managing Director of The Gro Company who recently underwent a company MBO after just 24 months of Christian being at the helm. For more information about The Gro Company please visit www.gro.co.uk 8 nursery today

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Following an exciting pitch, Great Little Trading Co has appointed Clareville to handle its PR in the UK. GLTC designs and sells an award-winning range of high quality, innovative children’s furniture and accessories, smart storage and essential toys, inspiring parents to create happy family homes. With more than twenty years’ experience, Great Little Trading Co represents a benchmark of retail excellence which includes winning the Best Children’s Retailer award in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Clareville has created a range of activity that will cover a multi-platform PR strategy, including product launches and ongoing media relations; Clareville has been working with leading brands in this arena for over 15 years and is looking forward to bringing their parenting media expertise to GLTC. The account will be managed by Account Director Nikki Fox. Web: www.clareville.co.uk

DHX Brands renews Golden Bear’s UK and Ireland master toy license for In the Night Garden DHX Brands has renewed its In the Night Garden master toy deal with Golden Bear for an additional five years. The renewal covers the UK and Ireland, and follows a very successful year in those territories for the hit pre-school property, where it is one of the fastest-selling pre-school toy licences and a top-five pre-school brand overall, according to leading retail tracking firm, NPD Group. Future new product development from Golden Bear will include a Pinky Ponk toy line to complement the existing popular range, including the In the Night Garden Talking Soft Toys assortment and Ninky Nonk Musical Activity Train, which were in the top 5 pre-school licensed items in 2015 in value, according to NPD UK/Ireland figures. The award-winning Ninky Nonk Musical Activity Train, sold in excess of 65k units in the first six months of launch in 2014 and has remained in the top 10 licensed pre-school items for the last 18 months, according to NPD UK/Ireland figures. Golden Bear has also secured from DHX Brands the UK and Ireland toy rights for the new In the Night Garden Baby licensing programme and is looking at developing products for a standalone nursery toy range expected to launch Spring/ Summer 2017.

Focus GFK

Hitting the high notes in 2015

he UK nursery industry moved into high gear in 2015 as consumers moved towards premium purchases helping to push double digit value growth across the year compared to a very volume-driven 2014. With unit sales falling from 10% to 4% last year, there is a plenty of evidence of a concerted high-end trend rather than a flash in the pan. The return to value was visible across all nursery sectors including safety, furniture and feeding. Of special interest are those categories which saw a turnaround in fortune including sterilisers/warmers, cots and cot beds and door bouncers. Play dens and swings were the notable casualty last year as sales declined.

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

Playing it safe A growth in awareness and manufacturer innovation has put safety for new-borns as one of the leading factors parents consider when making a purchase, especially in car seat safety and baby monitors. Isofix attachments for car seats now account for £1 out of every £4 spent and ISize has also gained a significant foothold. In baby monitors, 60% of parents now ensure their devices are video-integrated as the pull of remote monitoring grows, influenced by today’s millennial generation moving into the parenting mode. Other significant growth trends that became noticeable in 2015 include the growth of sitter/playtrays, stroller chassis and attachments. Likely impacts in 2016 Whatever your view of Black Friday, it has become one of the peak trading periods and is unlikely to fade as long as consumer expectations and retailer strategies for the event remain. Online sales in 2015 won out against those

Tullika Bhalla made in-store the previous year which could be due to the whole new meaning ascribed to “physical” shopping that Black Friday 2014 brought. So far the nursery sector has been less impacted by Black Friday. With average earnings above inflation and the likely delay of interest rate rises, the climate favours consumer spending. Increased consumer confidence also reflects a brighter outlook for house-holders personal finances. This could mean more disposable income and encourage trade up in nursery market. According to Tullika Bhalla, business manager at GfK: “Whilst factors like a possible interest rate rise, slowing house prices and the impending EU referendum may cause some uncertainty, the more influential economic factors for couples and families have stayed positive. Consumers have more disposable income at the moment and remain resiliently bullish. The question is whether this translates to a boost in birth rates. Looking ahead, one would say the story for nursery markets remains an optimistic one, especially in value for 2016.“

smartest methodologies to give its clients the clearest understanding of the most important people in the world: their customers. In 2012, GfK’s sales amounted to €1.51 billion. To find out more, visit www.gfk. com/uk or follow GfK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GfK_en nursery today 11

EXHIBITION NEWS Stars - featuring Expo - Kielce’s Kids’ time Manufacturers from all over the world, importers from home and abroad, the globe’s leading brands and thousands of visitors - this is a nut-shell presentation of the annual Kids’ Time. The seventh Kids’ Time is held from 25 to 27 February 2016; this year it promises to be a recordbreaking and stunningly attractive show. The event will host Reyne Rice! The International Fair of Toys and Products for Mother and Child Kids’ Time is Central Europe’s greatest event in child-care products and services business sector; the Expo also boasts to be one of the world’s most prominent business events of its kind. Every year KIDS’ TIME is the showcase for the key players in the sectors of toys, prams, car seats, textiles, accessories for children. Every year KIDS’ TIME programme encompasses a number of substantive meetings: conferences, seminars and presentations. With the support of its partners, Targi Kielce hosts the best experts from around the world. This year’s agenda includes the

workshops run by the world-class specialist on toy trends - Reyne Rice from New York. She will talk about the toys sector’s current trends and future developments. Rayne Rice is a household name in the toy industry; for years she has shared her knowledge and expertise at the world’s biggest events in Nuremberg, New York, Hong Kong and London. This time you will meet her in Kielce. Web: www.targikielce.pl/pl/kidstime.htm

A wealth of new exhibitors for 2016 The new year has got off to a booming start for Harrogate International Nursery Fair which has seen an influx in bookings after the festive break. Over 20 new exhibitors to the show have signed up so far in the first 2 weeks of 2016, introducing a number of fresh and exciting brands from around the world. Aleva Naturals from Canada will present its range of maternity and baby skincare products; whilst also from Canada, Baby Works brings its collection designed with convenience and comfort in mind including disposables, bath time essentials and potty training products. Novela from New York is all about creating beautiful organic cotton designs with a catalogue of gorgeous products from organic baby bedding sets, comforters, sleeping bags and blankets; whilst Ascotex from Pakistan introduces quality textiles including muslin swaddles, blankets sleeping bags, bibs and knit terry fitted sheets. ByKay from the Netherlands will introduce a complete range of ergonomic baby carriers and accessories, promising optimum comfort and irresistible cuteness; and Twistshake from Sweden presents its next generation baby bottles. Retailers seeking innovative new travel products will love Italian Kiwy child safety seats which are the designs of Christian Grande – manufactured in line with continuous innovation and research with colours and contours providing a look of pure Italian elegance and style. Lots of favourite brands are also returning to Harrogate this year including BabyStyle; Joie Childrens Products; East Coast Nursery; Hauck and Renolux to name but a few. A full exhibitor list is available on the website at www.nurseryfair.com With major retail chains already signed up to attend; numerous independent retailers; plus a delegation of Chinese buyers attending the show for the first time; companies wishing to present their products to quality buyers still have time to sign up for the show. Full exhibitor details and booking forms are also available on the website.

NaturalStart introduces mattress protectors to its collection Expert bed makers, Harrison Spinks, have introduced a 100% natural, waterproof and hypoallergenic mattress protector to its NaturalStart collection. Perfectly complementing the NaturalStart mattress range, the new mattress protector is also made of natural fibres that are inherently fire retardant, meaning no chemicals are used on the product. As well as elevating comfort levels of the NaturalStart mattresses, the soft, stretchable mattress protector is allergen free and can be machine washed up to 90°C to prevent the growth of bacteria, fungi and dust mites. It is also tested to Oeko-tex Standard 100 class 1 product category for babies. The NaturalStart mattresses use a combination of innovative BabySpringÒ technology and luxury natural fillings – including Herdwick wool, cashmere and hemp – to provide perfect postural support. The natural fibres assist in regulating body temperature, while allowing air to circulate, keeping mattresses fresher and drier. The new mattress protector, 12 nursery today

priced at £29.99, is available to existing NaturalStart stockists from February. The product range will also be showcased at The Baby Show at London’s Excel from 19-21 February on Peppermint’s stand. For more information or to stock the NaturalStart range contact Victoria Charlton, nursery sales manager at NaturalStart, on 07572 577 407 or visit www. harrisonspinksbaby.co.uk.

Feature Generation Media

Why UK mums are leading the way in online purchasing Written by: Nadia Khaldi, (Generation Media) and Claire Milner (iGen Insight) Online sales are booming in the UK. Black Friday has shifted from a high-street event to an online one, in the space of just two years, as retailers extended discounting over a week-long period rather than a single day. In 2015 online sales were up 11% year-on-year, equating to an approximate £114bn expenditure, the latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index show.

s reported for Nursery Today in a previous issue, we conducted an online survey amongst 1,800 expectant women and mums of pre-schoolers across the UK, Germany, Spain and USA. One of the most stand out themes we can share, is that UK mums in this demographic are leading the way for online purchasing, following the trend of the UK population. 64% say they purchase online on a daily to weekly basis, comparative to an average of 41% across the other 3 markets. Additionally, 37% of UK mums agree that they prefer to buy things online rather than instore, the highest among all the other countries.

If UK mums in this demographic have a higher propensity to purchase online, why do they seem less likely to be directly influenced by online adverts? Essentially, they’re taking time to look around before purchasing. Firstly, UK mums are much more likely to research products online before going onto purchase, with 81% doing this on a daily to weekly basis, compared to 73% on average. And although ‘direct’ purchase in this instance was lowest, 36% of UK expectant women and pre-school mums still think parenting websites are the most effective medium for advertising mum and baby products. In-store advertising was ranked second (30%) and TV third (24%). We can therefore easily imagine mum browsing in-store and then going home to purchase online, or looking up a product on her tablet as she catches sight of an advert during her TV show.

they’re seemingly more dependent on it. Comfort and convenience of access also play a role, with UK mums much more likely to access the internet on a tablet or whilst travelling (21% UK, 13% USA, 10% Germany, 9% Spain). It’s our conclusion therefore, that these combined factors provide a very strong basis as to why UK expectant women and pre-school mums are leading the way in online purchasing. If you would like to find out more about this study or chat with us about your business needs, please get in touch. We are pleased to offer a free media consultation for you to show how we can have an impact on your business.

So why are UK mums leading the way in online purchasing? Could it be that UK mums are simply spending more?

This ties in with their move away from traditional parenting magazines, with 60% of UK mums saying they never refer to them for information, a huge contrast to Spain, where 40% are reading them on a daily to weekly basis. What’s surprising is that the number of hours UK mums spend online does not exceed that of other markets. Typically, expectant women and pre-school mums across all territories are accessing the internet for 1-3 hours daily. In fact, the highest daily users are in the USA, with almost 30% claiming to go online for more than 4 hours. Furthermore, the number of UK expectant women and pre-school mums that say they’ve purchased products for them or their baby – directly as a result of seeing an advert on a parenting or non-parenting website - is the lowest. In this context, it’s Spanish mums which appear most directly influenced through online advertising. Have purchased products/services for mum/baby directly as a result of seeing an advert on a… ...parenting website

...non parenting website

Market average

31%

26%

Spain

42%

35%

USA

33%

25%

Germany

27%

26%

27%

21%

Nadia Khaldi is Head of Engagement at Generation Media. - the UK and Ireland’s largest independent media buyers of Parenting, Toys and Games advertising. nadia.khaldi@generationmedia.co.uk 0207 637 9970

Out of all the markets, Spanish mums are purchasing online less often. When we look at their gross household income comparative to that of the UK, it’s much lower. In Spain, the most common income band is €10,000 - €18,499 (roughly £7,000 - £13,000*). Whereas in the UK, it’s £32,000 - £47,999. Whilst this doesn’t take into account tax, cost of living etc., inevitably, this is likely to be a key contributor. But what are the other factors? We’ve already seen that UK mums like to shop around - having the highest tendency to research online and the highest preference for online shopping over in-store. What’s more, almost 60% of UK mums agree that they couldn’t live without the internet, compared to 43% on average, the lowest being in Germany (32%). So whilst their usage isn’t significantly higher than the other countries,

Claire Milner is insight manager at iGen Insight. iGen is a full service market research agency, specialising in youth, kids and family research claire.milner@igeninsight.com 0207 637 9970 nursery today 13

Regular Retail Proﬁle

Take it in your stride This issue, Penny Franks had the pleasure to question independent nursery retailer Kevin Clarkson, a partner at Paul Stride. Since first opening their doors, this is notably an independent retailer who has firmly established themselves as a ‘go to’ destination for many new mums. Here we find out a little more. Firstly, tell us a little about Paul Stride?

How do you manage your floor space?

Paul Stride was originally a small department store trading in a suburb in York called Acomb. We sold a variety of items but predominantly Clarks footwear, womens clothes, wool and childrens clothes. Soon after opening we took over the nursery department of the car accessory and bike shop next door and that is where the nursery connection started. Over the years we pulled away from these other items and went to all nursery in the late 90s. This was followed by a move to our current premises on the outskirts of the Monks Cross - Vanguard retail park 11 years ago.

We extended our premises a few years ago which allowed us to increase our shop floor area and also to bring all our warehousing onto the same site. This has meant it is easier to handle stock both sold and unsold items. All of the downstairs is taken up with wheels and car seats and we have a smaller mezzanine level for wood and accessories.

What was the main purpose behind that move? The move related to us purchasing our current premises several years earlier and renting them out. The unit then became vacant and we decided to move into it ourselves to be closer to the out of town shopping centre and to have our own car park.

14 nursery today

What is currently your best performing nursery category and why do you think this is? We do well with car seats and wheels but poorly on the wood items. Certainly car seat sales are our largest category these days.

Do you feel there is sufficient innovation in the nursery sector? That’s a difficult one as generally there is more evolution than true innovation. However we do get innovation for its own sake in the nursery industry that

“

We extended our premises a few years ago which allowed us to increase our shop floor area and also to bring all our warehousing onto the same site. makes you look at a product and think why? Its just not needed. Currently there seems to be a real draw towards shrinking everything in the wheel sector yet children are getting bigger and parents taller and it does not always make for a good mix. It is understandable as everyone wants portability and to fit into micro cars, maybe the answer is to make a baby seat unit with 2 chassis options? I will leave that to the NSG to debate.

Do you think there will be a specific trend this year? Certainly grey is the new black which has its own problems as it did 20 years ago when we did the same thing with a full

”

showroom of grey prams at least 20 years ago they put coloured trims on the grey. For those who can remember the Silver Cross Wayfarer came in five “grey” colours all with a coloured trim.

You offer a lay-by stock system - how does this work and how popular is this with your customers? Yes we are happy to reserve goods for customer so long as a minimum deposit has been paid for as long as they want. I think the longest I have had recently is two years. I’m pleased to say the customer now thinks she has found a fella to start

“

My website changed about twelve months ago... it brings many customers into the store which is really good

the process working and has taken the pram away!

How important is social media to you? Like it or lump it social media is here to stay - this is all done in-house by the Dinosaur, AKA me, so posting tends to be sporadic. It seems to work even if I don’t fully understand it. The problem I have with it is some customers seem to live by it and always absorb all the info from so called “experts” who want to influence the world with their views.

Does your website operate alongside your store? How important is your website to your business? My website changed about 12 months ago and generally has been liked more than my previous version. In turnover terms it is only a small percentage of sales but it does bring many customers into the store which is really good as it gives us a chance to actually sell the correct equipment for the customers needs.

” Red Kite 2015 collection

customer service? What type of problems do you have to overcome?

Customer service is dealt with primarily by the staff but on more major problems then it all comes over to me. Getting quick answers from suppliers is the key to resolving issues quickly and efficiently.

Which trade shows do you attend (either here in the UK or abroad)?

01454 326 555 www.redkitebaby.com

Generally I attend Harrogate and Cologne although I missed the German trip last year due to my son’s illness. Hopefully I will get there this year.

Finally, can we expect to see any expansion plans on the horizon? I have no master plan to open any other stores. I used to have stores both in York and Harrogate but now only have the one store.

How do you manage your nursery today 15

In this month's edition we talk to retailers about bathtime products and toilet training to find their views on these fascinating categories.

Rosie Brown, Rosie Cheeks, Glasgow We are taking a look at bath time and toilet training products this issue, how well do these products perform for you? Yes they are quite a steady sale. Bath toys are very popular. We have lots on offer at the moment so the mums seem to like them. They also go for organic body lotions and lavender soaps. I sell little potties and trainer seats. They are always good; mums pick them up because everybody has to go through that. From information, this category has experienced a 10% growth, has this been noted by you also? Yes in the past six months I have seen an increase. There are certainly more people coming in asking for those products. Do you have a certain ‘hero’ product at present? I can’t think of a particular product but generally bath toys always do well. Who are your customers when selecting bath time toys? Mums mainly. I suppose because they are the ones that will be doing the

bathing. They know what they need. How important are colours? I think the objects have to be pleasing to the eye. Bright colours, nice designs do well. Do you feel there is sufficient innovation within both bath time and toilet training at present? There is always the basic range of the products but yes there does seem to be new things like My Carry Potty and a new spongy seat. You can even get ones shaped like a little throne. A lot of companies are increasing their range of bath time toys. Companies that in the past would not have featured them but are now concentrating on them.

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16 nursery today

Alex Hoare, Babybirds, Dorset We are taking a look at bath time and toilet training products this issue, how well do these products perform for you? We do quite a lot. We do potty chairs and baths and a lot of other items in that range. From information, this category has experienced a 10% growth, has this been noted by you also? We certainly sell a whole lot more than we used to; more now than in the last year or so. Do you have a certain ‘hero’ product at present? Yes we do, products by Neat Nursery. Who are your customers when selecting bath time toys? Oooh everyone. They cover the spectrum – parents, grandparents, friends, godparents. How important are colours? Oh yes, very important. They go for nice, bright colours. Do you feel there is sufficient innovation within both bath time and toilet training at present? Being honest, I think there could be more.

Liz Smart, Baby & Child Store, Bromley, Kent We are taking a look at bath time and toilet training products this issue, how well do these products perform for you? Bath time toys do very well because of the different baby baths that are available. Potty training does okay to a certain extent. Bath time for us is mainly baby baths – the Aqua Scales and products like that. Then there are full-size baby changing units, which do well. From information, this category has experienced a 10% growth, has this been noted by you also? I think that’s true on bath time. We have noticed that more manufacturers are making baby baths and there is more on the market. The key is to try to find a product, which is different from normal product. Aqua Scale is good because it’s a scale and a bath combined. There are some great changing units and, if anything, we have seen a growth in people buying changing units. More people are buying the changing units combined with the bath. Do you have a certain ‘hero’ product at present? I would say Aqua Scale and also the Obaby changing unit. The Disney bath changing units have also been popular. Disney sells so that is no surprise. What are your customers looking for when selecting bath time toys? Value for money! One thing that we have sold a lot of is storage for toys especially the pelican storage. It’s a gimmicky thing. Who are your customers? It depends – with toys it is parents. For potty training, it tends to be grandparents. That may be because the grandparents are looking after the children while their parents go out to work. We get grandparents ringing up to enquire about a few products. How important are colours? We are still seeing people going for the pinks and blues but it depends on the items. For example, with the changing stations, they have the boys’ and girl’s changing stations. They are colour-schemed. With the bath time toys, yellow and red seem the most popular. Do you feel there is sufficient innovation within both bath time and toilet training at present? I think it is a growing market and thus people are wanting something different and manufacturers are responding. There is a lot innovation and there needs to be because people need to know why they are paying premium prices.

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Cover Story Torque

Torque -

The logistics partner to help you succeed in the Nursery & Toy Industry Torque offers a unique set of flexible services that can be customised to fit any logistics and warehousing requirement. Using best practice and working in partnership with their customers, Torque delivers a tailored solution that is versatile, seamless and cost-effective.

oque is one of the UK’s largest independent warehouse and logistics providers and operates in over 1.8 million sq ft of warehousing, with six sites in the UK. The company employs over 900 people across a range of departments which enables them to offer their one stop shop solution. Working with organisations who have a variety of fulfilment solutions, and using their firsthand experience of the Nursery and Toy Industry, Torque is an ideal partner for your business. In addition to offering freight and warehousing services you would expect to find from a successful third party logistics provider, Torque focuses on providing a solution to help brands succeed in the Nursery & Toy Sector. These specialist services include: Stock Control & Reporting, e-Commerce Sales, Compliance, Customer Services and Repairs & Returns

Torque explains more about their five specialist services that help brands succeed 1. Stock Control / Reporting To entrust a company to handle all your warehousing and logistics is a daunting thought for many Managing Directors. An absolute necessity in outsourcing is that you do not lose control of your stock inventory and return rates as things can very quickly spiral out of control. Torque is able to offer customers a state of the art IT

18 nursery today

system and reporting facility that is second to none and will enable you to keep on top of your stock. RedPrairie is one of the finest warehouse management systems available and is used by many leading retailers. Customers are provided with a customised portal where they can login at any time to receive real time information on every aspect of their warehouse operation. Torque has an in-house IT Department that can provide customers with over 100 standard reports or even a tailor made set of reports should this be required. Torque delivers to (and through their own brands in most cases have sold to) all the national retailers in the nursery and toy industry. They understand what reports are required to keep on top of these selling outlets and can provide customised delivery notes for each retailer our customer’s deal with. They can even include things like discount codes for future orders onto our despatch notes.

2. e-Commerce Sales Direct routes to market are becoming more and more important to a brand’s success and profitability. This is something Torque also offers and they have their own in-house team of e-Commerce experts. The Torque service includes the set up of professionally designed online shop fronts and product listing pages which allow customers to sell their products direct to the consumer on focused

Torque prides itself on its no-nonsense approach; giving clear, upfront and honest direction as e-Commerce Manager Bob Clough explains: “There are many steps to selling successfully online from great product descriptions and eye-catching photography right through to providing an exceptional customer experience. Through our many years of selling online, speciﬁcally in the nursery sector, we can guide you through the various pitfalls and make your products visible and selling quickly on the biggest marketplaces in Europe.”

platforms which is fantastic extra service to other typical 3PL providers. Torque owns and operates two of the biggest nursery and toy retail stores on eBay, both of which are Platinum Power Sellers and have achieved Top-Rated Status, awarded for excellence in both sales generated and service level ratings based on consumer feedback. They also operate several Amazon storefronts which allow customers to retain complete control of the product listing, Torque even operate its very own specialist Toy and Nursery website.

level of customer service and the efficiency of managing the incoming enquiries. Some of the services offered as part of outsourcing this function are: Taking and processing sales orders Chasing outstanding deliveries Handling spare parts requests Reporting product faults Handling PR and marketing requests Handling customer complaints

3. Compliance

5. Repairs and Returns

Every national retailer has a strict code of rules for supplying to them and these are laid out in their supplier manuals. The ‘delivering to us’ section in the manuals can often be 100 pages + of dos and don’ts – pallet height must fit a certain criteria, they must be wrapped in a certain way, they must all be booked time deliveries, paper work must include XYZ. The list can be endless and with the requirements different for each retailer, valuable time can be spent on the logistics instead of focussing on sales. Torque does this day in and day out and they can manage this process seamlessly. They have hands on experience of doing this for a variety of customers and have the knowhow of how to operate this and take the headache away.

Torque has a custom built repair and refurbishment centre working solely on toy and nursery products. The centre’s team specialises in product care such as quality control, warranty repairs and refurbishing stock for re-sale. The centre was commissioned and purpose built to the exact specification of Torque’s Technical Manager, Melvyn Wolff. Melvyn has over 20 years experience in the Nursery and Toy Industry, prior to joining the Torque team he was the Technical Manager at SGS UK, the world’s leading independent test house. Melvyn is a key member of the Baby Product Association’s Technical Committee; he also sits on several British Standards Institute committees for safety and compliance for child safety. Melvyn is an expert in his field and is vastly experienced in identifying liability of returns. Therefore he can quickly assess what is and what is not covered under warranty. Melvyn recruits and manages his own team and as a result Torque is now able to offer customers a complete professional product care service, unmatched by its competitors. Customers are assured that any returns their company should receive will be handled quickly and efficiently, maximising profitability.

4. Customer Service If you are looking to outsource your warehousing to a 3PL, you should also consider outsourcing the customer services or an element of this function. One of the main reasons to do this is many emails and calls will be delivery related and an in-house customer services team would have to contact their 3PL for updates. By outsourcing this function there is likely to be a cost saving but the main benefit will be the

Melvyn says: “I am particularly proud of our modern and clean repair centre, designed to help fulﬁl our pledge to turn around any repair within 72 hours (collection/repair and return). “Using the same equipment as found in the manufacturer’s factories and with staff trained to the highest level we can undertake almost all repairs in-house, ensuring peace of mind for our customers.” Contact Torque today to discuss how they can help you Telephone: 08000 8555 10

Email: enquiries@torque.eu

What their customers say… “We chose Torque because of their enthusiastic, helpful and ﬂexible attitude and practical ‘can do’ approach. We needed a partner who took work away from us, not added to our workload! Torque delivers that everyday.” Paul Sirett, Country Manager – UK/ Ireland BeSafe Scandinavian Child Car Seats

“Torque is a perfect match for Shnuggle: they can accommodate our current warehousing and fulfilment requirements, as well as the needs of our rapidly growing business. It has been very important for us to find a company that can provide the exceptionally high standards of service that we wish our customers to experience. Moreover, the system has been set up quickly and efficiently, enabling business to carry on as usual for us.” Adam Murphy, Managing Director, Shnuggle nursery today 19

Focus Logistics

Movement matters Looking for a new Logistics partner? We take time to speak to those in the know in this issue of Nursery Today. Logistics can be a nightmare for many, however, get your logistics partner right and you will find that this arm of your business will run smoothly offering you more time to focus on expanding and growing your business further.

or many logistics is an underestimated and also often a misunderstood arm of many businesses. It’s not just about movement of items from point A to B - there is far more to it than that. Logistics is a big and complex business and one which everyone in the industry should be up to speed on. The key to getting this right is to find a logistics partner who really

understands this arm of your business together with an understanding of the industry in which we operate. Given that there is so much to this, the relationship between you and your logistics partner is key. To make the transition to a good logistics provider, there are many companies out there, but there are also those who are specialists in the nursery sector. We took this opportunity to question ‘those in the know’ to find out more.

Oliver Winstanley

Stephen Basey-Fisher

Head of Omni-Channel, Torque

Managing Director, Century Logistics

What are companies looking for when considering their logistics partner?

There are many qualities a company will look for when selecting a logistics partner, apart from the obvious fundamental requirements such as handling overseas freight, warehousing, fulfilment and the safe delivery of their stock to their customers, a good logistics partner needs to be able to offer their customers a complete package that handles all the bits in the middle. Torque offer a multitude of services such as custom clearance, customer services, pre–retail processing, QC, warranty repairs and much more. All of our customers have different requirements therefore we offer tailored solutions to meet their exact requirements and provide a service that can be quickly adapted as business dictates. Companies will be looking to outsource a vital part of their business and entrust a huge about of responsibility with their logistic provider. Torque believes one of the most important ingredients of a successful partnership is the relationship with our own customers. These relationships are built on trust and transparency and with them being safe in the knowledge that they are in partnership with experts in logistics.

How important is this decision to a company?

The two key words are partnership and flexibility. We form long term partnerships with our customers which enables us to build a tailor made service solution that moulds around their operational requirements. This can’t be done overnight and of course will change as businesses grow and the retail environment changes. And this is where the service needs to be flexible. We run our contracts as though they were in-house logistics solutions. The difference being we can spread the resource over a number of contracts leaving us able to flex up or down to better manage cost and service.

How important is this decision to a company? More often than not, the logistics operation is not a core element of a nursery and toy manufacturers business. Many try to run their own operations as they try to maintain control, but in fact a lot of the time it’s an unwanted distraction which stunts the growth of their businesses. For our nursery and toy customers we’ve taken this distraction away, allowing them to focus on building their distribution channels, promoting their brands and generating revenue. Our operations can flex up or down to meet seasonal demands and we can increase capacity relativity quickly to respond to longer term growth.

It’s one of the most important business decisions they can make, and selecting the wrong provider can cause no end of problems. Over the years we have secured many new customers that have switched their business to us due to them being unhappy with their providers. In recent months we have secured a number of new customers that have had issues with their stock control and the reliability of information provided to them from their previous provider. At Torque we know the importance of such reporting which is why we have invested in the best warehouse management and computer systems available. Our warehouse management system has the capability to give our customers tailored reports to their requirements and allows them to access real time information via an online portal. Our secure portal means our customers can remain in control of their stock availability and movements at the click of a button.

The greatest challenge for any logistics operation is in meeting the increasing multichannel fulfilment requirements and meeting consumer expectations. This sector is no different to most retail sectors as consumers are given many different collection or delivery options. For home delivery or drop ship, consumers require complete tracking of the orders, flexibility to change and speed of delivery. Therefore our logistics infrastructure and systems have to robust enough to meet our customers ‘customers’ expectations as well as the traditional high street routes.

What type of challenges do you experience within nursery?

Does one service fit all?

We find that nursery companies often face the same challenges: Keeping on top of their stock, managing their returns and repairs, understanding the requirements needed to supply to a national retailer and how they can operate to their full potential in a multi-channel world. The other challenge they often face is providing a seamless service to their own customers when their logistics are outsourced. Torque provides the services to overcome these challenges so our customers can focus on what they do best – sell!

Each customer will have their own requirements based on their product and distribution mix. We can cater for any route to market our customers have now and in the future with ease, this is what we do each and every day. There are four key features to our core service offer to the nursery and toy sector: We store – that’s receiving products on behalf of our customers and retain them in our warehouse. We deliver – that’s getting goods to their retailers or consumers. We fix – that’s providing warranty & customer service programmes for their brands. We sell – we turn end of line and customer returns into cash. We offer a very flexible and tailored approach to our customers, meaning they can opt for any one of our services.

Does one service fit all? No in a word, however, within the nursery sector there are many similarities in terms of the retail supply chain and the information required to meet their delivery standards and to avoid those dreaded non compliance fines. The reporting requirements of many of our nursery customers are also often very similar and it is inevitable that all of them are going to receive returns. A benefit of working with Torque is that we have an in-house Technical Service Centre which specialises in nursery and toy repairs and refurbishment and this means we can quickly turn around returns to go back to stock, repaired and returned to the end consumer or we can even sell them on our specialist baby retail platforms.

What would you say are the most important attributes a good nursery logistics company should offer? The most important attributes are simple – listening to the customer’s needs, having the ability, systems and infrastructure to execute them and ultimately delivering on our promises. 20 nursery today

What type of challenges do you experience within nursery?

What would you say are the most important attributes a good nursery logistics company should offer? Logistics is not a core business activity to our customers. Their focus has to be on growing the business, looking after retailers and building their brand. Therefore our shared goal is to take away that distraction whilst managing their costs and delivering a flexible service. And our unique business model allows us to share risk, deliver exceptional customer service and achieve tangible cost savings.

Your one-stop shop for end-to-end logistics

Welcome to the family When your business is growing, it’s vital to ﬁnd partners you can truly trust. Century is a large, established, familyowned business built on family values. What’s more, we’re experts in the nursery and toy sector. Who better to entrust your logistics to? Find out more by talking to us today.

CALL 01284 413 100 or email sales@centurylogistics.co.uk www.centurylogistics.co.uk

Warehousing, Re-working, Customer services, Repairs, QA, Returns, E-commerce

Focus Logistics

How do you decide? We spoke to Paul Sirett, BeSafe UK/ Ireland How important is Logistics to you as a company?

TORQUE -

the logistics partner to help you succeed in the nursery and toy industry

orque offers a unique set of flexible services that can be customised to fit any logistics and warehousing requirement. Using best practice and working in partnership with their customers, Torque delivers a tailored solution that is versatile, seamless and cost-effective. In addition to offering the regular freight and warehousing services you would expect to find from a successful third party logistics provider, Torque focuses on providing a solution to help brands succeed in the Nursery and Toy Industry. These specialist services include: stock control and reporting, repairs and returns, e-Commerce sales, compliance and customer services. Working with organisations who have a variety of fulfilment solutions, and using their firsthand experience of the Nursery and Toy Industry, Torque is the ideal partner for your business. Torque is one of the UK’s largest independent warehouse

and logistics providers and operates in more than 1.8 million sq ft of warehousing, with six sites in the UK. The company employs over 950 people across a range of departments which enables them to offer their one stop shop solution.

Tel: 08000 8555 10 Web: www.torque.eu

Simply critical, you have to be able to deliver the right product, at the right time, at the right place at the right price. That is always our goal, we are not perfect but always try to reach that goal.

What type of delivery times do you look for? We quote 7-10 days but remember that is from mainland Europe! And we often delivery in 3-5 days and feel our retailers appreciate that service saving them from holding piles of stock of mass market products offered on bulk buys.

What do you look for in your logistics partner? Very simple – ability to move boxes efficiently, accurately count what they have in-stock, accurately invoice you, and above all have a can-do approach to every-day challenges… that’s why we use TORQUE.

How important was this decision to you as a company? Business critical – not only for our retailers but many logistics providers simply add to your workload! They do not take work and hassle away from clients… that is crazy.

What type of challenges do you experience within nursery? Retailers not holding any stock, consumers expecting delivery yesterday and couriers throwing your beautiful products out of the back of their vans.

Does one service fit all? Not at all, but it should… some larger retailers seem not to want to retailers anymore and want the brands to fulfil the whole supply chain. You can see how this has pushed some brands to sell direct themselves.

What would you say are the most important attributes a good nursery logistics company should offer? Be hungry to do things better and ideally for less, and interested in your business model.

22 nursery today

Focus Logistics

Century, helping global companies generate UK pounds

s a successful global company you may be considering selling your nursery goods in the UK. However at the moment you will have full control of getting your goods to your retailers. You can give your retailers and customers excellent aftersales service through your country office. And with all or most services delivered in-house, you will have control on costs. So how can you have the same level of control, service delivery and cost whilst selling your goods in the United Kingdom? When DCUK launched the UPPAbaby and Boon brands in the UK in 2010 they had the same challenge. DCUK needed to find a logistic solution which would allow them to purely concentrate on the sales and marketing of their brands. They certainly didn’t have time to figure out how the logistics worked in the UK. But they knew they needed a cost-effective solution, with a UK company that had the experience, flexibility and specialist market knowledge. “Three years ago, Century Logistics provided us with the ideal package to launch a new business with an established, professional customer interface, nursery industry expertise and the flexibility to handle our planned growth” states Richard Bamforth, DCUK’s Director of Sales. Since 1997 Century Logistics has developed its logistic support services to meet the ever changing needs of traditional store retailing and the developing market of e-commerce sales.

“

capacity to meet our requirements. Century Logistics have certainly played a large part in the success of our business to date, providing and managing our total customer care, warehousing and logistics requirements.” Their modern secure warehousing is based close to Felixstowe, the UK largest consumer goods port. In 2012 they picked, packed and distributed in excess of 500,000 shipments to UK retailers and consumers. All handled by integrated IT systems, taking orders direct from retailers and distributing goods without manual intervention, reducing cost, error and giving unlimited management information. But that’s the easy bit… Century Logistics real expertise is in providing a range of services and tailored solutions to support the whole sales process. Through their team of qualified in-house engineers they repair 100’s of items per day under warranty programmes, helping to protect their customers brand reputation and saving them money. They run two of the largest eBay stores generating over £1m of on-line sales a year they sell end of line and returned stock to provide additional revenues for their customers. Century Logistics award winning customer service team provides consumer care programmes to support their customers and their customers’ retailers. They currently deal with over 300 calls a day, providing expertise, advice and service to consumers and retailers. The calls are handled by dedicated customer teams providing a seamless extension of their customers’ brands. The retail market is changing and evolving, and with the web playing an important part Century Logistics have dedicated social media specialists communicating with consumers via Facebook. “We work with our customers in a very unique way which enables a seamless partnership between us,” continues Stephen. “Our industry leading costing model means we can provide services for our customers more cost effectively than if they tried to run them. And Century’s model gives them all the flexibility and decision making, as if they were running it in-house.” For more information about Century’s specialised services for Nursery & Toy companies go to www.nurseryandtoysolutions.co.uk. To contact Vanessa call +441284 413100 or email vanessa.hope@centurylogistics.co.uk

Since 1997 Century Logistics has developed its logistic support services to meet the ever changing needs of traditional store retailing and the developing market of e-commerce sales.

It’s Not Just About Moving Goods “There are many companies in the UK that can store and move goods. We recognised a need to provide specialist bespoke services such as consumer care teams, warranty repairs and the resale of returned goods” says Stephen Basey-Fisher, Century’s Managing Director. “And we work in true partnership arrangements with our customers to develop services as their UK businesses grow.” In fact DCUK’s UPPAbaby range of products have exceeded sales targets and Century’s experience of helping nursery and toy manufacturers enabled DCUK just to focus on meeting and growing this consumer demand. Richard Bamforth continues, “When that growth exceeded all our expectations by some margin, they had the

”

Would you like to retail your goods in the UK? Century Logistics are offering free UK logistics and aftersales consultations to any companies looking to sell their goods in the UK. “If you’re starting to think about the UK, we’re offering this unique service to help with that decision making process” says Vanessa Hope, Director of Sales at Century Logistics. “Stephen and I have many years of experience and can provide any company with invaluable open advice and honest expertise.”

nursery today 23

Focus Bathtime & Accessories

Give them a hug with Hippychick

No bursting this bubble B

The bath time category continues to show no signs of slowing down and according to Gfk has seen a further 10 per cent growth. athtime represents a strong nursery category for any retailer. With many parents choosing this as a special moment to bond with their child, interact and through clever use of bathtime toys also encourage many aspects of learning – shape sorting, colours, developing motor skills, etc. it is little wonder that this product category keeps in touch with current consumer trends, continues to grow and expand and is a firm favourite for many retailers. One reason for its success could be simply that babies and small children should never be left alone in the

24 nursery today

bath unsupervised and as such not only are products manufactured and invented for the needs of the child, but perhaps also for the parent. The range of bath-time toys has increased dramatically in recent years and they are great for helping children build confidence in water. Bath time is also becoming a popular activity for dads. Many dads look forward to the end of their working day when they can get home and play fun games with their little ones and bath time offers a superb platform. This works well as it also gives the mother, who may stay at home raising the child, some time away from the constant

With the temperature dropping, stepping out of a warm shower or bath becomes slightly unbearable for all of us – these quick drying towels are perfect for making bath times a breeze. Hippychick are well known for products that are different from the rest, and help make parents lives that little bit easier. Made from the finest flatwoven Turkish cotton, Hippychick have taken inspiration from traditional Turkish Hammam towels that have been used in Turkish baths for centuries. With two sizes and two colours (red or blue stripe) available; a cosy hooded wrap for smaller babies and a hooded poncho for toddlers – there is something for every small person. We only wish they came in adult sizes too! The generously sized towels are extremely soft, luxurious and highly absorbent - perfect for bath time, swimming or keeping little ones warm at the beach.

Tel: 01278 43 4440 Email: kelly.linthorne@hippychick.com Web: www.hippychick.com demands of an infant and therefore children benefit from having happy, relaxed parents. Research has shown that fathers tend to play more roughly with their children than mothers do and bath time provides a great opportunity for a bit of splashing and noisy play which fathers especially enjoy. Bearing in mind that dads are now becoming more pivotal in the buying process of goods for their babies, and are much more hands on within the family environment, bath time toys stocked by retailers should reflect this – boats, shape sorters or indeed anything that may squirt water will always prove a winner with dad and bring endless delight to baby. We spoke to a number of suppliers and manufacturers in this sector to find out a bit more. Why is this such a popular category for many? Sarah Dayus, Brand and Marketing Manager of Great Gizmos informed us: “The bath time category has grown hugely in popularity over the past year or so and this is due to parents becoming more aware of the benefits of learning through play and also due to the exciting products available on the market now.” Helen Wooldridge of Cuddledry agrees. “Bath time has been an increasingly popular category in recent years. The

Focus Bathtime & Accessories

bath is a hugely important part of a routine with a new baby; an important bonding time for parents with the little person who has arrived in their life, and it often forms part of sleeptime too, preparing little ones for a calm bedtime.” And what about innovation - what is currently driving force behind this? Helen commented: “There are some great innovations for bath time on the electronic side of things - with clever bath thermometers giving parents peace of mind, and products for supporting babies in the bath are increasingly sophisticated. At Cuddledry we are also very focused on baby safety, and creating products without phthalates or BPAs, since babies in the bath will chew toys hence our natural latex bath ducks. We also focus on what touches baby’s sensitive skin - so have developed supersoft bamboo washcloths and natural sponge products to move away from the traditional petroleum based colourful sponges that have been used in the past.”

“

The range of bathtime toys has increased dramatically in recent years and they are great for helping children build conﬁdence in water. Bath time is also becoming a popular activity for dads

Of course, it’s not just toys that are on the want list. Due to the one-to-one interaction and lack of distractions, bath time is also a good time to introduce habits that can be transferred into everyday life – e.g. tidying up. The confined space and limited number of toys makes this a good time to help children learn to tidy up after themselves. Toys such as a bath bucket or net help make this a fun activity. Retailer Liz Smart, Baby & Child, Bromley concurs: “One of the big sellers for us is toy storage units. There is a pelican and children love opening his bill to get their toys and put them away afterwards. It’s a fun item.” Once children understand the principle of tidying up, they are more likely to comply with requests to do it, and making it fun will also increase their willingness and enjoyment of the job. Many retailers have recognised the strength of these products in store and look to focus a particular part of their shop or website being purely dedicated to this. Helen agrees this is perhaps the way forward as this is most definitely a growing category and one which is keeping up with consumer demand. “Ensuring Bathtime is a separate category offers a separate section of sales – where parents can tick items off their ‘must-have’ list for their baby. When the category is merchandised as a stand alone area like sleeptime, sales will increase because parents recognise its importance and select a group of items specific to bath time/washing activities.”

”

When it comes to bathtime toys, companies are becoming more sophisticated in the materials used to keep up with current trends. Sarah Dayus told us: “Companies are experimenting with all sorts of materials and toy concepts! We have recently introduced a bath stickers range from Meadow Kids which are made from EVA foam and adhere to the side of the baths so kids can create pictures and have hours of play time.”

We spoke to Sinead Murphy of Shnuggle to find out why bath time is such a popular category… Why are bath time and associated products such a popular category? Bathing a baby, especially for first time parents can be a daunting and quite stressful experience, yet it should be a time that enhances the bond and allows water play fun for both baby and parent. So many new parents have told us that it’s the bit they dread. If baby picks up on that worry then it can be an unpleasant experience for everyone. Products like the Shnuggle Bath create a safe and secure environment for baby, thereby eliminating the stress and allowing parent and child to enjoy bath time.

What sort of innovation do you think we currently experience? For serving such a simple purpose, there are great examples of innovation within the category, from our own ‘Bum Bump’ for added comfort and security right through to features from other brands such as retractable mesh hammocks, non slip grips and warmth retaining material.

What are the retailer benefits of stocking these products? Parents have their own way of bathing their baby -

Munchkin Knows How To Make Bathtimes Fun!

taking advice and inspiration from health visitors,

Innovative and creative brand, Munchkin, have launched some brilliant new bath toys for little ones to enjoy. These great toys all help to improve motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Hearts gives little ones five heart shaped cups to play with. These cups can stack, scoop, strain, spill, pour and rinse! The cute cups of Munchkin Falls can be stuck to the wall so little one can pour the water into the one at the top and watch it drain down through the spinner wheels! The Munchkin Hatch toy offers a cute spin on the rubber duck. Kids can make their duck hatch from its egg - the two halves of which can be used as pouring and straining cups! Baby Brands Direct is proud to be the exclusive UK wholesaler of Munchkin products. Register an account and order today.

a parent chooses to bathe, they can find the right

Tel: 0845 370 8370

parents or innovation. A retailer will do well to offer a selection of products to ensure whichever way product that suits them.

Are parents looking for products that fit into their home décor with regard to products in this category? Safety is of paramount importance when purchasing a product for bathing baby. Design and innovation is important but the comfort and well being of baby comes first. The Shnuggle bath offers the safety and security parents need, plus the sleek design they want.

How important are price points?

Email: sales@babybrandsdirect.co.uk

A baby bath is not a status purchase, parents are

Web: www.babybrandsdirect.co.uk

looking for safety and comfort at a great value price point.

26 nursery today

Visit - www.ggtrade.co.uk or call us - 01293 543221

bath TOYS GIFTS and great ideas!

Focus Bathtime & Accessories

Bath Bath Wrap Aden + Anais The aden + anais towelling range has bath time solutions from new born to toddlers all with soft terry towelling and muslin details. Baby Bath Wrap – aden + anais plush terry baby bath wrap brings all of the comfy goodness of a swaddle to bath time. The patented design ensures your infant is cozy with a bottom flap to tuck in tiny toes and a tie to make your little one feel secure. Its cotton muslin hood is a bit shorter than average hooded towels, so it will sit snug on a newborn’s head without slipping down over the face. The baby bath wrap also grows with your little one, allowing lengthening legs to hang outside of the wrap. The hooded towel and washcloth set is a tub time essential for babies, toddlers and beyond. The plush hooded bath towel keeps little heads warm with a cotton muslin hood in our signature prints, and the 100% cotton muslin washcloth is gentle enough for delicate skin yet durable enough for daily use.

Tel: Web:

Make a Splash with Bath Toys from Great Gizmos! The popular Meadow Kids and Kid O bath toys ranges are expanding, with lots of new and exciting additions to make bath time fun! Kids can have hours of play time in the bath with new Bath Stickers, available in Trucks and Trains, Fruit, Cute Creatures and Secret Garden varieties. These chunky stickers float and stick easily to the sides of the bath for unlimited play time. The ‘Build a’ bath toy range welcomes four new additions, Build a Farm, Build a Castle, Build Your Own Tractor Mini and Build Your Own Fire Station Mini. There is something for everyone! Build a Castle comes with seventeen pieces that can be mixed and matched to create a colourful castle. All the pieces joined together, to the bath tub and float on water on the base provided. From Kid O, to keep children entertained in the bath there is the Pour and Spin Submarine, pour the water over the wheel and watch it spin, blow through the periscope to create water bubbles and use the two sieves to drain water to create rainfall! For more bath time fun there are the Mini Ducks, available in pink, yellow and blue, a floating bath time friend that can fit into the palm of your hand. The solid seams prevent water leaks for a long lasting water toy.

Tel: Web:

Ingenious bath changing unit Obaby Available in both the Mickey Circles and Minnie Circles designs, this ingenious Bath Changing Unit from Obaby comprises of a spacious and easy to wipe clean changing area, with a comfortable padded mattress and raised sides to keep little one extra safe. Below this is the clever addition of a bathtub, which simply pulls out for use from underneath the changer and has a handy drainage tube to empty the tub with ease. Finally, the unit also features a range of valuable storage options including shelves and various trays, for keeping all baby’s essential bath time belongings organised and to hand. The entire unit is fashioned from a durable, smooth white plastic, meaning the components are a breeze to keep clean and is completed by a set of wheels for maximum convenience and usability.

Tel: 01652 641491 Web: www.obaby.co.uk

28 nursery today

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Focus Bathtime & Accessories

Lumilove Ducky & Lumilove Bath Turtle Pabobo The Lumilove Ducky & Turtle are the essential companions for fun bath times… Compact, it is really easy to handle in water by babies and toddlers and floats too! It gently glows and changes colours. It brightens up bath time with the colours of the rainbow! It shines up to 30 hours for lots of playful baths (more than 100). Small and nomadic, this tiny bath duck and bath turtle can be brought everywhere, even

The reviews say it all for Cuddledry Sales of the Original Cuddledry handsfree baby bath towel showed a significant increase in 2015, as word spreads ever further about how this simple product can revolutionise bathtime with a new baby. Cuddledry don’t need to say it themselves, the online reviews say it all: ‘‘This towel is so much better than any of the other types of towel I have, it saves me getting absolutely soaked and stops my Little one getting cold” (parent on The Baby Website); “Cuddledry towels are the best because they are so soft. They are perfect for babies with sensitive skin as they don’t become rough after washing - we love cuddledry in our house and would definitely recommend’ (parent on Mumsnet), and ‘The Cuddledry bath towel is the perfect way to cuddle your baby dry, while keeping both hands free to bath your baby’ (Mummyrated). The Original Cuddledry attaches around the parents’ neck like a large apron, so its ready in place to life your baby straight to you after their bath, and the double layers of bamboo soft fabric are designed to wrap up around them, with a cosy hood to keep that all-important warmth in, keeping you dry and your baby smiling! Available in a variety of colours and prints, with new designs coming soon.

Tel : 01823 323363 Email : trade@cuddledry.com

30 nursery today

for holidays! Friendly: Cute and funny, the perfect companions for bath time. Small and compact: soft and rounded, ideal for small hands! Safe: Doesn’t heat up, even in the bath or under sheets! Generous: Glows up to 30 hours, for lots of playful bath times.

Web: www.pabobo.com

Our Award winning Character Care Grooming Kit is cleverly designed with both parents and kids in mind is available in 3 colours!

Focus Toilet Training

Sitting pretty If there is a category that causes parents to worry it’s definitely products within the toilet training sector. This is such a difficult time for many, both parent and child and therefore products that assist in getting children into a good routine are a must! Fortunately, this category is incredibly well catered for and suppliers and manufacturers certainly offer an array of great items for you to hold in-store. Toilet Training Equipment includes potties, step up stools, trainer seats, potty chairs, travel potties and toilet training systems and is growing steadily as a category within the nursery sector.

Disney range available with Solution EU Toilet training made simple and fun with Solution EU’s range of Disney products. Featuring Frozen, Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Finding Dory, Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princess and Cars. Each range includes a Step Stool and Potty with soft rubber non-slip bases for extra stability. The range also has a selection of toilet seats. The ergonomic and comfortable design of the trainer seat fits most toilet seats and is easily portable with soft rubber edges to give non-slip security. The Soft Padded Toilet Seat provides comfort and is easy to use with large side grab handles. The Foldable Toilet Seat is great for on-the-go or travelling and folds down into a compact storage bag; it flips open and stays locked for stability as well as having non-slip pads. With so many different options and designs, as well as the great added features, these make a practical and fun addition to any toddler household to aid in the journey of toilet training.

Tel: 01280 878260 Email: info@solutionseu.com Web: www.solutioneu.com

ClevaMama

ClevaMama announce the arrival of Tencel At ClevaMama they are delighted to announce the arrival of Tencel to their already multi award winning mattress protector range. Similar to their existing brushed cotton all protectors are fully fitted and available in size from crib to king. Made of 100% Tencel from the eucalyptus tree and a polyurethane waterproof under layer. An easy, practical and discreet way of guarding against wet beds and damaged mattresses. Tencel protectors are machine washable and can be dried either on the washing line or in a tumble dryer. Another great benefit to retailers is their unique packaging which has a fabric swatch attached to the outside of all protectors, this ensure a lot less open packages in stores and tidier shop shelves.

Tel: +353 1 8770724 Email: info@clevamama.com Web: www.clevamama.com

Be done with nappies Prince Lionheart Get toilet training moving in the right direction with all that you will need from Prince Lionheart. pottyPOD Basix – lightweight and small enough for easy storage; great for on-the-go potty training; integrated splash shield; removable basin for easy cleaning, slip resistant TPE ring at the base. Comfortable and easy with RRP of £9.99. weePOD Basix - foam seat means extra ‘cush’ for the tush. Prince Lionheart’s weePOD Basix secures to the toilet with suction cups; stands upright when not in use and is great for home or travel. RRP: £14.99. weePOD Toilet Trainer – handles for the occasional bump in the road; anti-microbial means no more germs; slip resistant TPE ring keeps trainer securely in place; hanging loop for easy storage and easy to clean. RRP: £9.99. stepSTOOL – helps child reach the sink and toilet; non-slip top and bottom helps child stand firm and keeps stool from sliding; carry handles for portability; Flip over to turn into bathroom storage. RRP: £8.99. tapEXTENDER – no more tiptoes; extends reach of water towards front of sink for independent hand washing. Adjustable opening fits all tap shapes and sizes; anti-microbial means no more germs; no hassle one piece. RRP: £7.50 (2pk).The Prince Lionheart bathroom range is available in three eye-catching colours of Galactic Grey, Flashbulb Fuschia and Berry Blue.

Tel: 020 8997 7054 Email: uksales@princelionheart.co.uk 32 nursery today

Let’s have bright bots Bright Bots Bright Bots Potty Training Pants have been developed to assist toddlers in toilet training. They are designed to look and feel just like underwear bigger kids wear and so encourage a toddler to progress through training. Available in 12 colours and four sizes. They consist of a comfortable Cotton/Polyester Outer and Terry Liner with softly elasticated legs and an absorbent layer with a PUL guard to stop leaks. Bright Bots Trainer Pants help minimise accidents. Parents moving on from reusable and disposable nappies will see the advantages, cost saving and environmental benefit of choosing a washable, hard wearing and inexpensive trainer pant. Bright Bots Potty Training Pants have an RRP of £4.50 each. Offering an excellent margin to retailers with parents usually buying 3-5 pairs. With prompt stock replenishment from their own UK warehouse and excellent support and information leaflets provided by them.

Tel 01295 810008 Web www. brightbots.co.uk

I want to do it myself Mummy! Cuddledry Toilet training comes at that tricky age when everything is ‘I want to do it on my own!’ Which can prove difficult when you have no choice but to ensure their hands are washed after potty or toilet time. So Cuddledry have come up with a simple little product which will give little ones something to do by themselves, but helps mum or dad at the same time. The My Very Own bamboo soft toddler hand towel is a neat little towel which hangs but the sink, ready for them to dry their hands all by themselves. It features a simple handprint embroidery to show your little one what it is for, and is made with soft bamboo so they enjoy the feel of it, and their hands dry nice and fast. With natural bamboo being 60% more absorbent than cotton, and with antibacterial qualities, it is ideal for encouraging hand washing and drying. Perfect for at home, or to take to the childminders (who often ask that you bring a towel for your child) – it comes beautifully packaged so can be given as a gift to a toddler so they can ‘be in charge’ and get those tiny hands nicely dry. Available with FREE point of sale display.

Tel: 01823 323363 Email: trade@cuddledry.com

Pourty – potty training and more

Protecting beds with Hippychick Parents can sleep easy during those tough potty training nights with Hippychick’s tencel mattress protectors. For those of you who aren’t aware tencel is a naturally hygienic fibre made from 100% biodegradable wood pulp cellulose. It is as cool as linen, soft as silk and even more absorbent than cotton. Tencel’s unique moisture absorption capacity draws away moisture and helps keep you cool on the hottest of nights. Without moisture the growth of bacteria is inhibited. The polyurethane layer also acts as an anti-allergy barrier – further protecting from hay fever and asthma. Hippychick takes a much needed, but also much maligned product and transforms it into a comfortable, soft, undetectable piece of bedding for children. All Hippychick’s bed protectors are soft breathable absorbent and waterproof, meaning they are a great natural alternative to plastic under sheets. To give parents even more confidence the range has been endorsed by ERIC, the childhood continence charity.

Most parents experience a feeling of dread when their children reach potty training age at the thought of the potential mess and hassle. Pourty’s practical and innovative potty training products make the process easier, cleaner and more comfortable for parent and child. The Easy-to-Pour Potty continues to dominate the market with its simple yet effective drip free spout and fun colours. The Flexi-fit Toilet Trainer consistently receives 5 Star reviews for its clever “wobble free” design. The taller Up Step, makes it easier for children manoeuvre on and off the loo and rest their feet whilst sat, providing extra stability. The Pourty Cradle Cap Massage Brush, launched in 2015, is a unique solution for removing cradle cap. Its bristles are soft and gentle but firm enough to work away the nasty stuff. Suitable for newborns and toddlers, it has revolutionised the treatment of this condition and sales are building by the week as the word spreads.

Tel: 01453 549755

Tel: 01278 43 4440

Email: info@pourty.com

Email: kelly.linthorne@hippychick.com

Web: www.pourty.co.uk

Web: www.hippychick.com

nursery today 33

Special Feature Nigel Plested

Time to get started? Time to get thinking... It wasn’t long ago that I was setting up a new business. It’s daunting, challenging, exciting and time consuming. A steep learning curve and a chance to step outside of previous experiences and develop new skills, opportunities and networks.

By: Nigel Plested

Nigel Plested is a designer and a creative director. He is the founder of Narrative Studio, a strategic design business, which brings together a specialist and experienced team of designers with a rich expertise in new family culture, parenthood and babyhood; creating award-winning products and brands. Prior to setting up the business. Nigel was on the board of directors at Mamas & Papas, and alongside Narrative, he now writes and lectures on the subject of parenting and product culture. Nigel can be contacted through the company website www. narrativestudio.com or he can be found on LinkedIn.

34 nursery today

he nursery industry, as we coin it in the UK, is one of the most diverse, dynamic and rewarding sectors there is. It is a collection of commercial categories with multiple and diverse routes to market, via specialist independents and national specialists, big box retailers or e-tailing channels. Furthermore, it is now very much a global opportunity. No longer dependent on just local business, brands have the opportunity to exhibit, distribute and supply a wider marketplace via the international trade shows, and established, knowledgeable distributers in each territory. It is neither one single industry or governed by a set of common product or material threads, but rather a culmination of numerous industries, ranging from toys and technology, through to travel and transport goods, clothing and apparel, furniture and healthcare; all brought together by the needs and wants of parents and babies worldwide. One of the traits, which categorises the marketplace as a whole, is the openness to competition, new comers and new ideas. It is a marketplace, which renews itself every 24-36 months. When parents are in their first trimester, for the first time, the landscape of brands and products is all new, allowing for new entrants into the market who can appeal and empathies with this self-replenishing audience. The other trait, is the potentially clichéd, but none the less powerful parental call to action which is ignited in mums & dads; a scenario where parents with problems, look to scratch an itch, and turn an itch into a business. Success rates seem to be relatively high, (although I make that statement anecdotally), and it is as market where stars align to allow new businesses and brands to get off the ground. This is down to a recipe, whisked up of several ingredients underpinning these businesses unlike many others. These businesses, ideas and brands are often ignited by the personally life-changing event of parenthood, married with the shared experience of becoming a parent, time to think and consider the future, a good idea and first hand experience of manhandling babies, and a new thing, which is an on tap community of testers, sense checkers and advocates found within baby groups, social networks and social media. Put them all together and they make fertile ground for the

expression and maturation of good new ideas and commercial potential.

But where to start? One of the dates in our yearly calendar, which provides a showcase for the best of British ideas in the sector is the Harrogate Nursery Fair. For start-ups in the UK this is often the place to start, the launch-pad and the chance to get noticed, selected and distributed. And so with the topic of fledging business on the agenda, I thought I would take a little time to look at the challenges of starting something new. I do not think that there is a formula to this as such… and there certainly isn’t a right or wrong. For some people, who are able to self finance, and find that their idea is simple enough, immediate enough to get sourced, supplied and trading in a relatively short space of time the challenges of reaching that starting point can be relatively low. However, I would probably suggest that most have more wide ranging challenges to meet. Whenever we are called upon by a start-up, the conversation usually begins with intellectual property. The diligence they have shown in organising and protecting their idea before trying to get it designed, or produced into a market ready state. Now don’t get me wrong, I think IP is very important, but it has a place in the development process, which is often misjudged. So many start-ups spend 70 – 80% of their budget on protecting their idea before engaging with a design or development stage, and this can lead to two scenarios. Firstly, they just do not have the capital to invest in the idea they’ve protected, and many of the potential entrepreneurs we have met over the years have been in that scenario, and in turn given up. Secondly, the idea, usually evolves, often to the point that the original IP can be wasted, because it is no longer specifically, relevant to the product (now different to the idea they wanted to protect). I am not advocating skipping, the

IP bit (before I get bombarded by emails from irate IP lawyers), but choose those moments wisely. There is no point having an idea you have protected, but cannot afford to develop, stock and market unless you want to merely sell on that idea (I’ll come back to that one…). I also think that everybody looks towards patents as an insurance policy, which they are not. Patents need defending, which can be a costly business

“

One of the traits, which categorises the marketplace as a whole, is the openness to competition, new comers and new ideas. It is a marketplace, which renews itself every 24-36 months

”

for any business, especially a start-up and there are alternatives, which may include design registration as part of an over-all IP strategy. This leads to another hurdle, which many juvenile ideas pioneers face, and it is the difference between an idea, and the reality that products have commercial constraints. Products sell, and history tells us that inventions often don’t. Inventions and eureka moments are great, but the journey from “wouldn’t it be good if there was a thingy that did this”, to a product is not an easy one for many new baby businesses. In effect they can often be stalled by their own idea, which leads to elongated and drawn out development schedules, or investment in aspects that don’t necessarily resonate with consumers or users. The idea can become bigger than the business, and fail to mature into a product. For many funding is crucial in gaining traction. Some try crowd-funding, which is becoming a great way to secure capital without giving away equity or value in the business, and in turn it provides a litmus test to the idea itself. To do this, the idea really needs to be at

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The one thing that is universal in all the new innovation businesses I’ve met is that they are passionate about their idea. I appreciate that passion and believe it invaluable, but whenever we meet a startup, we ask “Why do you want to do it?” and often the answer is because the individual wants to see the product come to life. But for many the challenge of running a business, having a warehouse with stock, or coming up with the next idea falls to the background. Ideas are good, but businesses need to grow beyond the initial spark of inspiration, so in many ways the product is academic, without a passion for business, the passion for product can often be misdirected. There are also alternatives. Many people have great ideas, but don’t necessarily want the demands of a business, in which case looking to commercialise an idea by leveraging the IP or design can be a good option, or developing an idea with the intent to license or have it distributed forr them can be a good option. Exposure is one of the hardest things to generate as a start up they need is the column inches and media coverage. With so many small businesses branding, communication and clear messages make a big difference. The stages for promoting new ideas, certainly exist, but maybe we need more of them, or they need to be moree permanent, rather than fixed to a venue or event. Participation in trade events is most definitely crucial, and the BPA plays a significant role in assisting those who want to exhibit or gain funding. Support from the industry itself is something that also plays a large part. Recognition within the industry, for the products, which make a difference, plays an important role in celebrating success and inspiring start-ups to continue what they started. Whether this is highlighting a new fledgling female entrepreneur, or an established well-known brand, the way we celebrate new successes says a lot about the engaging and generous industry we all occupy. It is an industry, which welcomes new businesses and appreciates a good idea.

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a mature stage, and one that proves and reflects the commercial proposition people are investing in. Some call on friends and family, some look for an investor with experience or a partner with the relevant commercial footprint. One such brand, showing at Harrogate for the first time this year has benefited from such a relationship. Called BumGo, they have created a unique baby-changing wrap, and through a fantastic project aimed at bringing together ‘idea generators’ and ‘idea implementers’ they met Adam and Sinead, of Shnuggle, in early 2015. For Dr Jenny Parker, one of the creators of BumGo this was, “Without doubt the best route for us; we have been able to see our idea grow and develop to something with real market value with the expertise and consistent drive of Shnuggle’s growing business.” I think the challenge here is for start-ups to be open to expertise and partnerships, as a way to accelerate their growth and potential for success. The next hurdle after protecting Ideas, and managing the pounds, is one of sourcing. Now sourcing can seem daunting. Even for someone like myself with twenty years of sourcing experience, it is a tough challenge to find the right manufacturing partner on day one. I was once quoted as saying that “what makes a great designer is a great factory”, and it is the same here, what makes a good new business will be the supply chain. The best ideas can often be undermined by poor execution, an un-interrogated bill of materials, tooling costs and the cube it occupies in the container. For many start-ups that will probably mean a factory overseas, and potentially one in Asia. Warren Newton is launching his new product Gerry the Giraffe, at Harrogate 2016, and he raises this as one of his hurdles in reaching his goals. “I’ve found that converting your idea from the UK to China can prove to be a huge headache, getting someone who knows which factory to use, understanding the language… it’s taken me four years from concept to selling the finished product.”

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Focus Harrogate

A UK trade show is essential for the industry

arrogate International Nursery Fair has been the flagship of the nursery industry for 46 years and without doubt things have evolved considerably for all involved since its beginning. More and more business is now conducted online opening up international trading platforms, and consequently the nursery sector has never been more competitive. At one time the nursery industry was so buoyant that there were actually two industry trade shows in the UK, but this was not sustainable and Harrogate is now the only event where UK manufacturers and retailers can network and share business. This face to face structure is vital for so many retailers – particularly the smaller companies which cannot afford to attend international trade shows and don’t get invited to exclusive product launches. Yes, you can view many products online, but looks can be deceptive. In addition, companies trading online can hide behind a facade – what looks like an incredibly professional commercial website, may in fact be fronting quite the opposite. Harrogate – and other trade shows – provides the opportunity to see and touch new products to get a feel for the quality and style; it also helps to build good business relationships and trust. Apart from providing the platform for established and well known brands to launch new product ranges to the UK market, Harrogate also allows new companies to show their products and establish important connections. Caroline Bettis of John Lewis commented last year: “Harrogate has always given small suppliers the opportunity to showcase their products and I am always excited when I discover a new range or brand.” For the majority of UK nursery retailers, Harrogate International Nursery Fair is vital to their businesses, providing a one-stop-shop where they can view and make stock decisions for the entire year. Amanda Heppel of A3 Baby Barn based in Chessington explains: “I started my business in December 1994 and have been attending Harrogate International Nursery Fair ever since. It provides the ideal opportunity to meet suppliers in a friendly, relaxed 36 nursery today

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20th-22nd March 2016

For the majority of UK nursery retailers, Harrogate International Nursery Fair is vital to their businesses, providing a one-stop-shop where they can view and make stock decisions for the entire year

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environment, see what’s new to the market and also have a chance to see the full range of products available.” Amanda continues: “In the last few years more and more of the larger suppliers are doing their own thing and inviting us to individual events. This is a nightmare for the small independent retailer – we either have to get in extra staff, close the shop or give up precious days off in order to attend. When you consider that there are now at least eight of these individual events a year, this is expensive and we end up not attending many. Consequently, both retailers and suppliers miss out - we don’t see what is new and they miss out on our orders. “We need a UK nursery show and I would encourage the major manufacturers to look at the benefits of attending Harrogate International Nursery Fair as it provides the ideal opportunity once a year for retailers and suppliers to meet together under one roof.” In a challenging economic climate the organisers of Harrogate International Nursery Fair are constantly looking for new initiatives to encourage the industry to come together. Adrian Sneyd, show organiser, comments: “We understand that times are tough and consequently we strive to keep exhibiting costs to a minimum. In fact, the cost

of exhibiting per square metre at Harrogate is probably the cheapest of any UK trade event and most certainly in Europe.” Adrian continues: “We have also worked hard over the last few years to develop a show that offers truly holistic business approach with the introduction of informative seminars; a VIP lounge to encourage major buyers to attend; a dedicated press office used by more than 60 journalists from both trade and consumer titles plus free networking events which are great for building good business relationships in a welcoming environment.” Initiatives for 2016 have moved a stage further with the introduction of a new meet the buyer service. Adrian explains: “The UKTI based in Guangzhou, China has organised a delegation of Chinese buyers to attend the show. This is great news for exhibitors as there is a huge demand for British products in Asia and these attendees are coming with a serious view to buy. “We have also been approached by a major UK retailer asking for meet the buyer sessions so we will be rolling this initiative out and exhibitors with specific product ranges will be invited to meet on a one-to-one basis.” Full information about attending Harrogate International Nursery Fair, either as an exhibitor or as a visitor, is available on the show website: www.nurseryfair.com

grows every way. for every stage. meet every stageâ„˘ Iâ€™m the ultimate transporter from teeny tiny to 12 years old because everything should adjust to every stage. I face rearward up to 18kg because everything should simply 0+/1

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simply brilliant. For all sales enquiries, please contact Joie UK on 01889 808 900 or email: uksales@joiebaby.com

Focus Harrogate Rachelle Harel RHSM Group

Talking Trade at Harrogate What makes this exhibition a must attend event? We questioned exhibitors to find out more.

Why is it imperative to exhibit at Harrogate for you? RHSM manage a number of international brands, for example BreathableBaby, and Harrogate is a great opportunity to showcase these all together under one roof. It is also a great chance to see all of our customers face to face – and of course catch up with colleagues and friends.

What three solid reasons would you give for visitors to attend? Nothing can beat seeing product and demos in the flesh... and you never know where the next gem will be hidden. Independent retailers looking for a point of difference from large multiples will find many new brands and innovative products. And of course the party always makes for good fun and networking.

Are you running any speciﬁc show only oﬀers?

Paul Sirett BeSafe Why is Harrogate Nursery Fair important to you as a company? To give ALL Independent Retailers a quality opportunity to see the whole BeSafe Range of models and colours and discuss our business away from their shop floors.

Can you give three solid reasons why visitors should attend? To take time to ‘think & discuss’ new opportunities with existing and new suppliers, (away from the busy shop floor), To ensure you are up-to-date on products To take advantage of show offers.

Are you running any particular show oﬀers this year? Of course, and better than ever! But only to visitors.

How many new products will you have on your stand this year? Multiple new products and even new brands this year from the BeSafe Mother Company ‘HTS’!’

Judith Stark

We will be running different offers every day to tempt independent retailers. We are particularly keen to partner and support bricks and mortar stores who are interested in showcasing our brands. And not forgetting our now infamous Bubbles bar - what more reasons do you need.

What are your thoughts on international visitors registered to attend this year? To expand your existing product portfolio into new markets is one of the most cost effective ways of growing your business, therefore the chance to meet potential new international partners is a valuable addition to the benefits of exhibiting at Harrogate. International visitors will have the chance to come to see classic and new British brands at their very best and visit one of the prettiest town in the country.

Managing Director, Halilit

Retailer Comment

Why is Harrogate Nursery Fair important to you as a company?

Sue Dronﬁeld

Harrogate is the only venue where we can show our full range of wonderful baby toys. Although we exhibit at Toy Fair and Spring Fair too, we find that most buyers at these shows are looking at toys for pre-schoolers or older so we take a smaller selection of our baby toys there. It’s only at Harrogate where we can focus on this really important category and show our larger items such as play mats and baby gyms and have the time to talk in depth to our nursery customers. Each year, we open new accounts and we get the opportunity to learn about what’s working, what’s not and to find out what our customers are looking for. We really do build relationships at this show.

Can you give three solid reasons why visitors should attend? It’s the only dedicated nursery event in the UK where major brands are brought together at one venue. It’s a great opportunity to spot hot new items that often haven’t been seen before and to network with other retailers. It’s a friendly, relaxed show with a special atmosphere that is enhanced by the social events and the lovely Harrogate setting.

Are you running any particular show oﬀers this year? Definitely, we are launching some amazing innovative Baby Toys from Taf Toys at the show including some practical items such as a pram sun shade that combines function with exquisite design and that doubles up as a mobile too! We are going to be offering discounts on all of our new items and reducing our carriage paid order to just £150 for all orders taken at the show!

How many new products will you have on your stand this year? We will have approximately 15 brand new items on our stand this year so it’s well worth a visit!

38 nursery today

Baby Barn, Rugby, Warwickshire Harrogate is one of the highlights to our year as trade shows go - with a great range of products and suppliers attending plus on a social scale a pleasant break too. I enjoy going and taking my staff too as it is a great way to see new and current products in all their colours plus have face to face contact with the people we speak to on a regular basis on the phone. I also feel my team benefit from meeting the people we deal with, have a little hands on training and also have the opportunity to see what new products are coming onto the market too. The Show Only Offers during the event are always an incentive to attend – it’s great when companies offer these to visitors. I normally attend for two days. Harrogate is an ideal platform to see lots of companies under one roof - it is now becoming more difficult to attend all the individual suppliers Road Shows as someone needs to open the shop.

for all stages of teething

Gummee Mitts 0-3m

Gummee Glove 3-6m

Heart Teething Rings 3m+

? ? ? BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT GUMMEE LTD

All will be revealed at the Harrogate International Nursery Fair.

New Year, New Name! Gummee Glove is now Gummee New Year, New Products! In March we will be launching exciting additions to our range to cover all stages of teething!

Come and see us on Stand QF4 enquiries@gummeeglove.co.uk www.gummeeglove.co.uk

Released early due to popular demand â€“ the new Prive 2016 range from Bebecar Available now Call to request a catalogue 01692 408801 or visit www.bebecar.co.uk

BebecarUK Ip-Op evolution in Crystal Sparkle. Part of the stunning new Prive range.

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Focus Harrogate

Trend setting with H&Co Hall B, Stand: B27

Disney Baby with aden + Anais Hall B, Stand: B12 aden + anais will be giving a sneak peek of their new collections for spring/summer 2016 – along with the first showing of their collaboration with Disney Baby. aden + anais has been mesmerised by the magic of Disney and is excited to announce its first Disney inspired collection. The limited edition Disney Baby collaboration, which launches across Europe in 2016, will comprise exclusive 100% cotton muslin products across a range of aden + anais’ most popular styles featuring exclusive Disney illustrations. Both Disney and aden + anais are known for designing products with parents and babies in mind and share a commitment to reaching the highest possible standards in terms of quality and innovation. The aden + anais and Disney Baby collaboration is no exception and aden + anais’ signature muslin will feature iconic prints from Disney characters including Winnie the Pooh, Bambi and Jungle Book. The products will be sold through aden + anais retailers throughout Europe and through the aden + anais website.

Tel: 020 3735 7569 Email: boutique@adenandanais.com Web: www.adenandanais.co.uk

It’s all happening at BabyStyle Hall B, Stand: B44 So much will be happening on the BabyStyle stand this year at Harrogate that we are struggling to find the space to tell you all about it! They will be showcasing an extended range of their award winning products, this will include some fantastic new additions to the Egg colour range, namely the intriguing sounding Gothic Grape, the sparkling Champagne, the Expresso, rich and intense and two specials yet to be announced. There will be a new range of the ever popular Prestige on display and not only that but they will launch their new own Oyster Isize car seats and introduce the Hybrid Stroller Range. HYBRID…. Come and see the new Oyster City Bronze, produced exclusively again for independent’s following great feedback and sales of the City Grey range. There will be some one time only, one off show offers available and if all of that isn’t enough to whet your appetite then we will be having an after show party on the Sunday night with Champagne and Canapés from 5 till 7. Put simply, visit them at Harrogate!

Tel: 01509 816444 Email: info@babystyle.co.uk Web: www.babystyle.co.uk

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This year at Harrogate the H&CO Trade Team will be displaying the latest and greatest in nursery products. Come and visit the team on Stand B7 and see which exciting brands and new products are set to revolutionise UK homes. You can expect to see developments from existing brands Angelcare, Ameda, Duux, Onaroo, Sassy and Simple Wishes! But also, come and get hands on with their new brands which are sure to excite parents during 2016. As always, they’ll be offering exclusive and tempting offers during the show so please get in contact with them, book an appointment and stay ahead of the nursery trends for 2016.

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

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• Adjustable leg room • SIP+ • 5-belt harness • Double cushion inserts

The new Performance Cool Air Four Position 360 Baby Carrier provides four comfortable and ergonomic ways to wear baby: Front-Inward, Front- Outward, Hip and Back carry positions. To join in contact BeSafe UK/Ireland on: sales@hts.no ERGOBABY.CO.UK

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Focus Harrogate

Colour choice increases sales! BeSafe Hall C, Stand: C40 The New launch of the BeSafe ‘Modular’ system has surprised the Company and Independents alike due to the wide range of different colours that are selling. The range comes in six colours across two different fabric styles and ‘for once’ it is not just Black that is selling! Historically the majority of consumers have defaulted to black when buying car seats but BeSafe are seeing this balance change following the launch of their latest model. “This is a great opportunity for retailers who choose to give space to car seats as particularly after the Infant Carrier stage the consumer wants to take the seat away the day they choose it so having colour options instore catches the sale,” stated Paul Sirett, BeSafe Country Manager – UK/ and Ireland.

Tel: 01606 814 638 Email: sales@hts.no Web: www.carseat. co.uk

New additions with Hippychick Hall C, Stands C29 & C35 With two (and possibly three – watch this space!) new product launches this month, Hippychick are excited to be returning to Harrogate for the 15th time to showcase innovative new baby and toddler products. Firstly, Tidy Tot is set to take the show by storm! This original feeding product will make meal times a breeze. The tray and bib set is specifically designed to aid baby led weaning. Abeille, the second product launching, is a premium yet affordable range of beautiful cellular blankets. The cellular blanket is the only blanket recommended for newborns by midwives, their cell construction traps are and keeps baby warm in winter and cool in summer. Hippychick’s new range of baby and toddler shoes will also be on display for the first time at Harrogate.

Tel: 01278 43 4440 Web: www.hippychick.com

BreathableBaby stars with Twinkle Twinkle Hall D, Stand: D5

Every second counts

BreathableBaby is excited to be returning to Harrogate again this year with new items added to the successful range of printed Breathable liners , including the 2016 design - Twinkle Twinkle. Timeless and classic, ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ is beautifully simple with a soft grey star print. Available in all three platforms - Full Wrap, two sided for cots with solid end, and a mini version sized to fit cribs and cradles such as the Bloom Alma crib, Twinkle Twinkle is available now and will be available for customers to see firsthand at Harrogate.

Shnuggle Hall H, Stand: H2

Email: rachelle.harel@breathablebaby.com or jill.holland@ breathablebaby.com

Shnuggle will be bringing new exciting 2016 launch - the ‘Pebbly Bath Thermometer’ to Harrogate. Pebbly is an advanced digital bath thermometer that uses an extremely accurate temperature chip to measure the bath water 5 times per second. This allows parents to monitor baby’s water temperature throughout the whole of bath time ensuring water is not too hot when baby goes in and lets you know when the water turns too cold. The clever system uses easy to read glowing LED lights with instant results. Not only is Pebby® practical and innovative, but it is also stylish too - designed to look like beautiful pebble decor when not in use - the perfect accessory for any bathroom. Simple, safe and stylish, thiss has been the most complex Shnuggle product to develop but with huge interest from Retailers already, promises to be a great start to 2016.

Tel: 0289 181 5169 Email: sales@shnuggle.co.uk Web: www.shnuggle.com 42 nursery today

Focus Meet the Newbies

Meet the Newbies Harrogate Nursery Fair has always been recognised as the place for new companies who are entering the nursery sector to exhibit. As such, this only UK trade event ensures that there is a great level of new innovation and products on display that may have never been seen previously. Let’s take time to meet the newbies!

All in one muslin cotton wraps ASOCTEX, Stand: HP99 ASACOTEX extra large (120cm x 120cm) all-in-one muslin cotton wraps are made with finally woven muslin cloth, soft and breathable, these wraps not only help baby feel safe and secure while swaddled they also can be used as a blanket, nursing cover, a portable crib sheet, a change mat, a stroller cover and more.

Tel: 0092 300 823 5373 Email: aman.asacotex@ gmail.com Web: www.asacotex.com.pk

Here’s what one newbie had to say… Tam Tran Cuddle Mates Limited What was the inspiration behind launching your product? Cuddle Mates were created from my own experiences as a parent. My toddler son just wouldn’t go to sleep and when he did he would toss and turn restlessly or wake up numerous times during the night. Desperate and sleep deprived, I tried everything to help him. After a conversation with my mother, I remembered my own childhood in Vietnam where every little kid had a ‘sausage shaped’ pillow – something to wrap both their arms and legs around for reassurance and comfort all night long. Cuddle Mates help British kids (and their parents!) sleep better by unlocking the secrets of the Far East.

Why was it important for you to use Harrogate Nursery Fair as a launch platform? It’s a huge trade show with a diversity of visitors. In order to increase Cuddle Mate’s brand awareness, Harrogate was a ‘must’ for our marketing strategy.

What type of visitors are you looking forward to welcoming on your stand? Cuddle Mates are practical, original in design and great value for money. Our focus is on helping improve the quality of sleep for little kids. We welcome large and small buyers with a similar type of passion.

Bins full of character Tidy Freaks, Stand: HP117 Tidy Freaks – the innovative lively in-car character bins – your back seat litter bin buddies! On the market since July 2015 they have won two consumer awards; Loved By Children gold and Bizziebaby bronze. Tidy Freaks make great travel companions keeping your cars free of mess. Loved by children and parents alike they are excited to be making their Harrogate Nursery show debut. They have worked closely with their UK distributor Bebelephant receiving a fantastic response from the market. They are currently stocked online with Halfords, Amazon and Kiddicare and have seen a strong uptake from independent stores. They are looking forward to meeting many more new customers at the show, where buyers from independent stores can avail themselves of a show special 10% discount. Visit them on stand HP117 and see for yourself just how much their Tidyfreaks can gobble up!!

Tel: 07717 706031 Email: info@kidnative.co.uk Web: www.tidyfreaks.com

Will you only be supplying bricks and mortar shops or will you also consider internet retailers? We pride ourselves on being forward thinking. We consider Facebook and Twitter a necessity and already work with many of the large internet retailers to distribute our products.

Will you have a mininum order policy? We are so confident in our product that we are more than happy for customers to buy as many or as few as they like to test it out.

Are you running a show only oﬀer? We are running a 15% introductory discount for all our new customers.

nursery today 43

Focus Meet the Newbies

Comfort and closeness for baby, support and ease for you Britot, Stand: HP122 Carrying your baby is brilliant. Babies are so much happier and more secure and it can help with emotional and physical development. But so many baby carriers are fiddly to use or uncomfortable for wearer or baby. Britot is designed to be used from birth, even with smaller babies and can be used up to 20kg. Britot spreads the weight of heavier babies through its stretchy material and its wide, padded waistband allowing you to carry your baby in comfort for longer. The material stretches with your child so they are held close, promoting healthy sleep and well-being. Britot’s easy to use, has no additional parts and can be folded away. It can be washed easily and comes in three vibrant colours. Britot brings the comfort and closeness babies crave with the ease and back support busy parents need.

Tel: 03333 440240 Email: mark@britot.co.uk Web: www.britotbaby.com

Meet the fully portable Sleepybobo - AKA Gerry the Giraffe Innovative Baby, Hall H, Stand: H35 Designed by Warren Newton; a father of four from Lincoln, UK. The Sleepybobo is the first product from Innovative Baby Products Ltd. A beautiful addition to any home and must have for all new parents. A perfect gift for any baby shower. Compatible with most car seats, rockers, bouncers, moses baskets and cribs, Gerry gently rocks and soothes baby. Gerry has several features inbuilt, safety being the main one. Others include: - speed setting, lock, battery indicator and timer. Other products available in the Gerry the Giraffe range: - Comfort Blanket, Plush Toy, Interactive Toy, Sensory Book, Dummy clip, Neck Extension (to work with cribs), bespoke carry bag and keyring. For UK Retail distribution, please contact Bebelephant.

Tel: 0800 9788 365 Email: orders@innbp.co.uk Web: www.innbp.co.uk

Swaddle in style Little Rosa, Stand: HP106

Exude luxury with KeriKit change bags Stand: HP93 KeriKit has designed a range of stunning yet practical, award winning changing bags that meet the modern mother’s needs without having to compromise on style or having to choose between function and fashion. The concept behind KeriKit is a simple one, you are not one-dimensional so neither should your bag be - it should part of you and every aspect of your life. KeriKit uses the highest quality Italian leathers to create multi-functional, beautiful bags for you, your baby, work or a weekend away. The exterior exudes luxury, whilst on the inside functionality reigns thanks to the unique and innovative IRO (Internal Removable Organiser), that has designated sections for you and your baby’s items. KeriKit bags have a host of clever design features such as two way zips so your bag can be worn on either shoulder, wide straps for comfort and integrated bottle holders which keep them vertical so no spills. The IRO and exterior pockets also help transform your KeriKit from a changing bag into a handbag when you want a stylish fashion accessory. KeriKit’s handbags are everything you need them to be for your baby and as functional or fashionable as you want them to be for you. There is beauty in order and now there is order in beauty.

Tel: 07967 699474 Email: contact@kerikit.com 44 nursery today

Little Rosa is new this year to Harrogate Nursery Fair, demonstrating that innovation and freshness in new products is still strong within the nursery sector. Launched in 2015, Little Rosa is fast becoming known as a premium brand, which uses the highest quality muslin fabric to create muslin swaddle blankets that combine style, comfort and amazing versatility. They have also brought to market their innovative range of Pram Pegs for mums who want to use the lightweight fabric as pram cover. As the blankets are so breathable and lightweight they can easily blow off the pram when walking and therefore the pegs can hold these in place. They can also be used to angle the muslin on just one side of the pram to lightly shield the baby from sunlight or wind whilst allowing full access to baby. They are excited to be launching their third product at the show, please visit the Little Rosa team on stand HP106 where you will receive a warm welcome.

Tel: 07808 644000 Email: contactus@littlerosa. com Web: www.littlerosa.com

Focus Meet the Newbies

Sound to sleep Tuck n’ Snug, Stand: HP101

Stylish teething necklaces

Sleepless nights could become a thing of the past, thanks to innovative new stay-on bedding concept Tuck n’ Snug. Created by a mum-of-two who wanted to solve her own children’s sleep problems, Tuck n’ Snug looks like any other bedding set. But fabric flaps secure the duvet cover and pillow case to the mattress, so the bedding can’t fall off the bed during the night. Your child will stay cosy and warm all night long – no more calls for Mummy or Daddy to tuck them back into bed in the small hours! Available in toddler bed and single bed sizes, Tuck n’ Snug has plenty of wriggle room so children feel comfortable and unrestricted. The Made in Britain product has earned glowing praise, with reviewers describing Tuck n’ Snug as “genius” and “a must-have”. You can see Tuck n’ Snug at stand HP101

Num Num Teething Jewellery, Stand: HP121

Tel: 01273 930960

Num Num Teething Jewellery was set by Jennifer Downie after she wasn’t able to find a stylish teething necklace to wear when her baby started teething. Her necklaces come in a variety of designs, assembled by hand, and are practical, fun and beautiful for mums to wear. The beads are made from squeezable food-grade silicone which is kind on babies’ gums, perfect for chewing on while teething or playing with when breastfeeding or being carried. As a mum with a new baby herself, safety is very important to Jennifer. The beads are fully tested and the necklaces have a breakaway clasp which safely pops apart when pulled. The necklaces can also be washed and sterilised. The product range is commercially competitive and retails at a variety of price points. Visit their stand at HP121, near Bébélephant Boulevard to find out more.

Tel: 07856 974187 Email: numnumnecklaces@yahoo.co.uk Web: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/numnumnecklaces

Don’t spend another night up late, give your child a Cuddle Mate! Cuddle Mates, Stand: HP134 Created by a mother, Cuddle Mates are more than just comforters. Designed to encourage a soothing night’s sleep, Cuddle Mates are the perfect shape for little kids aged 1-7 years to wrap both their arms and legs around for comfort and reassurance all night long. Handmade, Cuddle Mates have been inspired by the Far East where generation after generation of parents have used similar shaped pillows to soothe their children to sleep. Cuddle Mates encourage side sleeping which is healthy and safe. They come in two sizes and a range of colours meticulously chosen to promote sleep. Choose from five loveable bedtime friends including Tilly the tiger and Buddy the dog. Launched in November 2015, sales have been beyond expectations particularly amongst parents with toddlers struggling to sleep independently or through the night. 100% machine washable, no harmful chemicals, 100% cotton fabric, premium hollowfibre filling.

Web: www.tucknsnug.co.uk

Bamboo bliss with Bambini and Me Stand: HP136 Funky baby clothes expert creating products from bamboo. All of their products are fun, quirky and ethical. Bamboo is used whereever possible because they want all of their products to be as kind as possible to babies’ skin. For them, every little detail matters and nothing is overlooked. Bambini and Me offers a luxury feel at affordable prices because they believe in value for money. The team understands children with Sensory Processing Disorder and know that rough and tight material or sticking, or label scratching can be really horrible for them. Knowing this they have made sure that their products are as comfortable as possible for little ones. Why it’s good to love Bamboo: • Good for sensitive skin. • It wicks moisture away from the skin • Incredibly breathable • Helps with temperature control

Tel: 01732 240662 Web: www.bambiniandme.com

Email: tam@CuddleMates.co.uk Web: www.cuddlemates.co.uk nursery today 45

BPA Notice Board Awards ﬁnalists announced Four inspiring entrepreneurs have made it through to the final stage of judging in the Baby Products Association’s 2016 Concept & Innovation Awards. Having reached the shortlist from hundreds of entries, eight entrants were invited to present their new product ideas to a panel of expert judges in London in early February. However, whilst all of these were considered outstanding in terms of design and innovation, there were four individual entries which stood out from the rest. The two Concept Awards finalists are Mo Dedat with Babythrone – an innovative baby showering aid and Peter and Victoria Seagrim with a baby milk bottle safety accessory. Both of their inventions are in the very early visionary stages but were considered by the judges to be viable products. In the Innovation Award category the finalists are Lesley Cartwright-Taylor, with a safety adjustable handrail and Matt Dyson, Matt Sparrow and Nick Webb with a soothing pushchair or crib accessory. Both of these entries are further forward in their production stages and hope to launch to market soon. Visitors to Harrogate International Nursery Fair are invited to visit these finalists on the BPA’s Concept & Innovation stand in Hall H where they can see and discuss the entries and give feedback about the designs. The winners will be presented with their awards by Sarah Ludlam, an intellectual property and commercial lawyer for 3volution during the Awards Dinner which takes place on Sunday 20th March 2016 at the Majestic Hotel. The winners will receive prizes each of £750 worth of legal services.

Are you ready to export? Space in the BPA’s UK Pavilions in Shanghai and Cologne are all selling fast and companies wishing to participate in 2016 are advised to return their booking forms as soon as possible. CBME in Shanghai, China takes place from 20th to 22nd July 2016 and claims to be the world’s largest baby trade event covering almost 224,000 square metres with over

46 nursery today

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2,250 exhibitors. Last year the event attracted over 85,000 trade buyers and 81% of these placed orders at the show. The BPA’s 2015 UK Pavilion in Shanghai proved hugely successful for all involved with Tammy Maxwell of Sock Ons saying: “Sock Ons range was very well received at CBME and distributors were impressed with our quality and innovation. It was great to be under the UK Pavilion umbrella as everyone was on the lookout for ‘foreign’ products. We talked to a number of distributors who are very keen to start a relationship with us.” The UK Pavilion at Kind und Jugend in Cologne has sold out very early in recent years as word spreads about the sensational business opportunities gained by the majority of companies participating. The BPA’s space of over 2,000 square metres is no longer occupied simply by smaller companies seeking the umbrella and support of their trade association, but bigger brands who reap the benefits of vibrant British branding which proves a magnet to international buyers year after year. Darren Jenner of My Carry Potty, comments: “We had a fantastic show with a large amount of very promising leads from many new countries, a large portion of which will result in new business. Kind & Jugend gives us a super platform from which to reach out to new export business far and wide. ” The 2016 show takes place from 15th to 18th September 2016. Finally, the BPA will soon be opening bookings for its UK Pavilion at ABC Kids Expo which takes place in Las Vegas from 18th to 21st October 2016 and provides an opportunity to not only reach the North American market, but South America and Canada too. Colin Cordner of Jackson Reece said after last year’s show: “I strongly believe the BPA provides a great platform for any British company to gain exposure to the USA market and also the opportunity to meet potential new buyers from South America. This is a very interesting market for any British company as they are very interested in UK products and together we

www.thebpa.eu

can greatly expand our export to these new territories.” For more information about all of these UK Pavilions visit the BPA website at www.thebpa.eu

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Once again the Baby Products Association has joined forces with Harrogate International Nursery Fair and Nursery Today magazine to recognise and reward some of the very best baby products on the market. All exhibitors at Harrogate International Nursery Fair 2016 (which takes place from 20th to 22nd March 2016) are invited to enter their products into the Baby and Nursery Trade Awards (BANTAs). These annual awards are presented to manufacturers and suppliers which excel in the quality of their products. The judges (who are all industry experts) look at a number of criteria including innovation, marketability, safety, consumer appeal and value for money. Receiving a BANTA is a fantastic accolade recognised by retailers and buyers as an endorsement of a must have line to stock. Full details and entry forms can be found on the BPA website at www.thebpa.eu

Special Feature Social Media

The 3 Ps of Email Marketing - Why Planned, Portable & Personal works best

By: Ross Hewit Hewitt

have always assumed that the majority of businesses use email marketing as a regular part of their digital marketing mix…but the more companies that I speak to the less I retain that conviction. It turns out that the simple assumed equation of ‘website + email newsletter signup box = regular email newsletters sent’ is proving false. So where does your business sit at the moment with email marketing? Do you collect addresses but never use them or did you last send an email out a year ago but have been too busy since? Maybe your website promises that people are signing up to a monthly newsletter, but they actually get sent one bi-annually? Maybe you have never sent one, but have a bundle of email addresses from people who have bought from you online? Perhaps you send them regularly and enjoy the rich returns and online engagement that they can bring? Email marketing, in my humble opinion, is the best and most effective way for a nursery brand or retailer to push a message out digitally to your audience. It is not difficult to set up and start if you have never done it before. It used to be, a few years ago, but online email marketing platforms such as MailChimp and Campaign Monitor have made it very easy for beginners to get going with lots of step-by-step help and free online newsletter templates that are easy to customise for your business. You can even use MailChimp for free if you have less than 2,000 subscribers on your list! The technology behind the broadcast has become simple to use – everything else is down to good planning and having compelling content and calls-to-action to share. Email marketing works, but it only works if you send great emails that are of interest to the audience. The best preparation for that is NOT to be thinking up content and writing it the night before or the morning of the

day you are supposed to send it out. Like everything else in digital marketing, plan ahead. If you do already send a monthly email newsletter out then you should know in February what your March and April newsletters are going to cover and WHY you will be sending them. You shouldn’t be sending them because you HAVE to send a monthly email newsletter - you should be sending them because you have a brill sales message or article or competition planned in for that month and you want to let people know about it…and you happen to send such great pieces of content out on a monthly basis. It’s a subtle twist of mind-set and approach. Don’t send your newsletter out because it’s a new month, send it because the great content is ready and the timing is right and it supports your new blog post, product launch, online sale or social media campaign. If you plan your digital marketing in advance then you will send a newsletter out on a monthly basis driven by a plan, and not by a calendar. If you don’t plan your activity then you will be scratching around for content and slapping mediocre messages together in a rush just to hit the monthly deadline! A great plan and great content makes up most of the email marketing recipe for success. There are a couple of other important considerations I’d like to share with you that do need some attention if you haven’t reviewed them in a while. Think Portable – your email newsletters need to work perfectly on a mobile device now as well as in Outlook or Gmail or Hotmail, so be sure to test your newsletters by sending them to yourself and viewing them on your mobile. A recent study from Campaign Monitor has shown that around 53% of email newsletters sent are now opened

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on a mobile device. The same research has suggested that 69% of mobile users delete emails that aren’t optimised to view on their device! The online templates that the main email marketing platforms provide are mobile ready, so if your newsletter template is a few years old now and doesn’t work well on mobile

A great plan and great content makes up most of the email marketing recipe for success

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then ditch it and start again with a new one. Get Personal – Research also shows that a personalised subject line makes an email 26% more likely to be opened by the recipient. Personalisation is easy to do in email marketing, as long as you have the email recipient’s name! If your email data capture only records the email address then change it to also capture their name as well. If you are not ready for personalising emails yet then review your subject lines anyway as that is the biggest barrier or enabler to your emails getting opened…and that is always the first hurdle in getting clicks and results. ‘Company X March email newsletter’ is NOT a great subject line. ‘Great giveaway this month’ is better. ‘Hi Ross, there’s a great giveaway for you this month’ is spot on. So, the main takeaway this month is that an email that looks bad on a mobile device with a bland or non-personalised subject line is not going to be opened or read by many people, and all that well planned and wonderful content gets wasted. That’s no fun. I’ll leave you to get testing your templates and thinking about your future subject lines…thank you for reading.

Ross Hewitt, Managing Director of Secret Pie and author of ‘Savvy Social Media’. Ross began his digital marketing career in 1998 and had his first foray into the nursery industry as Head of Marketing & Ecommerce for Silver Cross in 2008. He set up Secret Pie in 2010 and has been helping clients get found and loved online ever since. www.secretpie.co.uk | Ross@secretpie. co.uk | 01904 410027 | Twitter: @Ross_ Hewitt

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Pic courtesy of Gro

Focus Swaddling

Snug as a bug Swaddling is not a new concept – this technique can be found since the earliest days of civilisation and current trends are most definitely showing that this is still as popular today as it was way back when.

waddling helps baby feel more secure and previously the art of how to swaddle correctly was something that was taught. Now however, through innovation and clever design, this has become a more practical category for many

parents. One of the first achievements a new mum and dad hope to attain immediately after the birth of their little one is getting their new born baby to sleep and into a solid routine. A calm environment mixed with comfort, security and warmth are all just a couple of things that contribute to a baby not only falling asleep but remaining in the land

of nod until their needs wake them otherwise. This is where swaddling comes in. By using this proven method, parents are finding that their babies perhaps cry less, sleep better and have a better feeling of self-security. Retailer Rosie Brown from Rosie Cheeks in Glasgow told us: “We do lots of swaddling. The Gro Company is very popular with structured swaddles. I do quite a range of swaddles. Mums come in and ask for swaddles. They buy bamboo swaddles, which are really soft and come in lovely designs. They are really lovely and mums can use them as scarves. They are really good and people can use them for so many different things.”

We questioned Christian Jones of Gro Company and Joanna Gray of Summer Infant to find out more.

Christian Jones CEO, Gro Why is swaddling so popular? From recent research that we have conducted we know that approximately 70% of parents swaddle in the UK. It is a way of putting baby to bed that has well established benefits including calming and reassuring a newborn baby. Newborn babies have the startle reflex that can be unsettling and wake them, swaddling reduces the effect of this and can help them to settle more quickly.

What beneﬁts are there for retailers who stock these products? Retailers can benefit by engaging new expectant parents in the store at the earliest opportunity as swaddling is an essential pre-birth purchase. This can then lead to future purchases as the family grows.

Are there any speciﬁc trends at present? Products that make swaddling easier like shaped wraps, or swaddles like the Gro-snug where the parent simply zips their baby into it are becoming popular as they reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia. Safety should always be a key consideration when swaddling and safe swaddling practices should be promoted by all parties. Key risk factors when swaddling include the risk of baby’s legs and hips being swaddled too tightly. Also there is a risk that baby could overheat if wrapped in a blanket that is too large. The Gro-swaddle and the Gro-snug are specifically designed to offer reassurance when swaddling baby.

Is their suﬃcient consumer information out there drawing better awareness of the beneﬁts of swaddling? Swaddling is a confusing topic for parents as there are a number of products in the market offering different techniques. Health care professionals are not aligned on their advice on swaddling, some recommend it and some strongly advise against it.

How do you promote this? Here at The Gro Company we promote the benefits of swaddling to our consumers in a variety of ways, we focus on swaddling at the Baby Show in order to educate new parents. We have partnerships with parenting titles including Prima Baby, and we use our own social media channels of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube to engage with our audience and encourage them to share what they have learned. However the choice of product is key to giving confidence and peace of mind.

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Joanna Gray Summer Infant Why is swaddling so popular? I’d say it is largely down to the fact that the benefits of swaddling are now widely documented and let’s face it swaddling is not a new concept, it has been practised for centuries! Swaddling mimics the familiar snugness of the womb which soothes baby; it also helps teach babies to sleep through the night without startling themselves awake, as well as helping to reduce loose bedding in the cot and help keep baby sleeping safely on their backs. As we all know, new parents like to talk and share experiences, good and bad - so as more parents experience first hand the positive benefits of swaddling, the more this positive word of mouth will spread and the more popular swaddling will become (again).

What beneﬁts are there for retailers who stock these products? Specifically in respect of SwaddleMe, retailers benefit from the fact that they are often purchased by parents as well as gift givers, so there is an opportunity to target different purchasers, also the SwaddleMe range consists of 4 different stages of product which grows with baby, so gives retailers the opportunity to increase the average weight of purchase and also provide an opportunity to run promotions such as link saves and multi-buys which will increase the average basket spend.

Are there any speciﬁc trends at present? In terms of designs, SwaddleMe regularly introduce new fashions to suit the season and to co-ordinate with other baby essentials, our new designs for this season heavily feature grey and white patterns, including the Grey Star pattern on the SwaddleMe Original, this design is very fresh, modern and is gender neutral, making it a great baby shower gift.

Is their suﬃcient consumer information out there drawing better awareness of the beneﬁts of swaddling? We have witnessed a lot of the parenting magazines, online portals and retailers are running features on swaddling and outlining the benefits, so there is some good materials out there.

How do you promote this? We have some great information on www.swaddleme. com which we direct our consumers to. We recently ran a promotion with Sassy Bloom to feature in their newborn subscription box, we have also been very active on our Summer Infant Facebook page with competitions and features on SwaddleMe. We also have other baby brand partners we are working with to help promote the range watch this space, more details to follow....

NEW DESIGNS AVAILABLE

T PO

PULA R S WA

a f

d c b

The only swaddle you’ll need from birth Safe

Easy

Snug

Chin and zip guards – to prevent rubbing

Unique curved seams create space for hip healthy natural leg position*

Extra long baby safe YKK zip, opens from bottom for easy nappy changes

Supersoft cotton with elastane for stretch

Highest quality construction – no rough seams or edges

/TheGroCompany

@theGroCompany

gro.co.uk

Poppers – closed for arms in swaddling, open for arms out to transition to a Grobag

Extra chest lining for secure swaddle comfort

+44 (0) 844 557 2985

* “In order for swaddling to allow healthy hip development, the legs should be able to bend up and out at the hips” – International Hip Dysplasia Institute

Focus Swaddling

Love to Swaddle UP – the all-in-one helps babies sleep better Cheeky Rascals

The Gro-snug: A must-have for newborns The award winning Gro-snug is the ideal bedding for newborns. Having already won Gold in the Loved By Parents Awards 2015 for the Best Nursery Bedding and Gold in the Australian Mother & Baby Awards 2015 for the Most Popular Swaddle, the Gro-snug unsurprisingly is fast becoming a favourite with parents and retailers alike. See what these happy mums are saying about it: “The gro snug is perfect for newborns as you can choose to swaddle and then you are able to allow their arms to be free like a regular gro bag! Such good quality and wash well!” Gemma “It’s fuss free and easy to use…Can’t recommend this product enough” Sophie

Tel: 0844 557 2960 Web: www.gro.co.uk

aden + anais swaddles The aden + anais original award winning single-layer muslin swaddles are known for their quality, breathability and versatility. For generations parents have cared for their babies with muslin. Breathable, versatile and soft as a mother’s touch, the do-it-all fabric helps simplify what can be a chaotic time. No matter how you’re using an aden + anais muslin swaddle - pram cover, burp cloth or nursing cover to name just a few - it surrounds your little one in comfy goodness round the clock. All aden+ anais muslin is pre-washed so it’s super soft from the start and stays that way wash after wash. Created by a mum on a mission to comfort babies in the best way possible while making parents’ lives simpler, the award-winning original swaddle continues to set the standard worldwide.

Tel: 020 3735 7569 Email: boutique@adenandanais.com Web: www.adenandanais.co.uk

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The Love to Swaddle UP is much more than just a sleep suit. Its patented ‘hands up’ design keeps babies snug, in a natural sleeping position, and calms the startle reflex to aid better sleep. New Swaddle UP Warm – the perfect all-in-one for the UK. It is quilted from the chest up and carries a tog rating of 2.5 - not too hot, not too cold – it’s just right, all year round. Swaddle UP Original – use from birth to establish a good sleep routine from day one Swaddle UP 50/50 – when a baby can roll over by itself, it’s time to free those arms. Use the 50/50 to do this, one arm at a time, to make sure precious sleep routines aren’t disrupted. Key Facts • Snug fit - gentle pressure from the fabric calms startle reflex • Lots of room for legs and hips • Hands Up design - baby sleeps in natural position • Easy changing - 2-way zip and seat belt vents • Gentle on skin - Covered zips, seam free inside, soft fabric • Temperature control - soft, breathable, natural cotton • Suitable from birth RRP from £20. Fantastic new offers and POS available – call 01730 895761 or speak to your sales representative.

Tel: 01730 895761 Web: www.cheekyrascals.co.uk

the muslin swaddle that started it all... For generations, parents have cared for their babies with muslin. Our award-winning single layer muslin swaddles are the ultimate in quality, breathability and versatility.

1 time-honoured fabric. 6 trusted uses.

burp cloth

nursing cover

pram cover

tummy time blanket

changing table cover

swaddle

+ Generous size: 120cm x 120cm pre-washed muslin + Breathable: helps reduce the risk of overheating + Comfy: gets softer with every wash

Over 45 print collections available (140 individual swaddle designs) with new designs available now. see the full new collection at Harrogate Nursery Fair | March 20th - 22nd | stand B12 /adenandanais.eu

@adenandanais

Focus Swaddling

It’s a Miracle… Maguari

SwaddleMe with Summer Infant We all know how precious sleep is for both baby and parents; SwaddleMe’s complete line of sleep products has been expertly designed and tested to keep babies snug, safe, and comfy throughout the night. The benefits of swaddling are widely documented, swaddling mimics the familiar snugness of the womb, which soothes baby; it also helps teach babies to sleep through the night without startling themselves awake, as well as helping to reduce loose bedding in the cot and help keep baby sleeping safely on their backs. SwaddleMe now has a comprehensive range that adapts for every stage of a baby’s first two years. For newborns, the Stage 1 SwaddleMe Pod is a tiny, zipped pod for secure swaddling that recreates the comfort of the womb, ideal for small newborns or premature babies. The Stage 2 Original SwaddleMe has a proven and protected design that makes swaddling easy and safe for babies from 0-6 months. Then, when little ones can roll over, it’s time to move onto the Stage 3 SwaddleMe Wrapsack, which provides babies up to 8 months personalised comfort by allowing them to have their arms in or out. For up to 24 months, there’s the Stage 4 SwaddleMe Wiggle Blanket, with its extended sleeves to keep baby’s arms warm and provide a snug feeling of security. Safer Sleep. Brighter Days.

Tel: 01442 505000 Web: www.summerinfant.co.uk

The Miracle Blanket from Maguari is specially designed to make swaddling easier and more effective, even in the dark. Recommended by medical professionals throughout the world, its unique patented shape and features have helped millions of babies (and parents) sleep better for longer. It offers straightforward, snug wrapping with no bulky excess fabric, so overheating is not an issue. The special flaps secure baby’s arms for comfort and the swaddling blanket stays put, with no need for any hard fastenings. Made from soft, breathable cotton knit, the Miracle Blanket is perfect for any climate and the material has enough stretch to absorb baby’s movements. Suitable for babies up to 14 weeks, parents can choose from pink, blue or white blankets, or the recently introduced yellow, pink or blue chevron patterns. Maguari also offers a range of Muslin Swaddle Blankets from the Bébé au Lait brand. Visit www.maguari.com for more details.

Tel: 01293 592170 Web: www.maguari.com

The birth of aden + Anais

nce upon a time... a new mum found herself searching high and low for the muslin swaddle blankets her mother and grandmother and generations of Australian women before them had used to comfort their own babies. When she couldn’t find them anywhere in her adopted home of the USA, she made them herself, and aden + anais was born. Since starting aden + anais, they’ve introduced the wonders of 100% cotton muslin to mums around the world. Breathable and soft as a mother’s touch, muslin actually gets softer with every wash - an important quality when you know how much washing comes with a baby! They continue to introduce lifestyle innovations with their ever evolving line of products that include bedding, layette and more all designed to make little ones more comfortable and parents’ lives easier. Also unique to aden + anais is their modern aesthetic and iconic prints that complement your style while delighting your baby. From our family to yours, enjoy.

Tel: 020 3735 7569 Email: boutique@adenandanais.com Web: www.adenandanais.co.uk

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S WA D D LE M E 速 P OD

S WA D D L E M E 速 O R I G I N A L S WA D D L E

Introducing... STAGE 1 S WA D D LE M E 速 WRAPSACK

STAGE 2 S WA D D L E M E 速 WIGGLE BL ANKET

Safer Sleep, Brighter Days.

STAGE 3

STAGE 4

Focus Nappies & Changing

Image courtesy of Bambino Mio

All change When it comes to changing nappies, it’s not just the nappy itself that’s important, there is a plethora of products available, making a world of opportunities for nursery retailers.

ore and more mums are cottoning on to the use of cloth nappies and it is estimated that around 15-20% of parents are now purchasing cloth nappy systems before their baby is born. This illustrates that parents are becoming more educated and are prepared to make a form of commitment to the use of cloth nappies, although it must be stated that even with

Did you know… ■ For every year a baby is in nappies, he or she will need nearly 2,000 nappy changes. With potty training averaging at two and a half years, that is nearly 4/5,000 nappies per child! ■ Real nappies can be up to 40% better for the environment than disposables. ■ Disposable nappies in landﬁlls take hundreds of years to degrade 54 nursery today

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Disposable nappies in landﬁll take hundreds of years to degrade, but also have a big impact through the manufacturing, transport and chemicals they require. Real nappies not only reduce this waste dramatically, but they have an overall lesser impact on our environment

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all the best intentions, disposable nappies may also play a pivotal role for these families when travelling away from home. Fortunately, there are alternatives that are better for the environment than the everyday disposables, which could be promoted in-store alongside cloth nappy systems. If there’s one thing that can probably only come from firsthand experience, it’s the amount of times a baby requires a nappy change in one day - on average around seven. That’s an awful lot of nappy changes - around 4-5,000 in total per child. Now think of the impact that disposable nappies have on the environment - around eight million disposable nappies are thrown away on a daily basis in the UK - costing around £67 million in landfill use per year. Disposable nappies at present account for about three

percent of our household waste. Using real nappies can dramatically reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill and minimise our impact on the environment. Many parents are now realising the simple fact that by investing in a good cloth nappy system they could actually save money. Real nappies could save your customers up to £500 per child and this price will rise if the nappies are reused for subsequent children. An initial payment is required for a good reusable cloth nappy system at the start of use, but this is a one-off cost and it is always wise to point out that once purchased, parents may never need to add disposable nappies as part of their weekly shop. Although the one off cost for real nappies will be between £300-400; parents will end up spending four times this amount on disposables over a two and a half year period. Michelle Smith of Close Parent told us: “Close know from experience how budgets soon grow when you become a parent, so we think of reusables as an investment, which make the first few years a little easier on the pocket. “Even when factoring in the cost of electricity, water and detergents, there are still considerable savings to be made, more so if reusable nappies are used alongside washable wipes as well.” Kerry Cane, UK Sales Manager of Bambino Mio stated: “There is an increasing demand for our reusable nappies and associated products. Our UK sales doubled last year. With more supermarkets stocking a limited range of our products it is bringing more customers to the Brand and increasing sales for those retailers who carry the full Bambino Mio range.” Disposable nappies in landfills take hundreds of years to degrade, but also have a big impact through the

Image courtesy of Bambino Mio manufacturing, transport and chemicals they require. Real nappies not only reduce this waste dramatically, but they have an overall lesser impact on our environment. Placing the nappy to one side, you would have thought that changing time would be a very straightforward process, but trends clearly illustrate that mums are not content with the towel on the carpet idea and look for changing mats, changing units, storage solutions, and infant toys – a must have to keep their young one’s hands away from any potential mess that may be lurking in the nappy that is about to be swiped off and replaced with a clean one. Changing tables or stations for the nursery are increasing in their popularity as parents find that these not only give them a quiet place to change baby, but also offer superb storage solutions - allowing mum or dad to have everything they need close to hand. Changing tables are often a very integral part of a nursery room set, or a changing cot top changer can be incorporated as part of the design of a cot. Changing mats however are still a firm favourite with parents, as these are easily portable from room to room and can in some instances double up as a small play mat to enable mum to rest baby down to play with a colourful toy or teether. Retailer Yasmin Ali from Babyland, Fife, told us: “Cosatto are a ray of sunshine in this industry especially when it’s dark and bleak in the winter. They do the Easy Peasy Chasing Station, which is a staple. They also offer a good price, they protect margins and it suits the independents because you have to have it on the shop floor. Customers want to see it before they buy it. The colours are very vibrant. Customers like it, parents like it. It’s something that parents see in catalogues and they want to see it before they buy it – a considered purchase.” Nappy changing however doesn’t just take place in the

home – so for the out and about parent a practical changing bag is essential. A changing bag is now seen as not only an essential item but also a fashion accessory. Modern parents are more frequently selecting stylish designs that reflect their lifestyle but still offer practical functions and benefits of a reliable, strong changing bag. Jamie Robinson of BabaBing agrees. He told us: “The changing bag sector has evolved considerably over the years, in fact so much so that it’s not just mums who are buying

these products, dads are now firmly also on board. Trends at present are dictating that successful changing bag brands need to not only take into account seasonal fashion trends but also the functionality of the product. Changing bags is a category that shouldn’t be overlooked and will always prove beneficial to retailers who stock a selection that caters to provides that something for everyone and in many cases is an easy additional sale once a customer has bought their big ticket item their pushchair.”

Fresh Thinking! FREE Angelcare Gift with every order in February! Throughout February Hardenberg & Co are giving away a new Angelcare On-The -Go Nappy Bag Dispenser with every trade order. Angelcare offer an awardwinning range of essential baby care products with style, quality and peace of mind for millions of parents around the world. The Angelcare Nappy Disposal System and their new On-The-Go range offer a safe, odour-free and simple way to dispose of dirty nappies whilst at home or out and about. Air Seal Technology and a multilayer film barrier locks the odour in. They’re easy-to-use and keep change time hygienic and convenient. The Soft-Touch Bath Support remains a firm favourite with UK parents. This is mainly down to its innovative thermal mesh material, adapting to bath water temperature quickly whilst moulding comfortable around your baby to make bath time is enjoyable and safe. And now, potty training is made easy and super-stylish with ‘The Growing Up Potty!’ Parents will love its easy-to-use height adjust base, allowing children to sit in the correct and comfortable position whilst providing a sense of independence. The potty is designed to help children sit down easily and get up all on their own. It not only looks the part, it makes potty training quick and efficient. Limited to four gifts per customer. For more information contact:

Email: selina@hardenbergco.co.uk nursery today 55

Focus Nappies & Changing

Wonderoos V3 and Real Easy Nappies Function meets Fashion Maguari Skip Hop offers changing bags to suit all tastes and needs, in a whole spectrum of fabric designs and colours. Stylish to look at, they’re also packed with handy features such as Skip Hop’s patented Shuttle Clips, contrasting linings and padded changing mats and shoulder straps. For parents who prefer the convenience of hands-free parenting on the go, function meets fashion with Skip Hop’s designer-inspired Forma Backpack. With lightweight fabric and quilted detailing, the Backpack includes a spacious main compartment and a zipped front section that holds two multi-purpose, easily accessible storage cubes. Another popular choice is the Duo Signature, a stylish redesign of Skip Hop’s original classic Duo. Following feedback from parents, new features that were specifically requested were incorporated into the design, such as extra storage and stability, smart tote handles and a restyled front panel capable of holding laptops up to 15”.

Wonderoos and Real Easy are the multi-award-winning nappies from Earthwise Trading Ltd. Over the last 12 months both products have been recognised for their ease of use, fabulous prints and super absorbency in the Mother and Baby Awards and Prima Baby Awards. Christine McRitchie, brand owner, comments, “Having retailed reusable nappies for so many years prior to manufacturing Wonderoos and Real Easy, I understand the specific requirements of both retailers and customers. I know how important great customer service and support is, along with the value of brilliant margins and brand awareness, and I work hard to make sure all bases are covered.” Reusable nappies allow parents to save money and also reduce landfill waste making them a popular choice for an increasing number of families.

Tel: 01235 818122 Web: www.wonderoos.co.uk

Tel: 01293 592170 Web: www.maguari.com

Kalencom Changing Bags 2012 Ltd Kalencom is a popular and trusted brand from the USA that encompasses fresh and fashion forward designs and styles without compromising on practicality. Each changing bag has the added feature of including a free co-oridinated zippered pouch ideal for storing nappies, a free Thinsulate insulated bottle bag and a free matching changing mat. A Kalencom bag is designed to be easy and efficient with practical storage compartments for all of baby’s bits and bobs. When it comes to designing the bags the company owner Monica Kalozdi says ‘When we design a diaper bag we keep two things in mind: it must be easy and convenient to use and it must appeal to the mum. You can create the most efficient diaper bag in the world but if mum doesn’t feel good using it the bag will never leave your shelf ’.

Mats made in the UK East Coast Nursery

Tel: 01202 303 777

They developed the first PVC changing mats in the 1970s, and they’re still going strong today. East Coast Nursery are proud to be one of the leading UK suppliers of changing mats. Available in East Coast’s own brand, and a collection of licensed designs, there’s something to suit every style. From the beautiful neutral shades of Counting Sheep, or Winnie-the-Pooh, to the lively colours of the chevrons and diamonds and characters of Fisher-Price, there is a changing mat from East Coast Nursery for every baby. And maybe a spare for grandma’s house. Most of the changing mats are designed to fit a dresser; please see East Coast Nursery’s website for a wide selection. For smaller nurseries, there are deluxe cot top changers in a choice of wood colours, with white or cream PVC pads. And just as they were 40 years ago, East Coast changing mats are still proudly made in the UK.

Email: info@2012ltd.co.uk

Tel: 01692 408802

Web: www.2012ltd.com

Web: www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk

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Get fresh with Cosatto

aden + anais changing mat cover Breathable and soft as a mother’s touch, the aden + anais changing mat cover surrounds your little one in comfy goodness with two layers of 100% cotton muslin. Complete with slots for restraint straps, it is tailored to securely fit a standard changing table pad. Plus, there’s no need to worry about inevitable messy moments because the cover stays soft wash after wash. Designed to comfort your baby and complement your style, the aden + anais changing mat cover is an essential item for every nursery. Available in 100% cotton, silky soft bamboo and organic cotton.

Tel: 020 3735 7567 Web: www.adenandanais.co.uk

The Change Me Messenger The Red Kite Baby Co Ltd The Change Me Messenger bag from The Red Kite Baby Co is a fashionable and contemporary solution to carrying all of baby’s necessities while making sure you are organised in those times of need – there is nothing worse than struggling to find the wet wipes. The Change Me Messenger boasts ample room for every item you can imagine ever needing for your trips out and also includes a padded changing mat which is easily stored within the changing bag. With all of baby’s must have essentials tucked in to the changing bag things can get a bit heavy – a padded shoulder strap helps make sure mum and dad’s arms never fall off from lack of blood circulation. The Change Me Messenger also comes with an insulated bottle pocket as, let’s be honest, nobody really likes cold milk unless it’s with cornflakes.

Cosatto’s bestselling bath time buddy, the Easi Peasi changer is easy peasy for parents. This award-winning splashtastic stunner keeps little one squeaky clean. With storage pods for lotions, potions and wipes it’s a clean-easy storage station. Just empty the secret bath with the handy tube and you’re done. That’s Cosatto clever. There’s no heavy tipping required so it saves bothersome backs and post-pregnancy pains. Little one can lie back and relax on the padded changing mattress. Easi Peasi is the ideal height for handling little one, taking the strain so parents don’t have to. With handy trays for neat nappies and tidy towels all supplies are on hand. Easi Peasi stays put. Lockable castors mean you can be mobile then stop sturdy when you choose. Three cheers for this chilled out changing chap! Easi Peasi retails at £135 and is available in patterns Fable and Return of the Zutons

Tel: 0800 014 9252 Web: www.cosatto.com

Change time safeguard against little accidents!

Tel: 01454 326 565

Cuddledry

Web: www.redkitebaby.com

When it comes to nappy change time, we all know that’s the moment when babies love most to have a tiddle – soaking their change mat and their clothes in seconds. So Cuddledry created the simple bamboo change mat liner to give parents peace of mind, and make change time a bit easier to control. It is a supersoft towelling liner which fits all standard change mats, and which baby rests on during change time. Bamboo is 60% more absorbent than cotton so little accidents can be quickly mopped up, and its natural antibacterial quality and silky softness helps protect baby’s sensitive skin. The liner has a pretty dotty edge in a neutral coffee colour, with applique little duck. The cosy bamboo also ensures baby is not put on a cold plastic mat in winter, so it makes change time more comfortable for all involved. RRP £8.99.

The perfect Cuddle and Bubble Chicco Cuddle and Bubble Cuddle and Bubble (RRP £89.99) from Chicco provides the perfect choice for bathing and changing by offering a comfortable, space saving station. With the table’s wide, cocooning shape and protective lateral sides, it allows for a calming and safe place to change baby. In addition, the padded mattress is removable and washable providing a safe and versatile solution to nappy changing. The station is then easily transformed into a bathing unit by folding down the mattress to reveal a detachable stand-alone bath. The removable compartments, including a removable filler jug, mean bathing baby has never been easier. The storage-wide compartments help changing baby’s nappy to become more convenient, and a removable basket and towel holder means everything can be kept close by. Cuddle and Bubble is ideal for mums and dads on-the-go as it is easy to fold away and transport, and with three height adjustments the station can be used in any location to suit any parent.

Web: www.chicco.co.uk

Tel: 01823 323363 Email: trade@cuddledry.com

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Focus Baby Shower

Showered with love Baby showers used to be an American preserve, but not anymore. These are proving more and more popular now in the UK and this trend is set to stay – and grow!

Dreami by Shnuggle - The Essential Baby Sleeper The gorgeous Dreami sleep system uses the clever Shnuggle ventilated base with a fully breathable 3D mesh fabric, reducing the risk of airflow restriction within baby’s sleeping environment to help towards a safer and sounder sleep. The mesh is cotton facing to be soft against baby and has a hypoallergenic inner core which wicks away moisture and offers a slightly padded feel for complete comfort. For maximum flexibility the Dreami base is easily removed from the included curve stand, and can be used in a high-level fixed position or turned upside down to create a low-level rocker. When not in use, the curve stand can be easily folded up for easy storage and travel.

Tel: 0289 181 5169 Email: martin@shnuggle.co.uk Web: www.shnuggle.com

Great ideas from Great Gizmos New Beginnings Gift Set from aden + anais Whether it’s a baby shower, the first time home or a first holiday, celebrate these milestones and more with an aden + anais new beginnings gift set. Featuring their most popular cotton muslin products housed in a keepsake gift box, the set is everything a new mum needs to keep baby comfy, clean and cooing with delight. The new beginnings gift set includes two classic swaddles, versatile blankets made from soft, breathable 100% cotton muslin; one classic burpy bib, a bib and burp cloth in one: one classic musy mate lovey, a muslin cuddly companion. One musy: versatile muslin squares which are the essential nursery item.

Tel: 020 3735 7569 Web:uk.adanandanais.com

Great Gizmos have recognised the growing popularity of baby showers and increasing Baby Gift market and for 2016 have brought out some new ranges to complement this. The ever popular My First NICI range welcomes some new additions this year with the introduction of a new comforter range. Each comforter is made from high quality plush, is suitable from birth and also machine washable. The range features a number of characters, including frog, monkey and donkey to name a few. Each comforter comes in beautiful colours and textures that baby will love! The Royal Doulton Bunnykins collection of melamine nursery tableware is handmade and hand-decorated. Each piece is unique and special and can be kept for a lifetime. The items come in beautiful and sleek gift boxes, ensuring it will be treasured for many years to come. The Bunnykins Three Piece Dinner Set includes a plate, a bowl and a cup featuring beautiful illustrations. All items are the perfect size for little hands and are dishwasher and microwave-safe. All will be available in new packaging in pale pink Sweetheart, pale blue Shining Star and the traditional Bunnykins in white and red. The Bunnykins Silver Plated Gift Spoon makes the perfect christening gift and is packaged in a Royal Doulton Bunnykins presentation box for that something extra special.

Tel: 01293 543221 Web: www.greatgizmos.co.uk 58 nursery today

Memorable gifts to suit all budgets Cuddledry Not all baby showers stretch to the sort of gift budgets we see in Hello! – so offering a selection of gifts for different price brackets in your store or on your website will always boost sales. The Cuddledry range ensures that all budgets are catered for – from the higher end gifts up to £40 with their beautifully boxed gift sets, to gifts under £10 which are high quality and beautifully packaged. With the recent addition of the Cuddledry accessories range, there is even a lovely little gift for RRP £4.99 in the shape of their boxed set of three luxury bamboo soft baby washcloths. Cuddledry’s packaging, with pretty ribbon handles, conveys that lovely sense of best for baby which we all seek when giving a special gift. Top of the list for baby shower customers in 2015 was the adorable Cuddleduck – an irresistible little natural rubber bath duck with pretty polka dots. Totally safe for tiny ones, and available in pink, blue or beige. At just RRP £6.99 this makes a hugely popular prezzie – and is a favourite with dads-to-be!

Tel: 01823 323363 Email: trade@cuddledry.com

Beautiful blankets, with love from Silvercloud Blankets are a practical gift for a new baby and always well-received, and Silvercloud offer a beautiful range to choose from. Packed on a hanger and tied with ribbon, they make a perfect present. For summer, there are soft, lightweight muslin reversible blankets. Jacquard woven in 100% cotton, and featuring a parade of elephants, they are available in pink or blue. For layering on cooler nights, the Baby Boutique range from Silvercloud includes Garter Stitch Blankets and sumptuous new shawls, knitted in 100% cotton with decorative edgings, and available in a selection of restful colours. By contrast, their Love Colour range is bright and fun. Along with polka-dot quilts and bumpers, there are knitted cotton blankets in four tempting, colourful shades. Silvercloud pride themselves on offering unashamed luxury at affordable prices. With RRPs starting at under £10, they are an ideal choice for customers seeking a well-priced and thoughtful gift.

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

Cosi Cot Bedding with Soft Toys The Red Kite Baby Co Ltd Baby showers have grown rapidly over a very short of time and offer a great opportunity to establish brand loyalty early in the buying process of parents, Red Kite Baby have many different products which make great gift options and when coupling some of these together you are on to a sure winner. The Cosi Cot Bedding kits from Red Kite come in a great gloss box with carry handle; the packaging truly does look great and really stands out with its bright colours and design. The actual product doesn’t disappoint either with a five piece bedding set packed inside which entails an embroidered coverlet to fit a cot or cot bed, a bumper, fleece blanket, a flat sheet and a fitted sheet also. Available in pink, blue and even neutral for any expecting parents who are brave enough not to find out the sex of their child. An obvious companion for the Cosi Cot sets are the matching soft toys which feature either Bertie Bear or Princess Pollyanna – the characters represented within the pink and blue bedding. Who doesn’t love a soft toy anyway?

Tel: 01454 326 565 Web: www.redkitebaby.com

RRP £15

Apron Baby Bath Towel

Multi-award winning

Extra large & 100% Cotton 4

Beautiful box

Safe & easy to use Double pile for extra absorbency Available in: Cream, White, Pink & Blue

For more information visit: www.clevamama.com

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Focus ClevaMama

Scientific research proves ClevaMama ClevaFoam reduces Flat Head Syndrome in infants ClevaMama are delighted to expand their range of ClevaFoam products this spring to include their new ClevaSleep+ Positioner.

ublin based brand ClevaMama has recently enjoyed recognition from not only parents but also some of the world leading craniofacial surgeons along with the Society of Paediatrics in Brazil making ClevaFoam a global best seller. We asked Martina Craine, Director, a few questions about ClevaFoam and what all the fuss is about.

The study found both lower stress distribution on a baby’s head and lower strain energy density when using ClevaFoam products ensuring natural growth and development. What is ClevaFoam made of? ClevaFoam is made from low resilience polyurethane foam. Unlike most other foams ClevaFoam has been specifically designed for infants and manufactured using an open cell structure making it lighter, more breathable, with reduced heat retention.

Why and where was ClevaFoam researched and developed? The principle reason for developing ClevaFoam was to combat against Plagiocephaly which in recent years is reportedly effecting up to 48% of infants. Deformational Plagiocephaly, the medical condition more commonly known as Flat Head Syndrome, is now more prevalent than ever especially since the introduction of recommendations to place sleeping babies on their backs in order to prevent cot death - a campaign which has proved very successful. The research was carried out with a world renowned University at Trinity College in Dublin over a two year period. Using computational models researchers at centre for bioengineering in Trinity College performed multiple scientific analysis on ClevaFoam and found that it significantly reduced the pressure on an infant’s skull by up to 50% whilst also offering up to 80% more support. How does ClevaFoam helping to reduce FHS? ClevaFoam, the only non-invasive aid proven to help in the prevention and correction of Flat Head Syndrome.

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What age is ClevaFoam suitable from up to? ClevaFoam products can be used from birth, with the upper age limit depending on the product. Our products include mattresses, toddler pillows as well as our new ClevaSleep+ Positioner. Why should a retailer choose ClevaFoam? The fact is retailers want to sell products that have proof and not just fancy marketing material. Retailers want high volume, excellent quality and dependable products; here at ClevaMama we provide exactly that. Just check out our online reviews and see for yourself what consumers say about ClevaFoam.

Tel: +353 1 8770724 Email: info@clevamama.com Web: www.clevamama.com