Nursery Today

JUNE 2016 ISSUE 09 VOLUME 19 Independently audited.

ABC circulation of 4402 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015

Create a buzz in the garden this summer

www.hippychick.co m

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The world of juvenile products— all in one place.

ABC Kids Expo October 18-21, 2016

Las Vegas Convention Center

EXPLORE the benefits of attending the 2016 ABC Kids Expo®, the world’s premier juvenile products trade show, as we return to Las Vegas for our 14th annual trade show.

EXHIBIT among the industry elite, with virtually every significant manufacturer or distributor of products for infants and children presenting their newest, most innovative products and services.

Engage with international buyers, media and fellow suppliers, when over 1,000 exhibitors and over 12,000 attendees are expected to converge at this private trade event.

Experience the best this industry has to offer, including dazzling networking events and more.

3 themed pavilions international pavilions

12,874 attendees 79 countries 3,259 booths Over 1,000,000 sq. ft.

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Phone: 210.691.4848 E-mail: info@theabcshow.com www.theabcshow.com *2015 final attendance figures.

1 specialty showcase

contents the team Editor Penny Franks penny@lemapublishing.co.uk

Ad Manager Christine Contreras christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Re g ul a r s

News ed 12 Spott iler Profile 16 Reta g Shop 20 Talkin ot lier Snapsh 40 Supp 86 BPA

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Contributors 8 70 72 80

Gro Company Francine Bates, CEO of The Lullaby Trust, guest edits this month’s column

Shop Matters with NSG Yasmin takes a view on backless booster seats

Nigel Plested Nigel focusses on the wider picture of car seat innovation

David Fairhurst, Intelligent Retail David takes a look at calls to action and sales functionality online

Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Cover Story

Managing Director

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Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Hippychick

Features

Circulation Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

JUNE 2016 ISSUE 9 VOLUME 19

22

Car seats and accessories

46

Sleeptime

64

Highchairs

74

Pre-School Toys

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

www.nursery-today.co.uk

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A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

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celebrating 10 years of love + muslin aden + anais Disney Baby Collections: The Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh and Bambi available in: + swaddle 4-pack + musy 3-pack + dream blanket™ + burpy bib®

To commemorate our 10th anniversary, we collaborated with Disney Baby to create a 100% cotton collection that combines the magic of soft, breathable muslin with the wonder of your little one’s favorite Disney characters. available from the end of June

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + www.adenandanais.co.uk | sophiem@adenandanais.com | +44 (0) 203 735 7569 + + + + + + + + + + + + ©2016 Aden & Anais, Inc. All rights reserved.

©Disney. Based on the “Winnie the Pooh” works by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard.

editor’s letter www.nursery-today.co.uk Twitter: @nurserytodaymag t’s the month of June – not that you would have known recently weather-wise, where we are based in Hertfordshire it has felt more like the return of February!

This issue we have numerous features to keep you occupied, starting with our Car Seat feature.

Again, we have seen changes occurring with regard to the new legislation which will come into force at the end of the year with regards to non-backed booster seats and already there has been strong press coverage linked to this.

Personally I feel this is a wise decision by the ‘powers that be’ and I know many independents have refused d to sell these for a while, knowing that while they meet all current criteria, safety wise they don’t offer much protection (as Yasmin Ali points out this issue, you may as well grab your ‘sofa cushion’!). Although that said, using a non-backed booster seat is better than not using anything and of course I also understand that sometimes transporting a high backed seat can cause problems perhaps for the ‘travelling’ family while on holiday, or for grandparents who occasionally transport children. But perhaps encouragement needs to be given to the use of these in the younger age group, whose height just doesn’t suit the height of the installed car seat belt?

The car seat sector is also showing double digit value growth, according to Gfk, with i-Size currently driving sales. Take time to look at an array of fantastic products that are currently available by turning to our feature starting on page 22 of this issue.

Other features this issue include sleeptime, highchairs and preschool toys – all fantastic footfall drivers for retailers.

Talking of sleeptime, Christine and myself were invited to visit Harrison Spinks

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Christine and Penny having fun feeding the baby la mbs

(manufacturers of quality natural (ma mattresses), and more importantly mat feed the baby lambs! We just couldn’t resist! cou This company has grown considerably and in 2009 they took co their th vision further with the purchase of a farm set in 300 pu acres and now employ over 500 a employees.

You’ll find our e in-depth article starting on page i 42.

4 Thank you for your wonderfully hospitality during our stay – we definitely had a restful evening sleeping on a Harrison Spinks mattress!

Can I also take this opportunity to draw attention to our cover feature this issue.

Hippychick take you through their h i product ranges which are suitable for outdoor play activities. With more parents relying on technology to stimulate their children, is it time we started to showcase more of these products to get youngsters more active and engaged in their surroundings? With such a beautiful range, with the majority stepping back to a very nostalgic and traditional feel, these items make wonderful instore displays and also can enhance any window display drawing parents and children inside. You will find this feature starting on page 14.

Finally, this is the last opportunity for you to secure your place on our annual Golf Day. This year the event will be held at Hilton Puckrup Hall on Tuesday 28th June.

Have you secured your place? Whatever your playing ability, this event has always proven enjoyable for all those who attend.

So if you fancy a superb opportunity to get outside and enjoy the company of like-minded people then contact Malcolm Naish on 01442 289930 or email: malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk. You can find more information on this by turning to page 71.

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Apra mo ONE, birth to 12 years

Unplug them den making kits from Pl-ug www.hippychick.com 01278 434440 nursery today

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news First profit in five years for Mothercare Mothercare posted a full-year profit for the first time in five years, making a pre-tax profit of £9.7m.

The positive result follows a loss last year of £13.1m.

Sales at UK stores open for longer than a year rose 3.6 per cent helping UK sales climb 0.3 per cent to £459.7m. Group underlying profit before tax soared 51 per cent to £19.6m.

However, despite the improvement, Mothercare’s UK business still reported an underlying loss of £6.4m compared with a deficit of £18m the previous year.

Mark Newton-Jones, Chief Executive of Mothercare plc, said: “I’m pleased to report that two years into our turnaround strategy we have recorded a 51% growth in underlying profit before tax and the delivery of our first statutory profit in five years.

“The results highlight the significant progress we are making towards returning the UK to profitability. Improvements to our customer offer, both in store and online, and the look and feel of the store estate are driving like-for-like sales growth for a second consecutive year. Nearly 40% of the store estate is now in the new and much improved format and the feedback from customers continues to be positive. This sales growth is not at the expense of gross margins which have also returned to growth. There is still much to do, but we are encouraged by our maintained trajectory towards profitability in the UK. “Our vision remains clear: to be the leading global retailer for parents and young children.”

ver Suzie Howes o ow rsignsahais apnpob e o th ed Suzie Howes, wh int inbow De to the

Ra rience years’ industry expe brings more than 15 rketing and ma its in rt pa integral company, to play an ts. licensing departmen wealth of bringing with her a Suzie joins Rainbow years toy e including over 15 will marketing experienc and Licensing Suzie eti Head of Mark ng As . ge led the ow of n kn tio try indus implementa for the creation and be fully responsible g strategies as well the tin rke ma er d consum company’s trade an licensing function. ow ation of Rainb ’s din or co d an nt me develop

Myweeteepee rolls out to Bentalls The beautiful Myweeteepee range is about to Designed with developing tots in mind info@oxouk.com www.oxototuk.com

roll out to Bentalls stores in the UK following a successful trade launch at the Harrogate Nursery Fair.

Bentalls are the first major retailer to list Myweeteepee and the initial launch will see three designs available in stores across the UK. Bentalls are hugely supportive of the brand and will be doing a great job in promoting the range to consumers via instore marketing and social media.

For further information on stocking the gorgeous range of handcrafted teepees, please contact sales@myweeteepee.co.uk Web: www.myweeteepee.co.uk

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sponsored by hardenbergco.co.uk 01785 503 305

Three new additions for Bigjigs Bigjigs Toys announces three new additions to the company including Sam Best as Stock Controller who joined in April and Danielle Finn as Management Accountant who joined last week.

...Become come a stockist st of our award d winning range... nge...

New Size 12-18m available now!

Web: www.bigjigstoys.com

Banishing Parents’ Weaning Worries

Babymoov has launched a campaign to ease anxieties and troubleshoot the problems many parents face when embarking on weaning.

Around 7,500 parents a week start to wean their babies, and according to studies, the process of weaning a child is considered one of the main contributors of stress in parents.

To combat these anxieties, Babymoov have recruited nutritionist Julia Wolman to offer practical tips and advice on all aspects of the process. The programme will also feature lifestyle bloggers, recruited to showcase their family’s weaning journey utilising a range of Babymoov products including the multi-award-winning, Nutribaby and the ultra-compact Light Wood Highchair.

Hip Healthy for The Gro nmultyi award winning safe sleep a p Com the , Gro Company

Cosy little slipper socks!

The ived an imporbrand for babies and children, has rece national health organisation inter ing, tant mark of approval from lead tute (IHDI).

- The International Hip Dysplasia Insti ucts in order to educate the public prod thy’ heal ‘hip dges owle IHDI ackn ent. and encourage healthy hip developm bag, please visit: www.gro.co.uk/grobag Gro the on on For more infor mati baby-sleep-bags ug g, please visit: www.gro.co.uk/gro-sn For more infor mation on the Gro-snu se plea tute, Insti ional Hip Dysplasia For more infor mation on The Internat rg sia.o visit:www.hipdyspla

Show of support from We Made Me Baby carrier, wraps and slings company We Made Me Ltd is delighted to announce a new partnership with Attachment Parenting UK (APUK) as premium sponsors for 2016.

APUK presented the perfect opportunity for the much loved babywearing brand as the organisation shares the brands passion and commitment to supporting the unique bonds developed within the family unit. Babywearing is a big part of the APUK messaging and therefore supporting them is a great honour for We Made Me Ltd. “The work that APUK is doing is fantastic and we are excited to be supporting its efforts,” said Daniel Lucas, Founder of We Made Me Ltd. “Supporting parents to adopt a positive and loving connection with their baby is imperative and I am confident that APUK is committed to this, making the organisation the ideal fit for us. We look forward to seeing APUK continue to grow and work with even more families countrywide.”

Web: www.wemademe.com

Protecting babies knees!

www.sockons.co.uk All products are supported by a comprehensive press and pr campaign.

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news Raising awareness This month, The Gro Company invites Francine Bates, CEO of The Lullaby Trust, to guest edit their regular column to help raise awareness of their latest initiative, Little Lullaby

D

espite the progress that has been made in reducing the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the latest UK figures show that babies born to mothers below the age of 20 are 4 times more likely to die of

Direct2Mum are celebrating!

Independent nursery retailer Direct2Mum teamed up with ForgetMeNot in April 2015 in a campaign to ‘Fund a Day’. The ForgetMeNot Children’s Hospice supports children with life shortening conditions and their families; the hospice has to raise £3.8million each year.

Almost all of their funding comes from the community.

So, members of the Direct2Mum team have taken part in Skydiving, Yorkshire Day, Fancy dress days, stock donations to their stores and one of the company directors even agreed to dress as a duck (as chosen by the hospice children) for one week, including a presentation at the AGM! The team raised a total of £7,703, which will help to support very poorly children and their families.

A huge well done to all the team, but also to ForgetMeNot for continuing to do the amazing work that they do.

SIDS than those born to mums aged 20 and over. This statistic highlights the importance of educating and informing new parents about steps they can take to reduce the risk of SIDS occurring.

Little Lullaby is a new resource backed by the Big Lottery Fund, which aims to equip all young parents with the knowledge they need to ensure their baby is sleeping safely. The website provides them with a space where they can learn about safer sleep, while also gaining support from their peers through the trials of pregnancy and parenthood.

Young Parent Ambassadors have a strong presence on the site, answering questions within the site’s forums and sharing their

Full bloom at Clever Clogs Having

launched and distributed the brand in Ireland for the past eight yea rs, Clever Clogs are very excited to bring their exp ertise to the bloom brand in the UK and look forw ard to working with the bloom UK team and sho wcasing their high end d furniture to design conscious parents.

Web : www.cleverclogstrading. co.uk

experiences in the blog. As specially trained volunteers they are also active within their community, helping to train professionals on the best ways to work with young parents and delivering training sessions to young and expectant parents on how to reduce the risk of SIDS. The Lullaby Trust works to promote expert advice on safer sleep to all parents and has been raising awareness of SIDS for over 40 years.

Their vision is to halve the number of SIDS deaths by 2020.

We don’t know why babies born to teenage mothers are at a higher risk of SIDS but it is vital that information about safer sleep reaches young parents. Our partnership with The Gro Company can help us to reach a wider audience by promoting Little Lullaby and safer sleep information through their brand and social media messaging. Gro have also started working with bloggers whose experience of young parenthood resonates with a younger audience.

We thank Gro for helping to spread the word about Little Lullaby and ask all professionals who work with young parents to let them know about this great resource, where they can access information, advice and peer support.

For more information about The Lullaby Trust visit www.lullabytrust.org.uk

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nursery today

Congratulations Baby Barn Rugby’s Baby Barn Pram and Nursery Centre is the inaugural winner of the bira independent retailing team prize.

The prize was created in response the members’ comments that their The Baby Barn Team - Rachael Lloyd, Sue businesses would be lost without the dedication and Dronfield, Georgie Wines, Noreen Fawcett & support of their teams on a Tracie Ireland daily basis - running a business requires endless amounts of hard work and sometimes it can be impossible for the owners to juggle everything – hence the need for a reliable force behind them.

The team that had “impressed the judges the most, is a ‘hands on’ group which has been described as dedicated and very enthusiastic.”

Proprietor Sue Dronfield commented: “We’re chuffed to bits with this.

It’s going to be great to be able to text this news to our staff - it’s recognition for all the hard work behind the scenes.”

Hey, U.K.!

We’re ready to play.

The NEW Skip Hop U.K. office is here to serve you. For information on how to stock our brand, contact us today.

WWW.SKIPHOP.COM

Email: ukoffice@skiphop.com Tel: 01582 434250

news What’s in store...

Leading licensed character baby soft toys manufacturer, Rainbow Designs talks to Sue Dronfield, Owner of The Baby Barn in Rugby, Warwickshire, about the current retail trends in the nursery sector.

Is there a particular license that is performing well at the moment for you within the Nursery category?

We only have a small selection of toys in store but we find that the neural colours are the most popular. Ranges like Rainbow’s Designs’ Guess How Much I Love You work well for us.

What do customers look for in a product when it comes to baby gifting?

Baby Gifts really are an impulse buy, if they like the look and feel of the item and it is under £10.00 or £20.00 so much the better! Most consumers do not want to spend much more than that unless it is Grandma that is buying!! The Guess How Much I Love You bedding range is popular with us so the toys are a natural purchase and make a great pick up item – gift buyers also tend to purchase a book too!

On the whole pink and blue is not overly popular with us in either toys or bedding with the exception of the Beatrix Potter pram toys – the attachable Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny. They are great value for money and make a perfect gift.

What do you predict will be a hot prod product for you this year in the N Nursery/baby gifting category? catego We have hav recently expanded our range of pram blankets and shawls with some beautiful products from East Coast. For produ us th their new Baby Boutique cotton shawls in the pastel cotto colours have been selling colo really well as gifts, great price rea and superb quality. an ww www.babybarnltd.co.uk

r New consume event set to ’, a two t ‘Baby to Toddler ciseh n lau , comes a new even ow ExCeL Sh at by ce Ba pla e e Th tak ural show will e Organ rs of

From th ts. The inaug t for modern paren 16. day shopping even th of November 20 20 access to to th ekend of 19 chool age will have e-s pr to up London on the we ren ild ch st, all of ts tru d ren an pa d ow an mes you kn Expectant parents es, it’s e big brands and na on th le all litt m eir fro th als for de d parents need ing yth exclusive offers an er e ev Th for m op fro ogression e one-stop-sh easier. A natural pr under one roof. Th es liv ng tti eir ge th e for t ak m no t to g event ildren (bu a fantastic shoppin rs and preschool ch eater focus on toddle gr a th wi ow Sh Baby ent’s main retail Pepper mint, the ev ing babies too!) lud inc shrs, ito hib 100 ex ited to: Prams & pu There will be over include but not lim ll wi • y ing bu to oth le Cl • ab avail hings • Toys partner. Categories lthcare ry furniture & furnis ea rse H • Nu es • s vic er ser oll str ial avel • Financ Tr • s chairs • Buggies & air ch y& fet igh H Sa • • s • Carriers t • Car seats Feeding equipmen anging • Accessorie ch & r ing th dle Ba tod • d fts s • Gi •Baby an & wellbeing • Book es • Family services Educational servic • ity rn ate M • ity secur e Toddler event pleas activity classes visiting the Baby to or g itin hib for ex or on on rrently) For more infor mati ly a holding page cu lerEvents.co.uk (on dd ule@clarionevents.

To ll.r To sse by ru t Ba ac w. nt co e as visit ww ple ies nit tu sorship Oppor Exhibiting & Spon .

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A Viking challenge Emmalj

unga have produced their very own film footage illustrating a race where they participated with their own staff to tackle an assault course with their Viking pram which clearly demonstrates the lightweight, strength and manouevability of this product - and it was definitely was put through its paces eventually heading toward victory!

Let’s go outside!

Town or country, urban streets or the great outdoors, the Jané Trider Extreme is designed to cope with all terrains and get the whole family outdoors.

Jané has responded to demand by creating a pram that operates smoothly on rough ground. The Trider Extreme has puncture proof all terrain wheels, rear suspension shock absorber and one-touch parking brake. It folds with one hand, has a compact fold and is ISOFIX compatible.

Available with Jané Koos, Matrix Light 2 and Transporter 2.

Web: www. jane-uk.com

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Latest cele brity fan of Myweeteep ee Model and

TV Star Danielle Lloyd is the latest celebrity to join in the magic of Myweeteepee.

Danielle posted an n instagram phot o too her 352K follo wers which showed her two boys enjoyi ng a movie night in the gorgeous Sailo r Teepee, which was also shared to 41 3K Twitter fans.

Web: www. myweeteepee . co.uk

BBC News interview Bambino Mio Founder and Managing Director of Bambino Mio, Guy Schanschieff was interviewed by Kamal Ahmed, BBC Economics Editor in relation to a piece on the Brexit campaign, broadcast on the News at Six and the News at Ten on Tuesday 10th May.

aden + a nais featu red with the ir Jungle Book collabor atio Magazin n in Gurgle e (May is Web: w sue). ww.ad

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Allergy-free nursery with Crane Crane humidifiers spotted in Mother & Baby’s Allergy-Free Nursery feature.

Web: www.crane-usa.com

ow h s r e artn p d n lachosen the a e s d i e t r M O ord he and his partnPerumhapv.eTweeting to f e v o l rtis Deley, revealela Freestyle Breastned our Freestyle prise theity igar d, O d no sur t e Mede ted ‘We christe dge a logy it is n essing, th o e r expr Celebr s comm dvanced techn eeding brand, gadget fo a ers, Orti stf a e r b g ultimate Twitter follow ye for the most innin -w e 0 d 0 r n a a ,1 w 0 h his 6 ked a ’ Wit have pic st night.

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nursery nurser ry ttoday oday oda d y

s arTrike gets sm r ready for action

Much-loved action mum and TV presenter, Helen M Skelton share s d a cute snap of her little boy Ernie getting his smarT rike ready r for action to her strong 100,000 f follow ing across social media. In fact, Ernie E was so eager to get out and about a on his smarTrike that Helen share s d another photo the same day as a their first smarTrike adventure.

Web: www.smartrike.com W

cover story HIPPYCHICK

Unplug and play outdoors!

It’s the summer, finally. And there’s no better time to persuade the kids to unplug their technology and get outside to exercise their limbs and breathe in the fresh air. For a range of toys that will get them scooting, bouncing or building out in the garden or at the park, look no further than Hippychick’s outdoor toy range.

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arents’ relying on n ‘tech’ to stimulate e their children has increased at a rate of knots in recent years. Research has found that an astonishing 38% of children under two have used a mobile device (Source: Common Sense Media). The percentage of children that use a mobile device every ar, day has doubled in the last year, vice has tripled. and the time spent on that device end on average Children from five years old spend 6 and a half hours in front of a screen per day.

Despite these statistics, experts continue to advocate that traditional toys are better for child development than electrical ones, and that’s where Hippychick can help.

Hippychick is a friendly, family run business based in Somerset, dedicated to the distribution of well made, top quality and highly sought after

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“rThe gorgeous

ca toys. Their carefully curated collection has been thoughtfully put together, to offer one of the s strongest pre-school offerings in the industry.

a w oo denng e g ives c l a sMs ioo ver Meet the sty l i s htoy s a mo decrn M M oo ver fin i s h . Th e , W Wheelybugs These clever critters really do have p b estse ller a m i s a a min mind of their own! Unlike many r traditional ride on toys, Wheelybugs traditio

”

have m multi-directional casters which mean tthey don’t just go backwards and forwards, but round and round, giving forward little ones the freedom to move as they please! They will have a ‘wheely’ great time building their motor skills, special awareness and self-confidence.

Not Just multi-directional, but multi award winning! Wheelybugs have scored the top prize in a number of awards including Loved by Parents, Right Start and Practical Preschool.

Hippychick are inundated with customer stories

of how they have been passed down through siblings because they are just built to last!

They were also the winners of the Slow Toy Awards in 2014, a movement dedicated to highlighting the ‘real’ toys on the market that inspire children, will stand the test of time and offer true play value.

Real Moovers and Shakers The gorgeous Moover range gives classic wooden toys a modern, stylish finish. The Moover pram is a bestseller, providing hours of fun for little ones at the same time as looking like a feature piece in their bedroom.

With its clever click key construction, as little ones get older another element of excitement is release, as they can learn to build and deconstruct these toys time and time again.

These are toys that will never date and its premium quality means it will last through generations.

Hippychick are here to help, Give childr en a great reason to get up a nd go outsid Hippychick’s e! expe

rt knowledge and support provides reta ilers with the as surance that are receiving they quality, well so ug ht after produc Plus, Hippych ts. ick’s customer service and at to detail is un tention rivalled, mea ning a truly fa buying experi nt as tic ence and grea t sell through.

Bounce through the summer season Happy Hopperz are a collection of bright, inflatable animals that not only rival the Space Hoppers of the 1970’s but take bouncing to a whole new level.

Created with ears & horns for children to grip on to and feet to steady the bounce, these wonderful animals come in a variety of different styles and colours that give ‘Old Macdonald’ a run for his money!

Not only are these loveable toys fun to play with but they also help children strengthen core muscles, increase balance control and develop co-ordination skills. They encourage imaginative play, promote physical exercise and develop self-confidence, making them the perfect gift this summer!

Brighten Up With BoiKido Colourful, vibrant and highly educational – BoiKido has a wide range of products from pocket money toys to baby walkers and activity stations.

This stylish range of pre-school toys has three main focuses – musical, construction and number learning. The entire range is extremely interactive; many of the toys come with more than one function and in are great value for money.

Pl-ug – Build a Den Anywhere The newest toy offering from Hippychick, Pl-ug, is a range of innovative den building kits. They contain all the bits and bobs needed to build a den from even the wildest of imaginations. We all have fond memories of building our own little hideaway – if only it was this easy! The kits include clamps, suckers, poles, connectors – and they all simply ‘plug’ together for endless combinations. Whether it’s a princess castle or an astronauts rocket Pl-ug provides hours of fun.

Plus, if this summer is unsurprisingly British – Pl-ug can be used indoors without scratching or damaging furniture and walls.

Tel: 01278 434 440 Web: www.hippychick.com

Did you know

230 toy lines ● Hippychick have over eelybugs e sold over 80,000 Wh hav k hic ● To date, Hippyc les Sty z per l of 33 Happy Hop ● There have been a tota t simply plugs tha n ctio its innovative constru ● PL-ug is named after together!

France – ooh la la! ● BoiKido is designed in

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retail

BABY & CO

Bristol Fashion Independent nursery retailer, Baby & Co, based in Keynsham, Bristol has grown both instore and online far beyond their humble beginnings. We spoke to their director, Jeff Mills to find out what has been the driving force behind this family run business and how they have stayed one step ahead within an extremely competitive retail space.

You have been an established independentt retailer since 1982 and during this time have seen quite a bit of change, what would you say has been the most notable for you?

“ I t h ink a goo d

p ro duc t de mon str a t i on is key to w in n in g t h e s a le an d a w a y a sp ec i a l i s still pparents that want that personal t approach and want to touch and feel the appro in dep en dent c an produ product they’re buying. However, there growing number who are happy just gr w in o ver t h e tois asho shop online. We are also seeing online basket values increasing with customers n a t i on a ls . to spend large sums on nursery ” happy furniture or travel systems which a few furnitu

There have been two big changes that we didn’t envisage back then firstly and most notably, the sad decline in the number of independent stores throughout the country. When my parents opened the store there was half a dozen nursery stores in our area which all supported each other and helped out when stock was short. Now there is really only one or two left in business and this has been repeated throughout the country. Gone are the days when every small town had a locall nursery store. Or in fact a local anything store. I think the rise of the big national chains hasn’t benefitted the consumer, really just limited choice. Hopefully the nursery industry will stabilise and the decline will slow. Without a strong independent market new brands will find it hard to bring their products to market. Nationals very rarely take a chance with new products whereas an independent often will.

The second is the rise of online. There are 16

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back wouldn’t have happened. years b

What drove the decision to change direction in 2003 to purely focus on nursery and the re-brand to Baby & Co? We noticed that the nursery industry was becoming more fashion/brand focused and more and more space was demanded to present the products in the right way. So having an oily bike and the latest designer pram didn’t really sit together anymore.

So we decided to focus solely on nursery and haven’t looked back. Of course the old name of Buggies & Bikes didn’t fit anymore, so we called in a brand agency that my wife had worked with in the past to help with the re-brand. After a few weeks we decided on Baby & Co and our corporate colour to give a more modern look to the business.

Can you tell us a little about your current premises? How do you manage your shop floor space?

The retail store is a long thin ‘L’ shape - so not the ideal space for lots of large stands, however we tend to feature the more premium products at the front of the store merchandised alongside nursery furniture from Boori and Silver Cross. In the centre of the store we have a small consultation area where we can create customers ‘nursery club’ orders and a selection of clothing from UK brands which are organic and fairtrade.

To the rear of the store we have buggies, smaller wheeled goods and accessories plus our extensive car seat section. We have entrances at both the front and back of the store; which is pedestrianised. This allows us to fit prams in customer’s cars and also perform our car seat consultations.

How brand focussed are your customers?

Very. Most customers are well informed and have done a great deal of research before

B r an d s s uc an d B e S a fe h a s B ritax f anta st i c in h ave b een deve lop ou r h e lp in g us an d s upp o r kn o w le dg e t h ei r r an gtein g us w it h o f ERF se a ts

they come in. We pull from a wide area including both Bristol and Bath - where for some brand is key.

Is there a particular category that performs well for you?

Car seats are an important category for us. Over the past few years we have been working to grow our reputation locally as the ‘go-to’ experts in car safety and advice; in particular focussing on extended rear facing for the last seven years or so. Our reputation has grown and the word of mouth has been fantastic pulling in customers from several hours away from our store to see some of our specialist ERF seats. Brands such as Britax and BeSafe have been fantastic in helping us develop our knowledge and supporting us with their range of ERF seats.

How important are product demonstrations to you and how do you convey this knowledge to your staff ?

I think a good product demonstration

is key to winning the sale and a way a specialist independent can win over the nationals. As owner managers we live and breathe our products and take a genuine interest in them. This enthusiasm can be infectious causing the customer to love the product too!

As part of the sales process we often try the pram in the customer’s boot in addition to giving car seat product training.

We are continually encouraging our staff to play with the products, improving their demonstration routine to ensure it’s as smooth as possible.

We run in house training on most products and as well as car seat demo rigs we often get our staff doing car seat installations in our cars for more hands on practice, particularly for 25kgs ERF seats.

Red Kite 2016 collection 01454 326 555 www.redkitebaby.com

Do you feel that we have sufficient innovation in the nursery sector at present?

Not really on the wheels side of things, maybe we are a bit long in the tooth!

Or it’s all been done before? We go to

nursery today

17

retail

BABY & CO

trade shows full of anticipation of seeing something genuinely new only to be shown something which is remarkably similar to x brand. It’s a bit like the old VW advert which said ‘sounds just like a Golf ’.

I do understand the commercial side of things that if something is successful then it’s a good idea to try and replicate that.

In terms of car seats the new R129 regulations are making brands look into new materials and designs which have resulted in some great new products and features being exhibited by brands such as Maxi-Cosi and BeSafe. As the next phases of the R129 regulations get agreed I’m sure we are going to see some innovative designs to high back booster seats in the next few years.

How important is your website for your business?

run a nursery club ru , I You s y a d a schem scheme - how popular is w o “N this fo for you? a y l l a e r This is popular p and most parents ’s t h ink it take ad advantage of this free service. o r a It helps us too with our buying and f t n e m e r i relieves relieve some of the pressure when re qu e v a h stock is i short. We work at least a month mont prior to due date and bus in es s to o f longer longe if we know there are stock issue We store the order free of s o me s o rt e ; issues. charge char and allow customers to nc e s e r p e make ma payments on account n i l on enabling them to either budget ena y l l u f ’s t i r themselves with the larger th e h t e wh purchases or for family p a members r o l a n o to help out with the m i t tr an s a c purchase. Historically it’s ite . ” something that all pram s e r u h c o r b shops would offer, although

Nowadays, I think it’s really a requirement for a business to have some sort of online presence; e; whether it’s fully transactional or a brochure site. For most customers rs it’s the first contact they have with ha business and first impressions count. unt.

We don’t do any print advertising ising so our website is our shop window w and how we attract customers to our store.

We try to be as multi-channell as possible offering online customerss in-store click and collect for our shop hop customers and free home delivery. y. We want to make shopping with us ass easy as possible.

What about social media - how do you manage this?

We manage this in-house. We currently don’t put as much effort into this area as we should, purely down to time; but are present on all major social media channels.

We are looking into allocating more resources to social media and outsourcing some channels.

We work in an extremely emotive industry, how important is customer service to you?

Post-sale customer service is as important as pre-sale and again how we can beat the larger multiples. Buying a pram or nursery furniture should be a wonderful experience.

When the customer leaves they shouldn’t have any dissonant feelings about their purchase. If they shake your hand after they have paid you know you have done your job well.

If things go wrong we also have our own workshop and are a Maclaren Service Centre so we can repair most products on site. We offer loan products in store and can usually turn a repair around in 24 hours.

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nursery today

the scheme sche is all run electronically now we do want to retain some old fashioned services.

You run a price match policy - how do you manage this?

In store we fortunately get very few price match requests and in general RRP’s have been improving. However online we receive a steady flow of emails asking to match prices with some website we have never heard of or someone based outside the UK. Also the ones where you know they have sent the same e-mail to every stockist in the UK! Where possible if it’s a like for like offer we do price match.

Do you have a particular nursery supplier you would like to acknowledge and can you tell us why?

All of our suppliers are wonderful! It wouldn’t be fair to single any brand in particular. We love any brand that supports us and has stock!

What about products - is there a ‘hero’ product in your store at present that is a ‘must have’ for your customers?

All i-Size and ERF seats do well for us. The brands that have seats in this area are really

pushing demand. We like these products, they are an easy sale and at full margin!

Customers come in pretty much decided they must have the latest, safest seat for their little one.

The big pram brands are still as popular as ever and their continued investment in their products and brands ensures they stay as the forefront of expectant parent’s minds.

What about consumer trends have you experienced anything in particular this year?

More awareness of i-Size and ERF. For us most of our car seat sales in store are now rear facing with very little forward facing.

This is in contrast to online where forward facing still dominates.

Compact strollers for travel like the Nano, YoYo and Easylife are gaining more attention from our customers in particular as we get closer to holiday season.

How do you source products for your store or online?

Very much like other retailers I’m sure.

Attending trade shows including Harrogate and Cologne, reading trade journals such as Nursery Today and keeping abreast of social media trends - and of course feedback from our customers.

Do you offer the same products in store as you do online?

The store pretty much mirrors our online although our online catalogue is significantly larger than store selection. We do change things around quite regularly and keep the in demand products on the shop floor.

However if a customer wants to see anything from our website, that can be arranged.

Finally, can we expect any exciting plans on the horizon?

Online is continually being developed to keep up with the latest technology and demand. For example last year our site was redeveloped to be fully responsive for all devices.

Our big focus this year is improving our internal systems and connecting all channels in a seamless system. That’s our big challenge!

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talking shop This issue we focus on car seats and spoke to independent retailers about their thoughts on this product category.

PRAMLAND

John Barker

What are your current thoughts on the use of non high-backed boosters seats?

We haven’t sold “booster cushions” for over 10 years. We don’t agree with their use and aree happy to support their banning. We would rather h sellll the h customer nothing than let them walk out of our store with one.

With the change in law at the end of December, how will you convey this message to your customers?

The law change will have little effect on us as we only recommend high-back boosters (Grp2/3) in-store – regardless of height. Parents will decide what’s best for their children, unfortunately most parents let budget dictate what decision they make.

Do you feel that your customers are more safety aware in general when it comes to car seats?

We are finding more and more customers have been misinformed about both the safety of seats and the standards that apply to them. Customers spend half an hour online and regard themselves as experts. Unfortunately due to the introduction i-Size customers are more confused than ever as they get conflicting advice from different stores and websites.

Do you have a particular car seat brand that performs well for you in this category?

We support Cybex strongly in-store, this is for a few reasons: the brand is good, the products are good and the customers like the products.

Contact Penny Franks for a chat on 01442 289 947 penny@lemapublishing.co.uk if you would like to be included in our next issue.

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nursery today

Sam Norgate

DIRECT2MUM

What are your current thoughts on the use of non-highbacked boosters seats?

We would always recommend using a high-backed booster seat to offer your child the maximum possible protection in the unfortunate event of a crash. The benefit of a high-back booster is that it will offer additional protection of the head and body by guiding the adult seat belt across the child in the best possible way. High-back boosters offer much better protection in a side-impact crash - these make up an estimated 25% of all crashes. The use of non-high backed boosters is still legal and still complies with all current safety standards so customers should not feel they are being irresponsible in continuing to use them, but we would always recommend using a high-back up to at least 135cm.

With the change in law at the end of December, how will you convey this message to your customers?

The government has confirmed that new regulations are in the pipeline but currently no decisions have been finalised. However, customers are already questioning the potential new legislation and we will continue to give them the same advice: there is no need to panic buy as any new laws will only apply to new products being purchased, anything that customers already own will remain within the law. However we do recommend that a child is in a high-back booster.

Do you feel that your customers are more safety aware in general when it comes to car seats?

Our customers are becoming increasingly conscious of adhering to latest safety advice and having the most up to date technologies.

Customers find it reassuring that we have industry standard-trained experts at Direct2Mum to support their car seat purchasing journey.

Do you have a particular brand that performs well for you in this category?

We perform well across most of the brands we stock: Maxi Cosi, Cybex, BeSafe, and Recaro. We aim to offer a choice of features and benefits to suit all our customers’ needs.

GROOVYSTYLE

George Bezani

What are your current thoughts on the use of non high-backed boosters seats?

As a company we made the decision about seven or eight years ago not to sell the non high-backed booster seats as we personally didn’t feel it offered sufficient protection for children. A booster cushion ensures the lap belt sits in the correct place but does not protect the child’s head or neck in an accident. There is now a vast selection of high backed booster seats on the market and we aim to stock a range that are suitable for all price points.

With the change in law at the end of December, how will you convey this message to your customers?

Fortunately most of our customers are already aware of the change in the law and are already looking to purchase high backed booster seats even though the non high-backed variety are still legal. However, we do make a point of informing all our customers about the change in the law in case they plan on using the non high-backed booster seats as a spare seat for additional cars. We are also very active in sharing the new information via our social media pages so that the message reaches as many people as possible and hopefully informs potential customers of the benefit of purchasing a high-backed booster seat over a non high-backed version.

Do you have a particular car seat brand that performs well for you in this category?

We have found the Cybex Solution Q2 Fix to be the most popular high-backed booster seat for us in-store. Many parents choose this seat because of its extensive side impact protection and optimised reclining headrest which helps prevent the child’s head from tipping forwards when falling asleep. It also has the added benefit of an air ventilation system to help keep the child cool on even the hottest of days. This is a particularly attractive feature given that a lot of parents experience their child getting hot in their car seats.

Good sellers are also Kiddy, Recaro and Joie in the lower price point.

Henry Adedokun

THE OXFORD PRAM CENTRE

What are your current thoughts on the use of non high-backed boosters seats?

At The Oxford Pram Centre we always err on the side of safety and caution. We feel strongly that we have a responsibility to our customers to ensure that we are selling products that meet all current legislation and we advise them how to maximise safety on the correct installation of car seats into their vehicles. We do not sell or recommend car seats or booster seats on price alone. In our considered opinion and taking into account the longevity of service within the industry of our staff, we recommend that all booster seats are high-backed.

Since we acquired the business in September 2014, The Oxford Pram Centre has only purchased high-backed booster seats from our suppliers, as we firmly believe that these provide optimum safety for the child, particularly when it comes to supporting and protecting the head.

With the change in law at the end of December, how will you convey this message to your customers?

We mail out to 1000 subscribers to Emma’s Diary each month who are in the first trimester of their pregnancy. In addition, we are working to forge more lasting links with our local community and are about to email local nursery groups to invite them to visit us at The Oxford Pram Centre to ensure that the car seats used by their families are appropriate for their children and fitted correctly into their vehicles. We have done the same with the NCT groups based in the Southern Region. nursery today

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Boosting sales The car seat sector continues to grow year on year, with consumers being more information hungry and hopefully more aware when it comes to safety but with another new legislation taking place in December of this year, could we potentially be confusing them? ith so much activity happening again in the car seat sector, are we potentially confusing the consumer? We all know that any change in law is in the best interests of babies, infants and young children, but how are we making this message clear?

We first saw an article published in Which? with regard to booster seats and the ‘bin the booster’ campaign, and although this did offer a superb reading platform, it could have been slightly misleading for many in its content. Robert Anslow, managing director, told Nursery Today: “The article published

by Which? is slightly misleading as booster seats are not to be ‘banned’. The proposed amendment to the current Regulation 44 will mean that a new booster cushion can be type-approved for Mass Group III only, for children weighing between 22 and 36 kg. It will require a label to be placed on the cushion to restrict its use to children of 125 cm and above.

“Currently it is possible to approve in Group II (as well as Group III), so booster cushions are available for use by children of 15 kg and above (which corresponds to around three or sometimes four years of age).

“The change, when introduced, will affect new type approvals only. Group II booster cushions can still be used legally in the UK and Europe as they are

W

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nursery today

A s m anu fa ctu rers “ an d b ra n d s, it is ou r resp on si b il ity to en su re th at con su mer s h ave a good leve l o f educa ti on an d in fo rm at ion

”

Nikki Bhogal, Do rel

addressed under different legislation, which has not changed.”

We asked BeSafe’s country manager (UK and Ireland), Paul Sirett whether he feels that this legislation may lead to further confusion?

“Absolutely, without doubt, and therefore there is a strong need for retailers and suppliers to cooperate more closely in providing this information. It has never been more important.”

Kevin Clarkson, from Paul Stride, a well-known independent nursery retailer, definitely feels that more changes in legislation will only add to confusion.

Kevin said: “The new R129 on group 2/3 seats relating to i-Size (up to 135cm) and Vehicle Specific (150cm) is going to confuse, especially for the Irish north and south of the border.”

Kevin was also quick to add that they have never offered backless booster seats to their customers as they have always seen these as a lesser product, where safety should always be of utmost importance.

Even Dorel agrees that it can confuse the consumer further. Nikki Bhogal, Head of Marketing told Nursery Today: “Yes it has the potential to. We will be creating simplified content in order to address this and put consumers’ minds at ease. It is really important that retailers keep up to date as these regulations are evolving.”

We also asked Nikki if she felt we were providing sufficient information for consumers to try to assist?

“As manufacturers and brands, it is our responsibility to ensure that consumers have a good level of education and information. At Maxi-Cosi, we go above and beyond by providing consumers with category education e.g. videos and infographics on i-Size and the legislation, but also specific content on

Picture courtesy of BeSafe

our products e.g. comparison charts, features and benefit movies and installation videos. In addition to this, we have a car fitting list on our website whereby consumers can check which seat fits their car based on their child’s age, length and weight so they can be informed and reassured even before they go in store or buy online.”

We asked the same question of Paul, who responded: “Consumers are getting more confused if anything.

Retailers and suppliers need to work together to organise and train store staff better, however the well-in-

formed independents have a great opportunity here as they can gain consumer confidence by showcasing their knowledge!”

On a final note, can we confidently state that consumers are more safety savvy when we look at car seats? “Consumers are definitely more informed, either through conversations with friends and family or through researching online. There is a clear interest from consumers to really understand the category and what is the best car seat for them,” says Nikki.

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

What Gfk say…

• Car seat category continues to be value driven • Double digit value growth • iSize driving sales • £2 out of £5 spent on Isofix seats • Average price up by 11% overall

To join in contact BeSafe UK/Ireland on: sales@hts.no

nursery today

23

focus CAR SEATS & ACCESSORIES

Eas

y to in st a ll

and n g i s e d k e e Sl mance r o f r e p s s e l flaw e Bebsyemcaxai (Gr roup 0+) infant car seat is desigeas,neofd fewirinthgadexdicetiollenantl sid

The Ea e ng and hip ar t cushions, and th n in the head wi newborn suppor impact protectio l na tio di ad o tw cludes protection. It in for washing. gh an Isofix bric is removable fa at se le seatbelts, althou ab th cle hi brea ve e th th wi d easily It can be installe easy fitting. for extra fast and e out additional bl la ai av r El chassis with ca base is also be Be l al to d a wide tte fi d is available in Easymaxi can be travel system, an e et pl cessories, m ac co d a an rs rm car’s pushchai adaptors, to fo be Be ch at m to colours choice of fabric ic fabrics. in-resistant Mag sta e th ng includi 8801 Tel: 01692 40 car.co.uk be be w. ww : Web

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pasafe, have de helpful new pr veloped an in oduct to add novative and to their ever ex The Seat Bac panding auto k Organiser is range. take their child a real must-ha ren on car jour ve for parents that neys. Great fo perfect for he r short comm lping to keep utes and kids occupied organiser has on longer trip pouches to ke s; the ep items like iPad viewing toys and book compartment s in, plus an so that restless own seat back tots can have TV! their very Roger Cheetha m, Managing our new prod D ir ec tor of Clippa ucts, we’re re safe, sa sponding to a solutions, but need for not on ys “With also solutions ly safety aimed at mak and more orga ing parents’ liv nised. We’d lik es easier e our range to shop for child become a onesafety and conv stop enience.”

The Seat Bac k Organiser w for pre-order. ill be on sale in It has an RRP July and is av Tel: 0115 92 of £11.99. ailable 11 899

Web: www.cl ippasa

fe.co.uk

seats in 1 with Joie 4 When it comes to car seats that are designed to grow with your child Joie’s Every

Stage car seat has it covered! This addition to the Joie family is designed to make growing up easy from birth to 12 years. It is four seats in one that adjusts, adapts and protects through groups 0+, 1, 2 and 3. Thanks to its AutoAdjust technology, the headrest and side wings grow up and out simultaneously meaning parents can rest assured the seat is where it should be. Additionally the seat has Guard Surround Safety that are side impact protection panels built in and a reinforced steel inner seat frame, meaning Joie has designed this to be as safe and secure as possible. Plus Every Stage is another great seat in Joie’s extensive range of extended rearward facing seats, as it can be used this way up to 18kg/four years and then forward faces to 36kg/12 years.

Tel: 01889 808 900 Email: uksales@joiebaby.com

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nursery today

#pimpmybump

Lucy, 5 months.

Wearing My Space

WISH – PUSHCHAIR MODE

WISH – PRAM MODE

WISH – CAR SEAT MODE

Introducing our My Space pattern, available on the brand new Wish Travel System. Choose yours. cosatto.com

focus CAR SEATS & ACCESSORIES

Re a r o r f a c in g fsoer w a rd at

All in a spin Joiew Joie Spin 360 makes leaning

he ne Th g to awkwardly tryin over a child and st! pa e th of g in th fasten them in a at rotates 360 The Spin car se le so sition imaginab d grees to any po de e or sid a to at se r e ca y u can move th yo y sil ea g position and f nt-on loadin fro or , at se r ca e into the p ace a little on pl helps s hi T ss. fu a t ithou unstrap them w um tting for maxim ensure correct fi rt for complete comfo rs fe safety and of roup G 0 36 in Sp w Joie the user. The ne to rth suitable from bi 0+/1 car seat is d an d s. A rearwar 18kg /four year sily at that installs ea se ng ci forward fa y d that’s wh this ed rear facing an nd te ex n in s ve lie he seat boasts te ie passionately be 18kg/4 years. T to rth bi er with ISOFIX, Jo m th ge fro row To used rear facing ard facing, the G with a car seat can be ard and five forw one hand. Plus w ar ith re w ve er fi ; th ns ge to st ju ad d an ich recline positio rt ess wh comfo adrest and harn optimal security, multi-height he ad support, for he d an rt se in dy removable full bo the best fit! r fo t en stm ju ad 0 8 90 Tel: 01889 80 om s@joiebaby.c Email: uksale

PROFILE

Zero to Hero Introducing the RECARO Zero.1, the 360° rotatable i-Size seat which is suitable for use from birth up to 105 cm (four years old). he 360° function allows parents to easily secure or remove their child from the Zero.1 by turning the seat to face the vehicle’s door. The seat can remain rearward facing from birth up to four years old, or alternatively it can be changed to forward facing after the child reaches 15 months.

For an easy and secure installation the Zero.1 has an integrated isofix connection. The central safety indicator on the front of the Zero.1 signals the correct installation. Four indicators give parents piece of mind as to whether the isofix connectors are properly engaged, the support leg is resting securely on the vehicle floor and the seat is locked in place after turning.

The integrated 5-point HERO harness and side impact protection guarantee maximum safety. For newborns the Zero.1 is equipped with a removable inlay which is suitable for use from 40 – 70cm. There are three recline positions and the headrest can be adjusted perfectly to the child’s height with just one hand.

The RECARO Zero.1 will be available from August 2017 in a range of new colours and fabrics, the RRP is £399.00.

T

Web: www.recaro-cs.com

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nursery today

Little accidents happen Summ

er Infant’s Piddle Pad is an innovative waterproof seat liner and a perfect protector for car seats and buggies, designed for toddlers who are in the process of potty training. The Piddle Pad uses a quilted terry cloth materi al that is soft on little one’s skin. With its waterproof vinyl and absorbent layers, it soaks up soiling and prevents staining and is conveniently machine washable. The Piddle Pad has been designed to be universal and so can fit into most seats or harnesses.

The Piddle Pad is a must have for all toddlers (and their parents) embarking on their toilet training milestone and has an RRP of £8.99.

Web: www.summerinfant.co.uk

Lie-at safer baby travel Why is lie-flat best for your baby?

• Lie-flat allows a newborn to stretch out and unfurl after months in the womb.

• Lie-flat keeps a baby's body, head and back inline for healthy growth and breathing.

• An open air way ensures healthy levels of oxygen in the blood are maintained.

• The Evo-luna i-Size has a lie flat travelling position when used in the car, or on a pushchair.

• A Kiddy Premature Inlay will provide a snug and safer fit for a tiny preemie baby. evo-luna i-size twice as safe, double the peace of mind The Lullaby Trust supports the Kiddy Evo-Lunafix infant carrier with its lie flat travelling position for a baby. Our advice is that the safest place for a baby to sleep is on their back in a separate cot or Moses basket. Car seats are not recommended for long sleeps, but when baby is out and about we would always recommend that he/she sleeps in the flattest possible position. We are delighted to see that the Kiddy Evo-Lunafix offers a solution to this problem. For more information about The Lullaby Trust and safer sleep for babies please visit http://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep

www.kiddyuk.com

focus CAR SEATS & ACCESSORIES

A w a rd w i p ro duc tn n in g

Solid construction Obaby

The Obaby range of car seats offer maximum safety with minimal effort.

Built with safety being paramount, the car seats are solidly constructed yet not heavy or bulky. The extra padded seat liners, multipoint harnesses and harness pads ensure that children are both extra safe and extra cosy at all times. Combine a Group 0+ car seat with the Obaby Zeal and Chase strollers using the appropriate adaptors and you’ll create the perfect travel system which can be separated quickly and easily. With the range spanning from birth to 12 years and a wide range of colours, there’s an Obaby car seat to suit every child.

Global Awards!

And the PLUS TEST

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

BeSafe

Embracing baby Dorel – Maxi Cos

i

Discover the Maxi-C osi Pebble Plus, the i-Size (R129) ba by car seat that embraces baby, off ering excellent safet y and extra comfort.

The baby-hugg inlay (included) off ers a better fit and lying position for ne wborns.

When baby has gr own, the impact-absorbing material at the top side wings provide s enhanced comfor t and safety in case of side impact collisions.

Use it with the 2w ayFix base for the safest Isofix installat ion and a highly convenient click-an d-go system.

Tel: 02

08 236 0707 Web: www.dorel.c o.uk

BeSafe NEW ‘Modular’ System has now started to Win Awards around the Globe.

Building on the recent PLUS Test approval for the NEW Modul ar ‘RF’ version and the Internationally renowned RED DOT Award, ‘Modular’ has now also picked-up two more Award s, including: The Award for Design Excelle nce – at which the Judges highligh ted at a meeting in Norway that the Sys tem truly ‘allows older children to travel rearfacing… providing more legroom .’

Then Modular also received the accolade of Hit of the Year from a jury of experts at a conference of consumer and trade press, in Poland rece ntly.

“Our core retailer partners are enjoying ‘double-digit’ growth with BeSafe this year, and it is them we have to thank for bringing this gre at car seat system to the attention of the general public – it truly is good for chil dren and good for retailers!” Paul Sirett, BeSafe Country Manager – UK/IR L told Nursery Today.

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

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nursery today

grows every way. for every stage. meet every stage™ I’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

1

2

3

make life safer.

simply brilliant.

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

focus CAR SEATS & ACCESSORIES

Ride in St yle with Prince Lio Stylish – Func nheart tional – Practic al – Durable. keep everythi Protect car up ng in its plac

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e with the com holstery and accessories from prehensive ra Prince Lionh ng e of car ea rt.

Be organised on-the-go with Organiser: ea th e NEW Prince sy adjustable Lionheart Tra inner compart and six side po vel ments, insulate ckets with rear d drink holder an on-the-go with chors to preven s the NEW Prin t sliding. Snac ce Lionheart k and play automobiles (a Travel Tray: fo nd pushchairs r planes, trains too!).

Plus the long standing favo urites live on: from every da 2 stage seatSA y litter and cr umbs and also VER (protect caused by infa s from the com nt and booste pression dam r seats); Baby parents to safe age viewMIRRO ly keep an eye R, a must for on what’s goin having to turn g on in the ba around whilst ck w driving and th protects back e Backseat kick ithout of seats from MAT which muddy shoes.

Tel: 0208 99 7 7054

Web: www.pr incelio

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Italian by design Kiwy

Malaika are based in Northern Ireland designing new technology to make child car seats safer and more practical to use. Partnering with award winning Italian manufacturer Kiwy, the companies jointly launched to the UK/Ireland market at Harrogate in March.

Lindsey Winder, co-founder of Malaika, said: “We are delighted to partner with Kiwy, a brand of strong heritage and international renown. ‘Made in Europe’ is what the consumer is asking for at a competitive price with unrivalled quality and design. Our companies have many exciting products under development.”

Email: lindsey@malaikaeurope.com Web: www.malaikaeurope.com

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nursery today

nheart.com

SAFELY REAR-FACING UP TO APPROX. 4 YEARS

REAR-FACING CAR SEAT

INTEGRATED L.S.P SYSTEM

Optional forward-facing from 16 months and 76 cm

Extendable on side facing the car door

SIRONA M i-SIZE

Birth - 105 cm (up to 19kg, approx. 4 years) The CYBEX Sirona M i-Size allows you to transport your child in a rearfacing position from birth until they reach 105 cm in height.

The new, intelligent design means that even bigger kids have plenty of leg room to sit comfortably. But it doesn‘t take up too much space either – the Sirona M i-Size can be easily installed in smaller cars.

ONE-HAND RECLINE FUNCTION

HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE HEADREST

For an optimal sitting and lying position (5 rear-facing, 3 forward-facing)

12-positions with integrated harness guides

• Integrated linear side-impact protection (L.S.P. System) • One-hand recline function • 12-position height-adjustable headrest • Easy click-in system for turning around the seat

www.cybex-online.com

focus CAR SEATS & ACCESSORIES

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by Britax Röm ailable in blue mmer covers su e th , ix . m es days is now av on tanc . Made of cott r harmful subs different tastes tests textiles fo ch hi w , ex T oek certified by O co.uk itax.

Web: www.br

A hug from Cosatto The Cos

atto Hug car seat is the all-r of car seats. Su ounder itable for 9kg36kg (approx.

9 months until 12 years).

It has five recl ining positions available with and is the inbuilt Isofi x base.

With quick re lease buckle an d ‘G safety tested si de impact prot o Safe’ ection, it will put a pare nts mind at re st while keeping child ren comfortab le with height-adjusta ble headrest, plush chest and stom ach pads.

The Hug inco rporates an innovative an ti-escape mes h harness meani ng no more wriggling child ren or distract ed parents.

Tel: 0800 01 4 9252 Web: www.co satto.com

32

Music to the ears Red Kite

The Red Kite Garden Gang range Spiraloo and Bizzy Bee Clip On, two funky activity toys to stimulate and excite. The Spiraloo’s wrap around design makes it ideal for cots, car seats, strollers as well as independent play. The friendly characters are made up of mirrors, rattles and crinkle fabrics creating a fascinating array of textures to explore. Bizzy Bee Clip On Toy has a multitude of bright, fun fabrics with a pull out musical ring and teethers for growing smiles as well as being perfect for play on the go. Suitable from birth these happy characters are a hit with parents and babies alike.

Tel: 01454 326555 Email: enquiries@redkitebaby.com Web: www.redkitebaby.com

INTRODUCING THE ZERO.1 The new 360° rotatable i-Size seat

The 360° rotatable, i-Size approved, Zero.1 is suitable for use from birth up to 105 cm (4 years old) rearward or forward facing.

The Zero.1 features a removable inlay for newborns which is suitable for use from 40 – 70cm and the seat can be turned to face the vehicle door for easy access when securing or removing the child from the seat. Available from August 2017 in a range of new colours and fabrics. www.recaro-cs.com

focus CAR SEATS & ACCESSORIES

Rear facing for longer Joie Designed using the latest and most sensitive crash test dummies, the i-SizeSafe System carries the Joie philosophy to rear face for longer to ensure the safest way to travel. The i-Anchor Advance child seat when used with the i-Base Advance meets the new i-Size standard allowing rearward travel up to approximately four years.

The i-Anchor Advance child seat features exclusive multi-layered memory foam to give three layers of protection to the head during impact, while deep padded sides shield little ones. It includes a customisable infant insert, which adds security for the smallest users. The removable elements of the infant support offers a custom fit for any sized child. The multi-height position headrest and 5-point safety harness adjust together requiring no re-threading. The inner shell is steel reinforced, keeping the seat strong and resilient in the event of an impact. A rebound bar on the base offers added safety in rearward facing travel. I-Anchor can be easily switched from rear to forward facing travel, on the base, with quick single button activation.

The i-Base Advance, offers a quick and easy solid install using the Isofix system.

A support leg provides ultimate stability with multiple shock absorption layers along the leg and within the base. Its easy to use three Red/Green colour indicators ensure a proper fit giving full user piece of mind. It also offers a 7-position on–thego recline for maximum comfort and convenience.

Tel: 01889 808 900 Email: uksales@joiebaby.com

Keeping b aby comfy

Summer Infa

nt

Cushy Straps from Summer Infant are supe to provide extr r-soft straps de a padding an signed d comfort for harsh materia babies on the l of standard go . se The at irritation for ba belt straps can bies when trav sometimes ca use elling in their Cushy Straps car seats; whe are made from reas a soft velboa gentler on ba and are kinder bies’ delicate and skin.

The strap cove rs ar e simple to us self-fasteners e and attach ea to standard se sily with at belt straps.

Designed with cu te lit tle be ars on either help make jour side, Cushy St neys more fun raps and comfortin have a RRP of g for babies, an £ 5.

99 .

Web: w d ww.summer

infant.co.uk

le hugg a them Give water resistant tested, crash patented, a is snowsuit Close’ me The ‘Huggle

snow suit for babies to wear safely in a car seat. It uses a breathable mesh to create a guide for the proper positioning and tensioning of the straps and prevention of overly loose straps.

In addition, a flap of the outer material can be closed over the straps when the child is correctly placed in the seat. This does not impede access should an accident occur.

To prevent compression of the padding at the back of the suit, there is a central parting of the outer layer secured by velcro. This can easily be pulled open to the sides (leaving only the breathable mesh) when lying the baby in the car seat and then ‘hugged’ back together when the baby is lifted out - no need to wake baby.

The ‘Huggle me Close’ snowsuit has passed vigorous tests in an R44 crash test at the Transport Research Laboratory.

The ‘Huggle me Close’ snowsuit will be on the market from Autumn 2016.

Tel: 08006347448 Email: info@hugglemeclose.com Web: www.hugglemeclose.com

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nursery today

Rear and forward facing birth to 7 years

Ultimate protection with a full steel frame and 5 point harness to 25kg.

01827 310557 dionouk@diono.com uk.diono.com

focus CAR SEATS & ACCESSORIES

us o i c e r p ng Protecti cargo

tial elements all the essen es in b nded m co adian 5 ty. The exte roup 0-2 R and longevi G se ing e u th ak f f o m o , se n re able co ive desig mfort, ea ugh immov superior co The innovat to as a l h es it el d w w vi g as alon e pro safety ing ue steel fram al reinforced side walls of car seat et e child, keep ess use, uniq n m th t ar to h ils g t h n w in ri o le er b sf t ra h five-p u an d ig tr d ra es st with -strong an crash forc nced design d at va se the seat ultra g foam stop u ad in e e b h rb T n so . ca ab tected ergy ree seats th l al g in advanced en recious cargo totally pro n mea st p the back seat parents’ mo space across re o m s ve sides also gi once.

7

Diono

31055 Tel: 01827 : www.uk.diono.com Web

Announcing the new Baby Jogger City GO car seat Now there’s a Baby Jogger that keeps your child safe, secure and comfortable on the road. The new City GO Infant Car Seat surrounds little ones with the quality and thoughtful design touches Baby Jogger is famous for including an extending SPF 50+ hood and superior padded seat cushions.

It can be fitted using a standard 3-point seat belt, or with the City GO ISOFIX base (sold separately) and gives retailers the opportunity to offer full Baby Jogger branded travel system options.

Tel: 0161 335 2500 Email: sales@kooltrade.co.uk Web: www.babyjogger.co.uk

Ergonomically ct corre The CYBEX Cloud Q infant carrier offers a new level of

protection, safety and supreme comfort from birth up to approximately 18 months (or 13kg).

Outside the car, it can be adapted to have a completely horizontal lying position. Incorporating a longer leg rest, it easily transforms into a practical and clever carry cot for the first months – encouraging babies to sleep in an ergonomically correct position.

This innovative travel system is complemented by a telescopic linear side-impact protection, a near-flat lying angle also inside the car and an XXL sun protection with UVP50+. The 11-position height-adjustable headrest of the infant car seat simultaneously changes the harness length and sitting angle. As a result, the infant car seat grows with the child.

Web: www.cybex-online.com

ic t s a Fantcessory ac

Get a clear view

accessory of all

, the bestselling car Dionoo Easy View Plus, an improved version of the DionheoadEaressyts Viinewa car ildren in so parents can see ch

The Dion d light es to the back rents in dim or limite ar mirror which attach ater night vision for pa time, it is a round, cle gre of a button n ch eve tou es the vid at pro n ted this versio ich can be adjus wh ht lig D LE l clear mirrear facing car seats, g sta tin cry las around the n boasts built-in long gradual illumination ver cle e the conditions. The desig Th in ol. nd ntr sou co d y-to-use remote le one is safe an t-assured that the litt with the brand new eas res can ts ren pa ile the baby wh ror prevents startling g their rear-mirror. their head or adjustin g nin tur ut tho wi t back-sea

36

nursery today

Tel: 01827 310557 o.com Web: www.uk.dion

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Visit www.axkid.co.uk to see the full range or for more information contact 0161 335 2500 or sales@kooltrade.co.uk

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focus CAR SEATS & ACCESSORIES

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perfec ction a m leve Kiddyy Evo-luna i-Size o. ffNeerws side impact pfarontet carrier to maxpimorutant health

d s) e in ; rs im The Kid ately 15 month new i-Siz en levels tion offe im ates this ble lie-flat posi mach and oxyg v le e t, (approx r e o ad supp ty. The comforta spine, lungs, sto pushchairs. Th eating. foam he es, erh ing safe n v d o o a d b n le ts a ir n f e e h o prev of healt r a baby - for th or on a range kes the on and fo box), ma ome, circulati h in ir t a a d s e r, benefits d w a in the c ame allo IX Base 2 (inclu whether rbing slatted fr F so k fit ISO b ic shock-a ecline and qu r .

A simple Size easy to use a in u -l 8 o 2 v 8 E m 77 684 o 9 Tel: 01 iddyuk.c info@k Email:

AXKID - Rear facing is the way forward Founded in 2009, Swedish brand AXKID are leaders in car seat innovation and child safety.

Axkid believe children should travel facing rearward for as long as possible: the safest proven position for younger children.

Their rear-facing range includes two plus-tested seats and a seat with the highest weight capacity currently available on the market.

Patented features such as their self-adjusting tether straps and quick-pull harness and head rest adjuster ensure solid installation and comfort.

The full range includes a selection of accessories plus forward facing seats for older children.

Tel: 0161 335 2500 Email: sales@kooltrade.co.uk Web: www.axkid.co.uk

Absolute c Absolute omfort. safety Kiddy

Packed wit h innovative safety featu fix 3 Grou p 1 (9-18kg res, the new ) car seat m ‘Supplemen eets the stri Kiddy Phoenixt 7’ standa cter ECE-R rd. The Ph Kiddy Ori 44 oenixfix 3 ginal Impa boasts an en /04 ct Shield; n optimised hanced ew side sho side geomet ck ry and hig Longer, ea h performa absorber; sy-fit K-fix n ce materia + connectors recline, wh ls. facilitate a ilst greater ang and protect a sideways slide featu le of re makes b s from side uck in high positi on which fa trusion. The child sits ling up simple, cilitates free comfortab ment. A 5-p ly in a dom of up osition hea per body m drest, 4-po adjustable ovesi tion leg sup seat cushio n, ensure a Tel: 0197 p 76 perfect fit ev ort and an Email: info 84828 ery journey @kiddyuk . .co m

Light yet strong The Concord AIR.SAFE baby car seat, Group 0+ is one of the lightest baby car seats of its kind, weighing 2.9kg.

It has innovative safety construction features. In a similar manner to a cycling helmet, the inner surface of the car seat is reinforced with a honeycomb structure. This results in outstanding damping characteristics in the event of an impact. The rest of the safety features are also more than presentable. The three-point strap system means the baby is kept securely in place in a moving car. The optional AIRFIX Isofix platform lets you secure the car seat even more conveniently and firmly.

Tel: 01273 724627 Web: www.concord.de

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nursery today

Inspired by metals of the moment, gold & rose gold.

The world’s tallest highchair just got better.

ClevaCushion 10 in 1 Nursing Pillow TM

1 product and 10 ways to use it!

Distributed in the UK & Ireland by Clever Clogs - karl@cleverclogstrading.co.uk

The solution to the dilemma of warmth over safety in a car seat The unique 10-in-1 ClevaCushion™ is made with ClevaFoam® which has been scientifically proven to reduce Flat Head Syndrome in infants Soft but firm, the nursing pillow provides excellent back support whilst pregnant and helps create a secure and safe feeding environment Includes extra insert support cushion to allow you use as nursing pillow or a comfort nest for your baby Also available in Blue, Pink & Cream

info@hugglemeclose.com www.hugglemeclose.com

For more information visit www.clevamama.com info@clevamama.com +353 1 877 0724

supplier snapshot With news on the new legislation regarding booster seats, we spoke to some of the industries finest to find out more.

Nikki Bhogal

HEAD OF MARKETING - DOREL/MAXI COSI This issue we take a look at the car seat sector, do you feel that parents are more safety savvy?

Yes most definitely, however I do believe that it can be quite daunting for a parent due to the technical nature of car seats and the amount of jargon involved. That’s why, here at Maxi-Cosi, we do everything we can to support parents and parents-to-be with top tips, installation videos, as well as a customer care team who they can call or email for help with their queries.

How important is strong demonstration of product in this sector?

This is of paramount importance. Given that we know over 71% of car seats are fitted incorrectly (Good Egg Safety Research), demonstration is key. We advise physical fit checks as well as reading the manual and watching the installation videos we provide for every car seat we have.

How do you support your retail partners with regard to this?

We provide training in-store, support with all of our car seat installation videos and also provide content to use on their websites to help their customers understand more about the choices available to suit their individual needs.

We will soon see a change in the law with regard the use of Backless Booster Seats – will you be running any consumer awareness campaigns?

We will be considering this as an opportunity for educating consumers.

Are you launching any new products in the coming months?

Yes there will be….watch this space!

Lindsey Winder

MALAIKA, DISTRIBUTOR UK/IRELAND - KIWY This issue we take a look at the car seat sector, do you feel that parents are more safety savvy?

Our on-going market research over the past three years shows us that the parent is researching before purchasing more than ever. Recent media, especially the BBC Watchdog report last October has had a negative effect on consumer confidence. Our research shows that national and independent retailers do not feel properly informed and are often confused on the latest regulations. This is changing since October, but not significantly enough and is a major concern to parents and to us as manufacturers. We as a company are addressing this as a matter of priority.

The parent is not relying solely on the advice and guidance of retailers with fathers mostly doing the technical research and mothers having the final say.

Social media blogs and forums are amongst the most common source but this often contains incorrect information or opinion, taken as fact which can be difficult for the retailer to counter.

We acknowledge buying a seat can be a bewildering experience and one we encourage parents to reach out to manufacturers for guidance.

How important is strong demonstration of product in this sector?

Nothing can replace the one-to-one demonstration by a trained and qualified fitter. However, in this market, sales are increasingly moving online. Therefore, clear and concise instructional videos via manufacturer’s websites are a must which can be viewable on portable devices at the car while the parent installs the seat.

How do you support your retail partners with regard to this?

All of our sales agents and staff are trained and gain qualification by the IOSH-accredited Car Seat Safety Awareness Course, enabling them to answer safety and legislative questions, as a point of reference, when dealing with retailers. The use of instructional fitment videos, using our Twitter account and (soon to be live) website as a source of two-way conversational independent advice on all aspects of child car safety, regulations, fitment, etc.

We will soon see a change in the law with regard the use of Backless Booster Seats – will you be running any consumer awareness campaigns?

We fully support Britax’s Bin the Booster campaign through Twitter and our website. We will be educating buyers on this change in the law through social media, website and media interviews.

Are you launching any new products in the coming months?

Yes. A new Kiwy seat at the end of the year, new Kiwy product lines Winter 2016 and our first Malaika seat in collaboration with our partner Kiwy for launch

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nursery today

Paul Sirett BESAFE

This issue we take a look at the car seat sector, do you feel that parents are more safety savvy?

Absolutely, this explains why consumers are trading up to o high-spec, feature-full products and indeed increasingly asking for i-Size seats now.

How important is strong demonstration of product in this sector?

Critical – it is simply an essential safety matter and both the manufacturer and retailer share this responsibility equally.

How do you support your retail partners with regard to this? his?

BeSafe have always carried out frequent, regular store staff training Nationwide and attend many other special training events. We have built up an enormous amount of experience of training store staff over the last 50+ years, and here in UK market we advise many of our multi-store retailers of ‘Best Practise’. This is a service we would encourage all our retailer to take full advantage off in this challenging area.

We will soon see a change in the law with regard the use of Backless Booster Seats – will you be running any consumer awareness campaigns?

At BeSafe we actively use all our communication channels to present the facts in a simple and balanced manner in order to prevent the ‘confusion’ that so often surrounds car seat technology and regulations when ‘spin’ is applied to it.

Are you launching any new products in the coming months?

Every Cologne in the last five years BeSafe has launched a significant new product or products.

Luke Burns

GENERAL MANAGER, CYBEX UK & IRELAND This issue we take a look at the car seat sector, do you feel that parents are more safety savvy?

There are so many seats and brands on the market that it is inevitably difficult for a new parent to make a decision, but they are definitely becoming more safety savvy, particularly when it comes to rearward facing travel for longer. Of course all seats meet the stringent test criteria in either R44 or i-Size, but at CYBEX we strive to exceed these and have won many coveted awards in the ADAC tests. These are often n supported by the UK Which? Award wins, and we believe that parents use these test results to help them make their decisions.

How important is strong demonstration of product in this sector?

It is critical – particularly with belted universal seats where the “try before you buy” proposition still applies. There are also many types of seats and technologies on the market to choose from, from rearward or forward facing seats, group specific or multi-group seats as well as those with a harness or safety cushion. It is important to give the consumer freedom of choice so that the seat suits their lifestyle and more importantly their vehicle.

How do you support your retail partners with regard to this?

We have just increased our national training team to three members to ensure that we have maximum coverage across the UK & Ireland and to ensure that our retailer partner store staff are confident in demonstrating our products. Of course the market is moving more towards ISOFIX now, and the vehicle lists - which we invest huge resources into - are a great tool for our retailers too.

We will soon see a change in the law with regard the use of Backless Booster Seats – will you be running any consumer awareness campaigns?

We are certainly looking at this, we feel we have a role to play in the industry to ensure consumers and retailers understand the new laws. It is important that we do not scare customers, what we don’t want is confusion and the end result being that they opt for no seat at all.

Are you launching any new products in the coming months?

We have lots of exciting new products ready to hit the streets in the next couple of months.

This includes the gb Pockit – the world’s smallest folded stroller – the Maris travel system, Qbit stroller as well as the Aton Q and Sirona M i-Size seats. There’s also the CYBEX by Jeremy Scott Capsule Collection which we launched exclusively in Harrods last month. Combining new product development with style is the bloodline of any business and at gb Group we have a plentiful supply of new products - it is an exciting company to represent!

Chris Grech-Cini UK COUNTRY MANAGER - KIDDY This issue we take a look at the car ar seat sector, do you feel that parents nts are more safety savvy?

Parents come to us looking for the safest car seat for their children, but ut they are now also considering the related risks to the child’s health.

Following the recent changes in the he NICE guidelines, we have seen an increase in sales of our lie flat seats ts by parents looking for the most healthy way to transport their child. Parents are also becoming increasingly aware of the new i-Size standard and are looking to buy i-Size products.

How important is strong demonstration of product in this sector?

Product demonstration is very important along with good fitting advice, USP’s can so easily be overlooked by the consumer if the product is not shown by the retailer. For example our infant carriers require demonstration so parents can see the positive effect that the lie-flat position has on maintaining an open airway of a child and to show how the spine, neck and head are all kept inline.

How do you support your retail partners with regard to this?

All our retailers are supplied ‘free of charge’ with a wide range of our products and our Sales Trainers visit stores regularly to ensure our partners are kept up to date. We recently launch on our website a ‘Click and Collect’ service to encourage consumer to collect from store where they can have a full product demo or fitting of their chosen product.

Customers who choose to purchase online, by default buy direct from their local store, so that if they have any concerns or need advice, then they are within easy reach of their nearest retailer to obtain help.

We will soon see a change in the law with regard the use of Backless Booster Seats – will you be running any consumer awareness campaigns?

We have no plans currently to run a consumer awareness campaign, partly because Kiddy has never produced backless boosters, our Group 2/3 car seats have always had a backrest to ensure maximum protection for a child up to the age of 12. We applaud that the height and weight for use of backless boosters is being raised however we are watching the developments of i-Size cars for this older age group. i-Size cars in the future will have more safety built into the vehicle to protect older children, and so a more protective backless booster cushion could be something we may need to consider for Group 3 in the future.

Are you launching any new products in the coming months?

We recently successfully launched the eagerly anticipated Kiddy Evo-luna i-Size, which is one of the first i-Size infant carriers capable of accommodating a child for the full 15 months required by i-Size legislation (there’s enough room for up to 83cm!); and is the only i-Size infant carrier with a lie-flat sleeping position. Very soon we are launching our new PhoenixFix 3 which is the successor to our multi-award winning Phoenix Pro 2. The PhoenixFix 3 has an enhanced impact shield which complies to supplement 7; more comfort and a higher seating position; a unique sideways sliding ISOFIX system to allows for easier buckling up in the car and better side impact protection; it also longer K-Fix+ connectors which give a greater degree of recline; side shock absorbers; a 5 position headrest and an adjustable leg rest too. nursery today

41

feature HARRISON SPINKS

Counting sheep A fifth-generation family business, Harrison Spinks, established in 1840, is one of the UK’s leading innovative manufacturers of high-end luxury beds, adult and children mattresses.

Penny Franks and Christine Contreras were invited to visit the farm set in the beautiful landscape of York and also the factory based in Leeds. Naturally they leapt at the opportunity to see first-hand how the company operates today, sleep on a Harrison Spinks mattress and of course feed the adorable baby lambs!

H

Steve Truswell

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nursery today

“we With our o

arrison rison Spinks inks is a true ue British heritage brand, one that has been established since 1840 when William Rhodes launched The Bedding House of Rhodes, which later evolved into Somnus Beddingg and from there we saw the i k birth of Harrison S Spinks.

Since that time, much has changed and now all that is Harrison Spinks continues to support not only British innovation but also brings you a range that they are proud to state is an entirely British manufactured quality hand-

m made product – from start to finish.

In 2009 Ha Harrison Spinks took their vision furth further and purchased a farm set in 300 acres.

150 ac acres of this is home tto quite a few sheep (le (let’s put it this way – far too many to refer to as a flock ock!) who are reared for their q quality wool fleece, with the re remaining 150

wn a re t h e quaab le to c ontfraorm fill in gs a l ity o f ou r l out n e w s w e ll a s an d it an a tu r a l fi b rtery en s u re w ll h e lp s to s ; s usta ine’ra e b ein g a s p o s s i b leb le a s ..

”

acres being arable land for growing flax and hemp crops. This all provides Harrison Spinks with the ability to produce the fillings that you will find within their mattresses, replacing man-made fibres such as foam and polyester.

Today the company has over 500 employees, all of whom are experts in their working roles operating across both the farm and the factory, and has experienced a 43% growth, with further expansion plans expected on the horizon. It’s therefore now time to talk to Steve Truswell, Sales Director of Harrison Spinks’ Nursery Division to find out more.

Let’s start with the farm, what was the reason behind this purchase?

At Harrison Spinks we don’t do things because it’s the way everyone else does it, we do them because we believe it’s the best way to do them; this possibly goes some way to explaining why we bought a farm! Sleep is

At Harrison Spinks “ we’re leaders in spring

technology, particularly for our adult mattresses where we offer unrivalled levels of spring counts.

”

such an important part of our lives – from babies to adults – and it is our mission to create the best night’s sleep for our customers no matter what their age.

We have used natural fillings in our mattresses for a number of years but it was Simon Spinks our MD who had the crazy, yet brilliant, idea of buying our own farm.

As one of the world’s most vertically integrated bed manufacturers, the farm added to our credentials of becoming more self-sufficient. With our own farm we are able to control the quality of our fillings as well as try out new natural fibres; and it all helps to ensure we’re being as sustainable as possible.

How has it evolved since then?

What started out as a bit of a test has grown into something really incredible. We now grow hemp and flax as well as have three breeds of sheep. The hemp that we grow has no wastage with every part of the plant being used for either mattress fillings, animal bedding, sustainable building projects or to even heat our bio mass boiler at the farm.

The farmhouse and barn has even been renovated into luxury accommodation and a beautiful wedding venue.

We are continuing to invest in our hemp processing plant to ensure we can meet customers’ requirements.

You have had to almost completely renovate the buildings – how long did this take?

We were able to start farming almost straight away but the luxury accommodation took around four years to renovate – we don’t do things by halves at Harrison Spinks!

Whilst at the farm, we saw first-hand how well the flock is tended. How many sheep would you say you currently have residing there and what amount of wool can you produce in a year?

Christine and Penny having fun feeding the lam bs

We currently have more than 600 sheep on the farm with our flock growing year-onyear. We also work with several local farmers where we can’t meet demand, thus supporting the local farming economy.

Why do you have varying breeds? Does it make a difference to the wool you can produce?

Different breeds of sheep have different qualities and springiness, for example, the Herdwick wool used within the NaturalStart mattresses is more resilient than other breeds.

With regard the hemp, we were shown how you break this down into varying components – why is it important to you that waste isn’t on your agenda?

It is our ethos to be as sustainable as possible where we can. We don’t want the farm to create waste and instead want to be as environmentally friendly and cost efficient as achievable. This is why we have found other sources for the hemp plant so that there is no wastage.

You have a superb carbon footprint, how have you managed this?

We are constantly reviewing our production processes to see if there is a better, more energy efficient way of doing things. We have recently installed solar panels onto one of our buildings to utilise solar energy.

You even produce your own mattress springs – when did you patent these and

nursery today

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feature HARRISON SPINKS

why was it of such high importance?

At Harrison Spinks we’re leaders in spring technology, particularly for our adult mattresses where we offer unrivalled levels of spring counts. We have a team of experts in-house whose sole purpose is to invent and innovate – we have even developed the machines that manufacture the springs.

Babies grow so much in their developing years and need a lot of postural support while they sleep. We found that most cot mattresses used bigger pocket springs that don’t provide the essential support; so we got to work creating our BabySpring® technology, the world’s smallest pocket springs.

Our springs are what give us a unique point of difference so to protect this with a patent is really important.

We know that you offer quality adult mattresses, what was the inspiration behind entering the infant mattress sector?

Our spring technology and natural fillings make a unique and winning combination for our luxury adult beds. This has led us to working with some of the nursery industry’s biggest names to manufacture cot mattresses for them including Silver Cross, Boori and The White Company. As a result of our work within the nursery market et we recognised an opportunity forr a completely natural product that also utilised sed d our unique spring technology – and so NaturalStart was born.

Your NaturalStart collection is quite outstanding – can you tell us a little about the technology behind these?

Adapting the same technology, y y, o expertise and processes from our d adult mattresses to our cot bed mattresses, has enabled us to create a product that we’re really proud of. And because we grow, create and

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“ Our BabySprings are more targeted and flexible than adult springs and traditional cot mattress springs. They offer support to the baby’s head, shoulders, back and pelvic regions during the early years and as they grow. ”

manufacture almost every component in-house, we were able to develop the NaturalStart range that meets the 10cm industry requirement.

properties such as hemp, which is absorbent and naturally resistant to mildew, while wool is inherently fire retardant and regulates body temperature.

The baby springs you use within these are unique I believe to Harrison Spinks – are these patented?

Why do you have a dedicated ‘cot unit’ at the factory?

The BabySprings are completely unique to Harrison Spinks and are patented.

How do these assist in postural support?

Our Bab BabySprings are more targeted and flexible than adult springs and traditio cot mattress springs. They traditional offer ssupport to the baby’s head, shoulders, shoul back and pelvic regions during duri the early years and as they grow The BabySpring technology grow. ada to the sleeping position of adapts the th baby and ensures perfect postural pos support throughout the night, nig meaning the little one and n i parents are less likely to its experience e disturbed sleep.

Why do you have two sides to W yo infant mattresses? your

The NaturalStart mattresses are Th dua dual-sided to offer the correct post postural support at each stage of development. The Little Sheep side devel of the mattress is designed for babies aged 00-18 months. The natural fillings aare specially blended together for a firm rmer sleeping surface. The addition oof unique motion activated baby airflow pocket springs in NaturalStart No.2 circulate air through the mattress fillings, keeping the baby fresh and cool.

When the little one reaches 18 months, parents flip the mattress over to the Big Sheep side. The slightly bigger springs offer double comfort and are more responsive to their movement as they grow. This side of the mattress will continue to offer support up to five years of age.

To ensure the highest quality product that is safe for babies we have a dedicated cot unit, which is segregated away from the rest of the factory. This maintains hygiene and ensures no foreign objects can come into contact with the cot mattress products.

How do you convey the message that quality matters when we consider infant mattresses? Do you run specific social media to support this?

We use a combination of marketing channels to promote the message of quality as well as helping to support our retail partners. These include POS, brochures, adverts, PR and social media as well as competitions through consumer media. All communications raise awareness of the benefits of our mattresses as well as directing them to our stockists.

What type of support do you offer your retail partners?

Our in-store POS has been designed with our retail partners in mind. We wanted to portray the unique benefits of NaturalStart but not take up too much space. We have created a POS system that can neatly sit upon a changing table, on a chest of drawers or even on the windowsill.

Furthermore, retailers have a dedicated account manager as well as continual support through nursery sales managers who identify and work with independent retailers for bespoke advertising campaigns.

Finally, what can we expect on the horizon?

What are the benefits to having natural fillings within these?

We have recently launched our 100% natural, waterproof NaturalStart mattress protector to complement our cot bed mattress range. On the horizon we are looking to expand our NaturalStart collection – so watch this space!

Natural fillings are not only better for the environment but also much better for the sleeper. They have a number of unique

Tel: 0113 205 200 Web: www.harrisonspinksbaby.co.uk/ naturalstart

focus SLEEPTIME WHEEL GOODS

Bedtime bliss The sleeptime category is one which is filled with parental anxiety. Therefore, this is an extremely emotive sector and one which shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“ We h ave seen a hu ge grow th in th e use of brea th ab le fa bric s fo r be dd in g so luti on s over th e p ast th ree ye ar s an d a co in ci d in g aw aren es s a mon g con su mer s ”

ost of us know through pure experience how anxi-ety creeps up when it is time to lay baby to sleep.

Are they warm enough, are they too hot, should we lay them on their backs, fronts, sides? Why haven’t they made a noise yet? Are they OK? The list is endless.

We asked Sinead Murphy from Shnuggle her thoughts on parent concerns with newborns with regard sleeptime. “We have a lot more information available to us now than previous generations. This is a positive Rachelle Harel, thing but can also be a bit of a mine Breathable Baby field. Most parents that we speak to are concerned about good airflow and being able to keep babies sleeping area clean and allergen free. Parents are also asking more questions about the materials being used in baby sleep time products.

“Those were the same questions we had as parents which is why we invented the Shnuggle Moses Baskets and Dreamis.”

For newborns are we notably seeing a shift in attitude towards the more traditional moses basket. Trends change, the internet provides a wealth of information about sleeptime for expectant parents and therefore the sleeptime sector continues to evolve. Sinead gave us her throughts: “There is a definite shift now with a wider choice to suit parents needs. Modern Moses Baskets like ours as well as CoSleepers are becoming more and more popular. While there will always be a place for the wicker and maize traditional baskets, other products are taking a significant number of those sales.

“Modern parenting is changing. Having visited a number of International Trade Fairs recently I can definitely see the real shift in trend. Baby products need to look good and blend in with your home.

It’s no longer about compromise and ‘tolerating’ products that don’t really fit with your style when you have a baby.

This is such a positive thing as consumers are getting really excited about the products we are designing. I don’t think ‘grey’ is going away any time soon!”

We spoke with Rachelle Harel, Founder,

M

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BreathableBaby about shifting B trends and how these continue t to t evolve within sleeptime.

Rachelle told us: “We live in a R fast fa paced world and our industry is no exception. As our in knowledge increases concerning kn the factors associated with SIDS and infant mortality and as parenting guidelines evolve, it is par imperative that the nursery imp industry continues to innovative indu ensure we keep up to date with to en safety issues and trends.” safe One such trend that has O emerged over the years is probably eme e ‘breathable fabrics’. But why are ‘bre these fabrics increasing in thes popularity and how important are pop they when we look at bedding? Rachelle comments: “We have seen a huge growth in the use of breathable fabrics for bedding solutions over the past three years and a coinciding awareness among consumers. In the US traditional bumpers are banned in some states and BreathableBaby Mesh Cot Liners are the only ones permitted for sale.

Whilst we don’t feel legislation in the UK will move in that direction, breathable fabrics is certainly the way forward for safer bedding.”

Of course, we can’t forget bedding. We asked Charlotte Green, marketing manager, aden + anais whether she feels that we have sufficient product ranges to cater to this sector? “Yes, the selection of bedding for babies and little ones is increasing and the designs on offer are very on trend.

We’ve seen that parents want designs for their baby bedding that complement and fit into the overall aesthetic for their home.

Bedding designs are becoming quite subtle with pops of colour and intricate design details.”

So do licenses perhaps also

play a strong role? Charlotte responded: “Very much so. We are launching our collaboration with Disney Baby this June which includes muslin blankets and swaddles. We’ve already had an incredible reaction to the range. Parents love the nostalgia the Disney designs bring but the aden + anais collections also draw inspiration from current trends including intricate florals for our Bambi designs and the travel/ journey trends brought to life in the Winnie the Pooh range.”

Another area that is experiencing a notable increase in awareness by parents is that of mattresses and the variety that are available. Trends are starting to show that parents are becoming cautious of the chemicals used to manufacture foam mattresses and now rather than select the cheapest option, or the mattress supplied as part of a bundle by the retailer, buyers are looking for organic or natural alternatives.

Consumer magazines publish articles regularly about safer sleeping and do’s and don’ts when it comes to sleep time. With all of this information being fed to new and expectant families it is no wonder that more and more parents are now ‘clued-up’, and understanding the importance of buying a ‘higher grade’ mattress rather than a simple piece of covered foam for their baby to sleep on.

Is there a case here for mattress manufacturers to support and train retailers better on their products? The end result is better sleep for babies and children, happier customers and better margins for the retailer.

With so much choice of nursery products available within this category, including cots, cot beds, moses baskets, side sleepers, beautiful bedding, swaddling solutions, mattresses, night lights, cot mobiles, monitors, travel cots and sleeping bags, it’s up to you to make the important decision as to ‘what to stock’ to ensure you are offering a sound selection to your customers.

“Every parent will have different needs and a different budget. Therefore, choice for the parent is key to the success of the retailer. Those retailers who learn about all of their sleep product benefits and educate their customers will ultimately find the best solution for the parent and win that sale,” concludes Sinead.

breathable 3D mesh cover

versatile stand

hypoallergenic VENTILATED BASE

Complete Dreami® system retails for just £130

focus SLEEPTIME

Be a sta r with T winkle T w i n k l e B

reathableBab y, the brand from strengt which offer s the safer al h to strengt h with 2016 te printed Bre seeing the ad rnative to traditional b athable liner edding, con dition of new s, including seas a on. tinues to go ‘Twinkle Tw items to the successful ra inkle’ which Timeless an nge of ta p s in to d key nursery Ava v ilable in al classic, ‘Twinkle Twinkl trends this l three platf e’ is beautifu orms - Full size lly simple w z d to fit cr Wrap, two ith a soft gr ibs and crad si d ey star prin ed le s for cots with su ch as the Blo BreathableB t. solid end, an o ab m y A h lm as a crib, built on the d a mini ve ra r nge to see success of th rsion all mix and eir original match colo Pink, Blue an four sided lin u rs n ow av d Ecru were la ai er and expan sa s fety to co unched origi lable for solid end cots ded the ts and cot b in a two sid nally as a fo eds. With th brand to co ed design. u r sided prod e popularity mplete the uct, pro of solid end range which AirF low Bab styles, deman viding full wrap now sees al y h d has prom l as co al lo so u rs and fashio for Spring 2 had a great pted the 016. year since la ns available ‘Animal 2 b u in 2 sided. n ch and a new 2 y 2’ has bee a new sku o sided versio n a continu f twin pack n launches ous top selle Email cot bed shee il: rachelle r, drawing o ts offering ‘A .harel@bre n the safari nimal friend athableba nursery tren by.com s’ design an d and will se d a neutral e polka dot fa shion.

Peace of mind

Kit for Kids manufa cture the most adva nced cot mattresses world, designed by in the some of the leadin g experts in the field design and materia . All ls used reflect the lat est clinical research the baby’s sleeping to ensure environment is as safe and comfortab possible throughout le as their growth.

The VentiDry Matt ress range is the lat est innovation from for Kids and is entir Kit ely machine washab le at 60°C. The 3D structure of the m attress core not on ly pr omotes air circulat also doesn’t retain ion but water allowing it to dry quickly.

This new mattress range is only avail able in smaller sizes in a moses basket, for use crib or travel cot, pr oviding the best sle environment for th eping e baby and giving peace of mind to th Web: www.kitfork ids.com e parent.

Soothing sleep Whisbear This Humming Bear (Whisbear) is a new product on the market offering a clever sleep aid but one which is very different from others currently available. With unique CrySensor built into its shushing device Whisbear responds automatically when baby cries, emitting a soothing white noise.

It is also a great playtime companion and has been designed to stimulate senses and fine motor development. Whisbear is entirely manufactured in the European Union.

Email: monika@whisbear.com Web: www.whisbear.com

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A coo rd ina ted sl ep time ran ge sle

New accessories for Next2Me New for 2016, Chicco hav e launched a

brand new range of acc essories for their award-winning Next2Me . To complement the original side sleeping crib, Chicco will be introd ucing a completely new range of accessories including bed sheets, a rev ersible sleeping bag and a mattress cover, all of which will be suitable for both Next2 Me and Lullago, Chicco’s popula r travel crib.

All of the accessories wil l be available in a new ‘Circles’ design , which is complemented by the rele ase of the Next2Me crib itself and a new cover for Boppy, Chicco’s popular nursing pillow, also in the same print, offe ring a completely coordinated set.

Web: www.chicco.co. uk

No.1 Baby Sleep bag – helping get babies safely to sleep for over 15 years.

The Grobag and the Gro-snug - 2 in 1 swaddle Grobag are now recognised by the IHDI as ‘hip healthy’. With this and our unique endorsement by The Lullaby Trust it’s easy to see why parents choose The Gro Company to help them get their babies to sleep.

Great new designs available now

/TheGroCompany

@theGroCompany

gro.co.uk

+44 (0) 844 557 2985

focus SLEEP TIME

Safer for Baby, easier for Mum The HALO Bassinest is

the only bedside crib that rot ates 3600 for ultimate conven ience and safety. Unlike other bedside cribs, the Bassinest does not have to be strapped to the bed making access to bad ha sslefree. It is ideal for Mums who have had a C-section as the Bassinest can be adjus ted to swing close to Mum an d at a convenient angle for acc ess to baby • Height adjustable • Drop side with auto ret urn for safe sleeping • Includes nightlight, soo thing music, nursing timer an d gentle vibration, all with auto shut off.

• Price £199.99

Tel: 01422 383555 Web: www.dcukltd.co m

silky soft

aden +anaains silakyis The aden + m blansoft muslin drea layers ur fo ket features n yo ra us rio of luxu boo m ba m fro e ad m h for the most plus ith w t ke an baby bl off-the-charts go softness. Its uses as g, lin dd cu beyond so al t ke an bl the y makes a snuggl ur yo y la surface to no on e on little e matter where th a u— yo day takes or h ac be e th park, g in ay pl st ju around on the floor.

Tel: 0203 735 7576 Web: www. . adenandanais co.uk

Des i gn roc kee d b y sc i en t t i st s

Snug and cure sThe e Sleepyhead offers a

complete sleep system from birth until the age of three years, with two specially designed sleeping pods. The Deluxe, which is suitable from 0-8 months and the Grand for eight months to three years.

The Sleepyhead is the only product that truly helps reinvent the womb giving new babies and little people a snug and secure place to sleep rest and play. Uniquely, the Sleepyhead has a cushioning effect on the moro (startling) reflex, meaning newborns will sleep better and for longer. Additional covers and styles available.

Email: e info@enfant-terrible.s

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nursery ur today

Cue the rocket scientists Yes, a real life rocket scientist has developed SpaceCot, the only super lightweight and easy to use travel cot available on the market. SpaceCot opens and closes in three seconds, weights just 6kgs, and comes with a comfortable hypoallergenic mattress that can be adjusted to two levels. Machine washable and eco-friendly, SpaceCot fits neatly into a stylish protector bags with a strap making it easy to carry.

Email: contact@oxfordspacestrucutres.com Web: www.spacecot.com

Transforming bedtime for your baby and you A revolutionary new 100% natural cot mattress collection by expert bed makers Harrison Spinks Unique baby pocket springs giving babies the best postural start Combined with QDWXUDO êOOLQJV grown on the company’s Yorkshire farm Now available: A

100% natural, waterproof and breathable mattress protector

www.harrisonspinksbaby.co.uk

Victoria Charlton - Nursery Sales Manager - 0757 2577 407 - vcharlton@harrisonspinks.co.uk

focus SLEEP WHEELTIME GOODS

All made up in Bizzi Grow ing collections from Bizzi Growin. beautiful embroidered timeless bedd

New, fresh and and uniquely e gorgeous ranges are contemporary Made from 100% cotton percale thes also offers gift win Gro interior bedding collections, Bizzi designed. In addition to the nursery ket. blan uffy fl oo the ever popular Koochic sets, blankets, essentials and of course and offers ing products with are truly different offer in s selve them e Bizzi Growin prid quality. on pliment any nursery with the emphasis parents a real choice, ranges that com ibution in distr up ed pick lly last year, they successfu As a result of the launch in Cologne pe.

St accounts in Euro many countries as well as new High more exciting ch which will see the introduction of laun nd seco the be will This year products including seasonal gifting.

Tel 01257 230087 m Email : c.bolton@bizzigrowin.co m in.co igrow .bizz www Web

Nightlig hts lead the way Brother Max

Bunny an d Bear C arry & Ha tactile nig ng Nightl ht-time fr ight are iends wh e soft any door o can ha handle o ng from r hook. Wit LEDs, wh h colourich can b changin e in sing ng mode, Bu le or colo nny and ur-chang B e a ing r to carry fo are easy for little r night-ti ones me bathro on a nigh om trips tstand or or can sit s helf. The hours on nightligh one charg ts last 12 e from th base and e recharg feature a eable daylight mode. sensing o n – off Tel: 0128 0 87826 6 Web: ww w.brothe rmax.com

Say hello to the new ClevaFoam Pillow ClevaMama ClevaMama is delighted to announce the arrival of the Pram Pillow to their very successful ClevaFoam Pillows range.

Thanks to high demand and great feedback from their customers they decided to expand the ClevaFoam range bringing to the market the Supporting Pram Pillow that can be used in a pram or a moses basket.

Designed especially for babies, ClevaFoam is lightweight and breathable and with reduced heat retention, it is suitable for use with babies.

It is made using ClevaFoam technology, which was scientifically proven to reduce the pressure on the back of baby’s head by 50% and increase support by 80%, thereby helping to prevent Flat Head Syndrome.

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

twers p ningce co g in d ed b ew N revie that bedd on stayren’s Tuck n’ Snug is a new concept in child

saviour”. Fabric flaps attached to the are hailing as “genius” and “a sleep under the mattress, securing the duvet cover and pillowcase are tucked means a good night’s sleep for you covers in place all night long – which have plenty of wriggle room, still and your little ones! Restless sleepers ro. without the use of zips, buttons or Velc Antics and Night-time Numbers, al Anim ns, desig new Two gorgeous g cheeky creatures and traditional toys will be available from June. Featurin are educational, fun and a char ming rns and games, these delightful patte addition to any child’s bedroom.

Web: www.tucknsnug.co.uk

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nursery today

The baby industry’s most unique and multifunctional products from one of the fastest growing brands.

Designed with love in Sweden. Made in Europe. sleepyheadofsweden.com

PRODUCT

news

focus SLEEP TIME

gle Have a snug

h of g with the launc ive sleep offerin at ov inn lity eir ibi th ex expanded for maximum fl Shnuggle have stem, designed sy ep sle by ba lete Dreami - a comp nuggle and on the go. me ho e th nd es the clever Sh ou ar sleep system us i m cing the ea Dr du re us ic, eo The gorg 3D mesh fabr le ab th ea br lp lly with a fu vironment to he ventilated base by ’s sleeping en ba in th wi be n to tio g stric cotton facin risk of air flow re ep. The mesh is s r and sounder sle fe sa core which wick a s er rd inn wa nic to t. orrt. fo s a hypoallerge m ha co d te an ple by m ba co soft against dded feel for pa tly gh sli a m rs fro and offe y removed away moisture mi base is easil xibility the Drea fle um level fixed im hax hig m a r in Fo d can be used an d, an St e rv cker. When the included Cu te a low-level ro e down to crea sid up easy ed r rn fo tu position or sily folded up Stand can be ea e rv Cu e th e, not in us vel. storage and tra shnuggle.co.uk Email: martin@ ggle.com Web: www.shnu

Wishing for sweet dreams Obaby The Disney licensed Winnie the Pooh - Dreams & Wishes and Minnie Mouse - Love Minnie furniture sets offer everything customers need to transform a nursery into a little Disney paradise. Both designs offer a cot bed with a three position mattress and under drawer, an extra spacious double wardrobe and a practical changing unit with matching changing mat. Also available is the matching bedding which includes a cot bed quilt and bumper set, sleeping bags, Moses basket, musical mobile and three-piece crib set.

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

A good doze with bes mubetu Dreaamt s take a soft approach to

Hippychick Dre transition from sleep safety and aids the difficult bed guards, er oth y man a cot to a bed. Unlike ality -qu high use, to easy are s Dreamtube a pocket in into slip ply sim t tha es tub le inflatab incredibly the fitted sheet provided. The lightweight and a into up fold practical guards lar use at home as compact size – perfect for regu stays. Dreamtubes ht rnig well as holidays and ove comfort and ty, safe e, styl for tick all the boxes d. min peace of s

/dreamtube Web: www.hippychick.com

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nursery today

“Say Hello” to East Coast’s new intelligently designed sensory toys

www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk 01692 408802 Follow us on

focus SLEEPTIME

A comp lete sle eptime range

Little Ch ick Lond on won a and were coveted thrilled a BANTA A t the res ward at time acc ponse fr its UK la essories om the in unch at w h ic cari h are de dustry to Harroga r ng for b signed to te this y its range abies an ear, make pa of essen d toddle award-w re tial slee rs n ts : inning ‘B th ’ li e v ‘B e p s e e d Bolste reathable a s ie r super so w r’ inflata hen preg Bedside ft bambo ble bed nant or Crib’; the o cover, guards; support multi us a pregna the BAN pillow wh e ‘4 TA n in c y 1 s e S u n pport cu upport P breastfe nig i ht ligh shion wh illow’ wit eding; a t which p ich can a ha nd the ‘T rojects a Tel: 079 lso be u winkle L 76 7734 light sho sed as a ights’ so 86 w while Web: ww ft p lu p sh star s laying lu w.littlech haped llabies a ick.lond nd nature on sounds.

Luminous solutions hts ig for peaceful lopsnnigh t lights and sleep

deve Pabobo is a French company which Pabobo Stars Projector is solutions for babies and toddlers. The falling asleep and setting up a the perfect solution to help children d by parents and the media, peaceful sleeptime routine. Acclaime s. Good news, the Stars shop it’s a must-have product for nursery rabbit version to cuddle. h plus a in lable Projector will soon be avai y sky onto the This little rabbit creates a beautiful starr hine-washable thanks mac is er bedroom ceiling. And the plush hold to the removable projector.

Colours change automatically and smoothly from green to blue to orange. Parents can also choose to freeze their favourite colour by pressing the button under the embroidery. The Plush Stars Projector can also play a gentle lullaby, specially designed by Pabobo, to soothe children (two sound levels).

With its beautiful star projections, this lovely rabbit will become a must-have for a peaceful sleeptime. g Light and compact, parents can brin ay, holid or end week the it along for to keep the sleep routine.

This Plush Rabbit Stars Projector is also economical and convenient for parents by turning off automatically after 22 minutes (15min for the music). Available this July with a RRP of £31.99, it represents excellent value for money and is a must-have accessory for peaceful nights.

Distributed by Clever Clogs.

Tel: 0800 0518080 Web: www. cleverclogstrading.co.uk

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ozy C g n i t t e GLässig muslin collection

The e definitive highlights th uslin quality of m your se U versatility! ässig muslin L ed h pre-was blanket, as a swaddle ,a urping cloth b use it feeding and en ev t, r blanke light strolle um! m ashmina for of this as a quick p y et ri a huge va in le b ila esigns, they va A lours and d se co y d en tr baby. Choo season’s gift for a new re ct o fe m er e p th e to th make d blues ze nal pinks an ble in two si from traditio -neutral colours. Availa der t, modern gen cm sq. or 3 x 85cm sq.

Cozy Blanke 20 1 x 2 ction is the s evenings, lle r co le o in option sl co u r their m perfect fo t, ke n sq. and la b Also part of cm in sures 120 -soft musl ea er p m t su ke d n re la a four laye The Cozy B e, nap time. r Clogs. tummy tim k of one. and by Cleve el ac p Ir a & in K es U the com tributed in Lassig is dis 0518080 o.uk Tel: 0800 gstrading.c .cleverclo w w Web: w

2016 Grobag Designs revealed The multi-award winning Gro Company, inventors of The Lullaby Trust and IHDI approved Grobag baby sleep bag and experts in safe sleep unveil their Autumn/ Winter 2016 range.

Available from July 2016, The Gro Company cosy things up with a sneak peek of one of the new designs in their renowned Grobags.

Who wouldn’t enjoy a snooze in this little panda? (right) Just one of their 12, new stylish designs, Pandemonium, with big panda eyes, cheeky smile and red rosy cheeks, has landed just in time for the autumn. As with all of their Grobags, they’re made from super-soft jersey cotton and are available in 0-6, 6-18, 18-36 months in 1.0 tog, 2.5 tog.

Tel: 0844 557 2985 Email: trade@gro.co.uk Web: www.gro.co.uk

focus SLEEPTIME

Organically rally u t a n , n w o r g coloured Nature’s Purestd many

Babies spen ring hours sleeping du eir th of the first year nt rta po im s life, so it’ em th nd ou rr to su with organically grown, naturally coloured cotton. icals, Free from chem es, dy d pesticides an ic br fa ft so r pe this su t ns ai ag ct rfe pe is your precious of baby’s skin. Part py ee Sh py ee Sl our range, our Counting Sheep the perfect eful sleep and Moses Basket is for both a peac ad he ’s by ba ur place to lay yo ind. your peace of m o.uk

Eco products for babies and young children More and more people are

ailed by sensitive skin.

Environmental pollution and an upsurge in allergies have led to increased interest in alternatives to conventional materials.

The addition of TENCEL properties help to alleviate skin irritation.

Miss Princess and Little Frog is specialised in TENCEL bedding products for babies and young children.

TENCEL is an eco-friendly and biodegradable material made from wood pulp cellulose.

Textiles of TENCEL are more absorbent than cotton, softer than silk and cooler than linen.

Web: www.missprincessandlittlefrog.com

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turesp Web: www.na

Unveiled - four ingredients for the most natural night’s sleep The Little Green Sheep, the multi award-winning brand passionate about providing the best for babies, is thrilled ed to unveil ‘One mattress, four ingredients…the most natural tural night’s sleep’ - a new campaign to raise awareness of the benefits and importance of choosing a natural mattress. s. elebrated for launching the UK’s first organic cot mattress, the team at Little Green Sheep hope the campaign will enlighten parents on the benefits of selecting a natural baby mattress.

In its nine years, the brand has firmly established itself as one of the market leaders of natural baby bedtimes, with its luxurious mattresses created using only natural ingredients and promising parents a pure and healthy environment, free from toxins and harmful chemicals.

With thought-provoking visuals supporting the campaign online, in magazines and in stores, the aim is to educate why natural is always best.

It’s a little-known fact that chemical fire-retardant sprays are used on many baby mattresses. That’s why The Little Green Sheep have dedicated their time to creating the best quality baby mattresses, which are naturally fireproof. A typical mattress from The Little Green Sheep contains four simple ingredients.

These include breathable cotton yarn, the fibres

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of organic coconut husks, which form a supportive core, natural latex from the Heveaa Tree, which binds the coconut fibres and actss as a comfy, supportive layer. And finally, organicc sheep’s wool – hypo-allergenic and temperatureureregulating, which is a naturally fire-proofing material and removes the need for chemical fire retardant sprays.

With multiple awards, including five starss from Mother and Baby magazine and placed d number one in Emma’s Diary’s Top Ten Baby by Mattresses for the Twist mattress and with sizes available for moses baskets, cots, cribs, prams, single beds, and even custom-made options, every family can enjoy the high quality and safe comfort of a Little Green Sheep mattress. The team are so confident parents will love them, the cot, cot bed and single size mattresses come complete with a five year guarantee.

Tel: 0800 028 1433 Web: www.thelittlegreensheep.co.uk

First Dreams Next2 Stars and Baby Bear Chicco is building on its incredibly successful First Dreams sleeptime range with the introduction of two new soothing light projectors. Next2 Stars is a versatile crib projector, featuring a soft, plush teddy bear. The projector can be attached to a cot or travel cot with an easy-to-use universal attaching system.

The projector has three functions and can be used as a ceiling projector, atmosphere lamp or a nightlight at the touch of a button. It also features three soothing melodies to help baby selfsettle. A sound sensor also picks up baby’s crying and automatically activates the music and light projector or nightlight according to preference. Available in pink or light blue, RRP is £19.99.

Designed to comfort and reassure, First Dreams Baby Bear has a soft projection tummy that when pressed activates a goodnight message for baby. A button on the bear’s tummy activates the soothing melodies and light show and after 20 minutes of playing the product automatically turns to stand-by mode.

Parents have control over the settings and can choose between one with light effects and melodies, one with light effects only, or off. Available in light blue and pink, First Dreams Baby Bear retails for £19.99.

Web: www.chicco.co.uk

inflatable Bed Bolster for safe transition from cot to bed Managed by the RHSM Group Web: www.littlechick.london Email: hello@littlechick.london Tel: 07976 773486

focus SLEEPTIME

Sleek sle ep techn Hardenber ology g & Co

The world of parentin g just a little Ange g lcare. easier thanks to innovatio Winner of ns in techno the best Saf logy from ety Product baby monit ors h at the BAN TA Awards It’s sleek tech as been designed to fit 2016, the n co nology that ew collectio not only loo mfortably into parents Available n n of ’ contempo ks th e ow is a larg p ar t rary lifestyle b u t can be trust e 3.5” portab monitoring s. ed, day and sleeping bab le LCD Co night. lour Screen y even easier Key feature w . ith stand to s include: U make Colour Scr nder-the-M een, Photo at tr es s S en Sensor (Auto sor Pad (AC Temperatu 1300), large Day & Nigh re Display & 3.5” LCD t), A Control, 2.4 Night Light.

GHz Digital djustable LCD Screen Brightness, Transmissio TTel: 01785 n, and built 50 -in Nursery Email: info 3 305 @hcotrad e.co.uk Web: www .hardenbe rgco.co.uk

Lightweight blankets from loud rrsac e ikeltsv S are a ve tile Blan

way to adjust baby’s bedding to suit the room temperature, and as we move towards a (hopefully) glorious summer, Silvercloud are proud to present their gorgeous lightweight muslin blankets.

Jacquard woven th 10 in 0% cotton, wi e ar ey a satin trim, th on le nt ge soft and , delicate skin. There m – Pink Butterflies designs to choose fro e. blu or k pin in ts are four reversible an loveable eleph of de ra pa a l or ve s, Blue Train e floormat, or tra perfect tummy tim They even make a ed ribbon, they blanket. and tied with a print Packed on a hanger nt. make a perfect prese

B The ultim b e ea ut dd i fu ate bedt in g l comp ime anion Slumber Bu ddies are th e ideal bedtim e companion for little ones to soothing sleep; with their multicoloured star and mo on display that project around the room w hile playing a ch oice of five differen t calming sounds from lullabies to nature so unds.

Because Slumber Bu ddies are lightwei ght and portable, th ey are ideal for ho me and away – so are per for creating fect a familiar b edtime routi are on holid ne for child ay or stayin ren when th g with family With five cu ey and something fo te characters to choose friends. r everyone; from, there Slu is definitely baby shower s and birthd mber Buddies can mak Web: www e a great gift ays, with a .summerin gu for ide/retail o fant.co.uk f £24.99.

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e perfect travel y b a B Kite baby is th e ed it R K m ther that’s a fro d t co e R d-winning Sleeptight travel sy mobility, whe ea r fo s w lo al y bl

The awar the easy assem ble from birth, to the solution. Suita ily holiday! ronment thanks fa arents or a m d sleeping envi dp un s an le so gr d ab e an en th ls fe to sa ne a trip mesh pa be provided with e easy-viewing s, the th ur lo le hi co h W Little one will lis s. es sty tr mat ction of d comfortable ailable in a sele nt. padded rails an hile sleeping. Av w r any new pare fo nt fa ct in rfe e pe th d of an ty le ili ab sib rd vi fo r clea Cot is af eeptight Travel high-quality Sl 6555 Tel: 01454 32 itebaby.com dk re Web: www.

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Summer Infant

Perfect sleep solution for Summer aden + anais Whether at home or on holiday there are multiple ple reasons why mothers around the world trust aden + anais sleeping bags all year round. Thee 100% cotton muslin is soft, breathable and keeps baby comfortable no matter what the weather. There’s no need to stress over loose blankets in the cot with their breathable classic sleeping bag.

Impossible for little legs to kick off, the wearable sleeping bag slips over baby’s PJ’s and zips open from the bottom, making stealth night-time me changes a cinch. Plus, this 100% cotton muslin is pre-washed so it’s super soft from the start and keeps soft wash after wash.

Dream big little one the world is yours

Tel: 0203 735 7576 Web: www.adenandanais.co.uk

Fun products to encourage toddlers during Toilet Training Steady Potty

Our Toilet Training range has now been designed with the ‘Finding Dory’ characters, which is a great way to encourage your child to start toilet training.

18m+

Bath Tub 18m+

18m+

Step Stool 18m+

> Brightly coloured > Sturdy design with > Soft rubber range makes non-slip moulding extended footprint a challenging on the base for to give increased experience fun! security stability

For further details, please contact: Solution EU Ltd, 5 Apollo Court, Radclive Road, Gawcott MK18 4DF

Toilet Training Seat

T: +44 (0) 1280 878260 F: +44 (0) 1908 810260

E: info@solutioneu.com W: www.solutioneu.com

> Lightweight and easily portable for holidays and home

Feature LAPSI UK LTD

Be bold, be different Lapsi UK Ltd is a brand new Wholesaler and Distributor supplying original and quality products into Nursey Retailers throughout the UK. Their aim is to offer fresh brands that are exciting and deliver choice and innovation back to parents. one are the days where parents are happy with limited choice, designs and practicality, these days parents are looking for products with style and individuality, but which are also multifunctional, lightweight and packed with great features.

Lapsi UK has emerged from exactly that, a company who has listened to parents, and are bringing to the UK all of these qualities from manufacturers right across Europe. They offer products that are both designed and produced from Brands that offer unique, innovative, stylish ranges which are winning awards and recognition the world over - consumers are no longer wanting to follow the crowds with the same old facelifted product that was around two, five, 10 years ago.

Their focus and mission is to bring something different to the UK, ‘Delivering Choice and Innovation Back to Parents’ is behind the concept of Lapsi UK, bringing something different, something unique, but still with high levels of quality at the forefront. Lapsi UK has already had nine products shortlisted, won a Bronze Award with Best Baby & Toddler Awards, and won a BANTA Award for 2015/2016 – not bad for a company who is only just emerging into the market, not to mention their products winning multiple awarding with their manufacturers, Micuna, Noordi, Memola and Babyhome across the world!

Noordi, manufacturers of stylish strollers and travel systems being inspired by Scandinavian design, create their strollers around babies, whilst other products start with technology and then fit the baby/child in after. All are offered in unique colours chosen specifically for the UK market, after

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much research from not only the retailer, but also the end consumer.

Parents, or more specifically the new mum to be, want to have the choice to match both her lifestyle and personality.

The iconic ‘paw print’ that is linked with the brand name Noordi, will be one to watch, and definitely to be chosen and enjoyed by many new and excited parents to be – Be bold, Be different.

Micuna, their Nursery Furniture manufacturer is a family run business from Spain that specialises in high quality furniture for children and babies. One of their many products is the BANTA Award Winning OVO City Highchair, with its minimal design and sleek lines, the OVO City combined with the warm mahogany wood finish and anthracite grey seat, which is complimented with a fabric liner with matching leatherette trim. The long lastingg functionality of the OVO continues for years to come, as the lower legs can be removed along with the wood surround and tray to become a small childs chair. The design allowing it to literally ‘sit’ very nicely in most people’s home décor.

Multifunctional is a recognised word within Micuna, as most t th of their products have unique features thatt enable the parent to get value for money.

The Cododo Co-Sleeper for instance, is a crib/co-sleeper and a desk to be used and enjoyed for many years to come, along with the baby changing units, complete with a bath and matching changing mat, ideal for mums having had a cesarian, or with bad backs etc., as this allows the parent to bath their baby standing up and not crouching over the side of the bath! And when the baby is too big for the bath, then simply remove both bath and changing mat, and you have

“

a normal four drawer chest of drawers – these aare available in most of M Micuna’s current ranges.

Every parent is looking for lightweight and compact these l d days – space is of the essence in bo both the home and travel, and Ba Babyhome has all the answers with their current 2016 collection innovative baby products. Babyof in hom home definately know a thing or two aabout design, coupled along with bringing modern and pract practicability into the UK, from stylish strollers, and bed guards with led technology, to baby bouncers that mix comfort with style, this is definitely a company that will be on every parents wish list later this year.

Marmite, do you love it or hate it? You will definitely love the new Memola multi-sensory crib that had everyone talking at the recent Harrogate Nursery Trade Fair.

Either hanging from a beam in the ceiling or from a stand, this truly brings a whole new level of intuitiveness to the baby world.

Created and designed alongside a top neurologist, the Memola stimulates the four senses - Touch, Sight, Balance and Hearing, whilst be enjoyed from newborn, right up to 12 years old, inside and outside the home.

For further information please contact the below

Pa re sp ec i fi c anltlys , o r mo re m u m to b t h e n e w h ave t h e ce , w ant to m a t c h b ot h o i c e to h an d p er s o h er l i festy le n a l ity .

”

Tel: 01584 881448 Web: www.lapsi.co.uk

Go the extra mile‌ LittleLife Child Carriers give you the freedom to take the road less travelled on family walks and hikes in the outdoors.

Our reliable and robust back carriers are designed for maximum comfort for both adult and baby; Let your little one see what you see and share the experience of the great outdoors together.

Model shown: Freedom S3

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focus HIGHCHAIRS WHEEL GOODS

Highly thought of With consumers looking for function, ease of use and above all value, we take a closer look at the highchair sector. arents will think about the type of highchair that will be used and how this will fit into their home environment especially when we consider general home décor. For some it will be a question of storage, for others it could be that they wish their child to be able to sit at table height to enable family meal times to become routine.

The highchair is a nursery item which can’t really be replaced by any other product. It would be incredibly difficult to feed a child without having a highchair, and this is one particular reason why sales are stable year on year. Although parents could change their buying patterns and switch to a lower price point brand, they simply can’t stop buying the category.

Independent retailer Paul Knight from Littleduck has seen a surge in customers seeking highchairs that are perhaps more price driven. “We have found our best seller is always a budget high chair. Our customers are very price conscious. Customers who are willing to pay a bit more will go for a high-lo reclining chair to get the extra use out of it.

“At present our best seller is a BabyCo highchair, which is a basic folding chair and sells well due to the low price point.”

We also spoke with Phil Bulpitt, Nursery Sales Director, East Coast Nursery for his opinion. Are there any specific trends at present in this product category?

“Wooden highchairs are consistently good sellers, while other trends in colours, shapes and materials come and go.” So in Phil’s opinion, is wood still a popular choice? “Yes, definitely. We have tried metal highchairs in the past and they didn’t perform well for us. Our expertise is in wooden highchairs, and they are still a popular part of our range.”

As mentioned above, home décor perhaps also now plays a pivotal role. Phil agrees. “Home décor is one of the bigger considerations for many parents – a highchair is likely to be in someone’s home for two or three years, or more, so style is definitely a factor in a consumer’s decision. This is what we think makes our classic Folding Highchair remain so popular – its neutral style blends well into a modern or traditionally styled home.”

We posed the same question to George Bezani, founder of independent nursery retailer GroovyStyle. “I would say there are two types of customers.

Those who want all of their nursery products to complement their home

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ne o f H o me d é c o r iseroa t ion s t h e b ig g er c onasreidnts - a fo r m any p ke ly to b e h ig h c h a ir is li h o me fo r in s o meon e’s y e a r s , o r tw o o r t h ree sty le is mo re , s o o r in a de fin ite ly a faecctis ion c on s u mer ’s d ursery

“

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N East Coast Phil Bulpitt,

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décor, car interior and blend in with their personal style, and those who embrace the loud colours that come with the majority of nursery products. We see a mixture of both but in general we supply more of the higher price point products which tend to come with a more contemporary design.”

Information supplied by Gfk illustrates that growth in the Highchairs category has been slow but steady, with just under 4% growth in unit sales over the last 12 months we have however experienced double digit growth in Booster Seats and Sitter/ Playtrays.

Also, while baby seating has generally become cheaper, price decline in Metal/Plastic and wooden highchairs continues.

Gfk’sTullika Bhalla told us: “While traditional highchairs remain a popular choice, the ease of managing a booster seat or a sitter playtray, as well as the space saving that it provides, have made these a popular alternative with parents. The pricing remains a factor as well.”

From this information we can see that booster seats, sitters and playtrays are starting to see a steady increase in popularity, highchairs are still providing many families with a great mealtime solution. We asked Phil whether functionality and longevity play a key role? “We need to ensure we are providing consumers with good value for money, and longevity is a great way that we can do this, by designing highchairs that convert to play tables and junior chairs, in exceptional quality to last much longer than they’re needed,” stated Phil.

Remember also that at present we are seeing a large emphasis placed on family values and healthy eating habits which may have a level of influence on how parents approach the purchase of a highchair.

They will look for something that will comfortably support baby at the early stages of feeding right through to toddler-hood when they want them to be safely sitting at the table for family mealtimes.

Again speaking with George this does appear to be reflected by his customers. “Our customers are really interested in compact highchairs. They don’t necessarily need to be able to fold up and be stowed away but they need to have a small footprint. This seems to be a more desirable feature now that more parents are choosing to tuck their highchair up to the dining room table and eat as a family.”

Finally we asked Phil what advice he would you give to retailers in this product category? “Consider displaying several modes of the same model. If you have the space, show a chair in junior chair mode to catch a customer’s eye. We’ve seen lots of examples in stores where our insert cushions are not displayed correctly, and consumers don’t seem sure of how to fit them. Make sure you and your staff are familiar with how to fit harnesses and inserts, and if you’re unsure about anything to do with our products, please pick up the phone – we’d be happy to help you.”

focus HIGHCHAIRS

Full bloom Cleverclogs

The limited edition high Bloom officially introduces their fresco high chair in gold and rose gold. as designers are infusing tech and fashion ing dominat chair builds on the new golden age currently laptops and even cars. phones, s, handbag shoes, from ng everythi on ’ these ‘metals of the moment home by taking their the to Bloom’s designers were inspired to bring this element of opulence gold finish. rose and gold stunning a most iconic high chair to the next level of luxury with ality for the function and design top-level t represen to s continue The fresco gold collection popular mercury widely already to Adding home. the for piece t statemen a g providin family while finishes and over 15 and silver fresco chrome chairs, customers can now choose from four chrome seat pad colours. chrome chair Designed for newborns to children up to 80 lbs (eight years), the iconic fresco a 3-position offers It chair. starts as a newborn cradle and converts to the world’s highest baby straight from table the to baby bringing ent, adjustm recline system with easy up and down height birth.

Tel: 0800 051 8080 Email: marketing@cleverclogstrading.co.uk

N e w li imonite d e d it Easy wean, easy clean Cosatto

Where little tots grow OXO With its easily adjustable seat (three positions), footrest and tray (removable with one hand), the OXO Tot Sprout Highchair grows with the child and can be used safely and comfortably by children from six mon ths up to five years. The Sprout offers a stylish yet practical solu tion, blending into existing furniture with its sturdy woo den base. BPA-free, the Sprout includes comfortable, colourfu l wipe-down cushions ideal for even the messiest of tots. The tray can contain up to 200ml of liquid meaning spillages are no problem. The Sprout is also easy to assemble and adju st to suit the child’s needs. The Sprout Highchair is not only perfect for development but is loved by parents for its ease of use.

Tel:

0114 242 0405 Web: www.oxouk.com

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The Cosatto mission is to save the world from boring baby stuff and it’s reassuring to know the products are doing just that.

The Noodle Supa highchair has been competing against other leading brands in the highchair market and has come out on top, reigning in five awards including a Gold at the Mother & Baby awards and the Which?

Best Buy. Retailing at £120, the Noodle Supa is the highchair every parent needs; simple for both easy-wean and easy-clean. Noodle Supa is an adjustable friend, with a six-position height range, three-position seat recline, adjustable calf support and a removable tray. With washable removable seat covers and a free standing folded position, Noodle Supa is the epitome of convenience.

Tel: 08000 149 252 Web: www.cosatto.com

Offering full The multi-use recline t that grows ea S er p u S Joie When it comes to highchairs to suit every lifestyle with baby Joie has it covered! Meet the Joie Mim zy 360,

suitable from birth, due its full recline, until 15kg (approx. to 3years) it grows with baby right up to seating them at the dining with the fami ly. Its unique 360 degree swivel seat is activ ated with one hand, locking into 4 multi-directio n positions, allowing parents to find the most comfortable and best position to easil y feed a young baby. Featuring seven height adju stments and 5 recline positions, including a 3-po sition footrest, it allows the child to be in the right position whatever mealtime entails, and is the perfect partner for every stage of deve lopment. A spacious and extra padded seat means baby is sure to be comfy at all times, and for the youngest baby there’s soft newborn insert. The newborn inser t is removable and washable, the main seat pad is removable and wipeable. The seat also features a fully adjustable 5-point harness for safety.

The extra large tray has a one-hand release and 3-positions it also features a full cover clip-on over tray that’s dishwasher safe. The stylis h modern frame opens and closes easily in a single motion and the tray stores away handily on the rear legs when not in use. The integrated wheels on the front legs allow for easy movement when needed and its freestanding when folded makes it the ideal choice for even the smallest of spaces.

Tel:

Summer Infant Friends SuperSeat offers 360 degrees of floor

The Summer Infant Forest in one. It provides a secure and time activity fun and a booster seat all ts to learn to sit up and discover the comfortable place for growing infan e toys to explore and have fun with. world around them, with four interactiv simply removing the foam insert, the The SuperSeat grows with baby, so by e seat for feeding time. It’s multi-purpos SuperSeat transforms into a booster offers convenience for parents and is the ideal place to keep baby entertained, safe and happy!

The Forest Friends SuperSeat is suitable from 4 months plus, available in two colourways: blue/ green and pink/ purple and has a guide retail of £39.99 Web: www. summerinfant. co.uk

01889 808 900 Email: uksales@joiebaby.com

Stylish, Contemporary, Perfection The New Micuna OVO Highchairs The luxurious OVO City, combined with the warm mahogany wood finish and anthracite grey seat, complimented by a fabric liner with matching leatherette trim, or the fresh style of the OVO Luxe in white and beechwood, with beige leatherette harness, plus having the option of 5 colours fabric liners –The choice is yours.

Designed to suit most home décor, but both worthy winners to be enjoyed for years to come!

www.lapsi.co.uk

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focus HIGHCHAIRS

f o e us c en se t a i G re s n ey l Di

Simple yet practical Obaby

olly P f o s s e r g The pro borns can s. New

one grow Chicco lly Progress highchair converts as lit, tle s they get older play or relax. A

Chicco’s Po ea dded seat to sit can be used lik us and deep pa io ac sp e th in of solid food, it sit ste to the table e ta t os rs cl fi r ed ei to try th tached or mov at ay tr e and are ready th er chair with eith es. traditional high family meal tim which can a booster seat, and join in with to sit ts n er ca nv by e co ba ss so and later on th the Polly Progre tray attached, e th As baby grows, ith he w T r e. ai bl the ta dining room ch they can sit at g be secured to a ore compact so m fferent reclinin e di ad ur m fo be s, n ht ig he nt re ffe di booster seat ca eight be adjusted to est. highchair can adjustable legr an es ur at fe so al d an , ns io posit .co.uk

The Disney licensed range of highchairs from Obaby offers everything parents cou need in a highchair in a simple, yet practical design. Available in three could – Minnie Circles, Mickey Circles and Monsters Inc – each highchair des designs an adjustable, easy clean tray, padded PCV seat liner and simple fea features fold for compact storage. To add a new lease of life to wooden and folding highchairs, the same three stunning Disney designs are available com combination inserts and are compatible with most wooden highchairs. Each of p as padded the highchair designs is part of a wide range of products which includes strollers, twins, travel cots and accessories. ma matching Tel 01652 641491 Tel: We www.obaby.co.uk Web:

icco Web: www.ch

Stylish multipositioning Red Kite Baby

Birth to teenage highchair

The Nomi Concept is designed to grow with children, meeting their needs at all stages.

It’s also the only highchair to be awarded the Red Dot “Best of Best’’ design award.

Nomi Baby brings baby off the floor to a height where they join family life. The Mini provides excellent support without restricting freedom and the highchair seamlessly adjusts to suit a growing child.

• Baby Nest / Highchair / Junior Chair • Height adjustable seat and footrest • Choice of colours and finishes • Highchair price from £179.95 For the retailer, the product offers a pre-birth sale and the Nomi online sales policy maintains retail margins.

Tel: 01422 383555 Web: www.evomove.com

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The Feed Me Deli from Red Kite Baby is the stylish multi-positioning highchair available in a vibrant ‘Yummy’ design suitable for ages six months and above.

The Feed Me Deli includes a removable inset tray with cup holder for an easy wipe down clean as well a 5-point safety harness to help with the most fidgety of little ones. The multi position height allows for face to face feeding in any environment, with a simple fold away design for easy storage. The reclining seat option loved by their customers is great for those tired eyes and a full tummy.

Tel: 01454 326555 Web: www. redkitebaby.com

The first step in the Nomi concept The Nomi concept, one chair that takes a child from birth to teenage years, meeting their needs at all stages.

Nomi Baby 0-6 months

Design: Peter Opsvik

Nomi Mini 6-24 months

Nomi Chair 24 months +

A pre-birth purchase, the Nomi concept allows nursery retailers to secure the highchair sale from day one and hold in store margins.

Available in a wide selection of colours and finishes and backed by a supply solution that minimises retailers stock holding.

Contact us at: info@dcukltd.com

Distributed in the UK by DCUK Ltd. www.dcukltd.com Tel: 01422 383555

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talking shop NURSERY SUPPORT GROUP

Shop matters with NSG B e b ec a r est L e mon Zs o – j ust . p retty Yasmin Ali, Babyland, Fife i everyone, I hope you are all well. I’m glad this month that finally some action has been taken on those darned booster cushions. No I’ve not made a mistake it’s not a seat it’s a CUSHION! A foamy cushion that until now parents have been led to believe offers their child some protection in an accident what a farce!

The belt—how it sits across the body? Big NO! Side protection? Head protection? NOTHING! What does it offer their kids? Nothing! I am literally angrily stomping, it infuriates me. It’s bad enough the product is available but some people just don’t care what they are putting their kids into! We don’t need it to be limited to older kids - do people not love their older children? Age/height limits aren’t enough. I’m fighting for a total BAN. Make them illegal keep our children safe. The Which? website asks do I need to buy a new seat? Yes you do!

This piece of foam you have been using is about as good as your living room cushion - buy a proper high back seat. Protect your child!

Retailers, what are you advising your customers? I tell them I’m fighting to ban, I think it borderlines neglect - give the child a chance. Do you love your child enough to protect them in the case of an accident? Our local community suffered a huge loss this year after a huge motorway collision. The little girl aged nine was pronounced dead, one brother paralysed for life, other broken limbs. Any mention in press of car seat use?

H

er M ee G o Feaalltehn in – tota lly ef ! lo v

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No. A car seat may not have saved their lives...but would have given these kids a chance. My nine year old is in a high back booster, I can’t guarantee it’ll save her life, but it’ll give her a chance. They lost both parents, an entire family wiped out. Cars are death traps and it worries me that

M y n in e ye ar olkd is in a h ig h b ac b oo ster, I can ’t gu ar antee it ’ll save h er li fe , but it ’ll give h er a ch an ce . there wasn’t any mention of it in the press...why is car seat safety not an issue? A cheap nasty high back is better than nothing. Shame on suppliers still making them; how do they sleep at night?

Very heavy topic I know, but it’s so important and it’s just not treated with enough seriousness. Also, when it comes to car seats, I don’t think as retailers we are given enough training.

Customers now are so savvy (with

some being at the other end of the spectrum and clueless), I think the major brands need to see us as specialist retail advisers, partners - give us certificates (I don’t know if Britax still do, I know they used to) lanyards, badges, tshirts, POS official support, so consumers can believe and trust us let’s face it, the advice from nationals is worrying at best. Consumers need to know that we know our stuff and have the backing and training of the big brands/suppliers behind us.

IN OTHER NEWS….we are waiting for stock, from too many suppliers to mention. Thanks for that guys. A lot of shops are complaining, it’s a tough market out there - people are paying for holidays not prams (the cheek). New products are taking too long to come through.

To finish I’d like to thank iCandy.

You guys! Thank you for an amazing event, a lovely evening - we had a lot of fun, I enjoyed sitting at the High Table with HRH Martin! I love the new DC Peach, I LOVE the new Strawberry concept, the colours and the fabrics. I adored the fabulous fairy creatures and the booth was so much fun. It was a really lovely event. Kudos to iCandy, you’ve put so much into your retailers, can’t wait to get the new products in. Great event.

currently loving: ● MeeGo Feather (love love love) ● Venicci Pure grey...due soon ● Bebecar lemon zest - so so pretty ● ICANDY DC MIDNIGHT EDITION - just seen it, blown away can’t wait to see it again.

Growing your business

nursery today

L ess f l o G

www.nursery-today.co.uk

y a d s Tue th 28 e Jun 6 201

ork W

£95

Mor e

st. s a re ve a d ha goo k, we ’s a is as r e a P g han ton l. It y a c t Staver krup Hal just off a s y a rs The Puc situated he M5. t 9 yea e Hilton r e t f club es from st tee A th e h o t t t u h d e1 n it move ourse w a few mi ext to th sing the n u t tc grea 8 and jus ted right ed direct 6200 a 3 k 9 u the A tel is sit n be boo 01684 2 % will be o e 0 a 1 n H c r The oms lepho lable less he fee fo o e r T d – i n t a a 0 1 v p do a e B off e to NAS est rate ed to ke v a G h e ou ag ow cod the l ave man 5, so all y e r e eh wh £9 ed. W ltered at n to us. r e f f a o retur ay un the d plete and m is co

GOLF

CLASSIC

FOR THE DAY

1998 - 2015

£95 FOR THE DAY

E A Y R S 8 1 Puckrup Hall Nr Teswkesbury, Glos .

AN EARLY REMINDER We want more of you to enjoy a brilliant day’s golf next year at Puckrup.

Quite frankly, trade support for what is the only trade golf day now on the calendar has been pretty pathetic. I appreciate that business is tough and we all have to work hard, but

COME ON! Just one day in your diary out of 365 for a sport you enjoy playing can surely be managed?

Either give me a call on 01442 289930 or email malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk for full details

Malcolm Bubba Naish

Special Feature

NIGEL PLESTED

Is everyone sitting comfortably? ted

Nigel Ples

W

Although car seat safety is paramount, the time a child spends in a car seat brings other areas ripe for innovation. This issue I take a look at the wider picture.

e all need car seats, when we have small people in the car with us.

Our relationships with these seats has been one dependent on knowledge, and sometimes complex relationships between class of seat and our children’s height or weight, and a clarity, confidence and assurance when fitting; to make sure that our investment meets its potential should the worst happen.

Car seats are unusual, in product terms, compared with most pieces of equipment that we might buy for baby. Where as a stroller needs to be unfolded, folded, pushed and pulled, and a baby carrier is put on and off repeatedly, we have a product that once fitted properly, it has met many of it’s initial design challenges and although some types of seat such as boosters have a more flexible user pattern, most seats are fitted and refitted in an un-regular, and infrequent manner. Once in the car, the seats main function of protection in the event of impact is hopefully never put the test, and the majority never get tested against their actual intent and performance requirements.

So that leaves our design focus in the one area, that I personally feel needs more design focus; the quality of the journey. This is where many 72

nursery today

innovations will be found in the coming years, created alongside the engineering criteria. As a society we are becoming more focused on wellbeing, and the experience we undertake as much as the end goal.

We can see this evolving in some of the visual and constructional qualities appearing on new car seats today. Where once we had something akin to slip covers elasticated over hard shell assemblies, we now have upholstered, integrated, and tethered textiles, which utilise everything from intelligent weight bearing foams, through to mono filament laminated fabrics, allowing air to move and dissipate during the journey.

And this is something that sometimes gets forgotten. Yes safety is paramount, but the main purpose, use and likely scenario for a car seat is one of maintaining comfort, or maybe even enhancing comfort for little ones on the move.

Let’s take a look at the wider picture So alongside engineering evolvement, we can start to influence innovation in some of the wider

areas. That might include different types of journey, and types of use, long and short, day and night, asleep and awake, world-view or smart device focused.

Innovations are starting to manifest themselves in areas such as durability, and believe me, in a scenario where you have three boys all in seats, durability has definitely come into question. My three have put their seats through a test that could not be replicated in a test lab or on a computer, and between their constant entering and exiting, eating and dribbling, squabbling and dozing, and an ingress of bodily fluids, food and sand; durability has been a deal breaker and maker.

Comfort has been, and continues to be an interesting area, ripe for innovation beyond the default position, which tends to appeal to our adult sense of comfort (big, soft, spongy and yielding). With babies in Infant Car Seats, it’s a continually hard thing to judge, and at that age much of the focus is on support and temperature, where clothing and the encapsulating nature of the ICS can make it hard to regulate an appropriate balance of hot or cold with newborns who have little ability to regulate their temperature; made worse when witnessed from the front seat, stuck in traffic. In other classes comfort comes down to posture, and

the opportunity to modify and adapt key pressure points, to alleviate bored behinds. As any family will testify, on that long haul up or down the country, comfort (or lack of it), can soon lead to aggravated assault between siblings at 70mph, so the quality of comfort and how we innovate with comfort is key in a world where children travel an infinitely greater distance than I ever did in the 1970’s.

Children and babies now require more stuff than a child born in the 1970’s / 80’s or 90’s. And stuff can fall into several camps.

Cleaning stuff is always somewhere, but not when or where you need it, and it generally centers around the tools we need to clean the child. That said, the seat usually comes off worse than the small human and cleaning, maintaining and perking up that seat can often feel like a technical marathon.

Play stuff is a moving feast and is generally peripheral to the car seats, and dictated by third party additions and specific play brands.

But as we see the lines between materials blur, the opportunity to consider play, entertainment and activity on the move, will continue to converge.

As mentioned before, foodstuffs can be the, ‘fly in the ointment’.

Many brands now integrate smart

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ways to manage meals on the move, but they seem like afterthoughts rather than something more integral to the nature of the journey. In countries like the US, caddies and trays, pots and receptacles are part of life on the move and more than likely they are becoming more a part of European culture too.

As cars become less like machines and more like computers, which can be tailored to meet the needs of drivers and passengers, so will child

car seats. They will refine to accommodate the requirements of the journey, much like an airplane, as much as safety.

Imagine in a world where omnipotent cars, driverless and powered by the internet, with awareness and response time built into the car (not the human,) car to car contact should imminently become a thing of the past, or at worst highly unlikely. And in this world we can all enjoy the journey, the comfort and the time on the move, not just the getting there.

Yes safety is the t para mount, obsue, use ma in purp nario for and likely sceis one o f a car seat comfort, ma inta ining e even or mayb fort en h ancing comon the for little onees. mov

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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.

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www.obabytrade.co.uk 01652 641491

nursery today

73

focus PRE-SCHOOL WHEEL GOODS TOYS

y a l p s ’ d l i Ch In gen er al th ere is “ con cern

From a young age babies and toddlers are mentally and physically stimulated by their surroundings and toys play a pivotal role. We take a closer look.

from p ents ab out th e a mouar of ti me ch ild ren sint front o f sc reen s ratthiner th an do in g tr ad it ion al p la y ac tivit ies

”

t’s not all just child’s play – infant and pre-school toys aid in social and emotional development. Sharing toys and taking turns are important social skills that children are learning whilst they play.

By playing with toys children learn fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Toys that promote the development of fine motor skills include threading beads, shape sorters, building blocks. Toys that promote gross motor skills are throwing and catching balls, football, riding a bike, climbing blocks, balancing, etc. (big physical activities).

There are often trends in this category, but what at present is driving this sector? We asked Judith Stark, managing director, Halilit for her thoughts. Judith told us: “Toys that come with lots of developmental benefits and activities that toddlers and pre-schoolers are going to love playing with are always a winner.”

We asked Colin Pattison, owner, Ducklings Toy Shop in Wiltshire for his opinion on what makes a good preschool toy? “A combination of good fun with some learning activity coupled with strong colours, noise and movement which are popular with young children.”

Parents increasingly look for features they know offer developmental/educational value when choosing infant toys - from the sensory stimulation of faces and high-contrast patterns and a variety of textures and sounds for young babies; to the hand-eye co-ordination, fine and gross motor skills and cognitive development of stacking, colour and shape matching activities for toddlers. Parents know that learning through play is vitally important for babies and infants and for this toys also have to be fun.

Of course, there is concern at present that parents are using apps, laptops, TV’s and mobile phones as stimulus. However, trends are showing that there is now a move back toward traditional play values. Colin told Nursery Today they are experiencing a move away from electronic toys and a swing back to more traditional plush and wood. Colin said: “In general there is concern from parents about the amount of time children sit in front of screens rather than doing traditional play activities. This is a major concern in the preschool area where play patterns formed now

I

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will stay with the child throughout its formative years.”

We asked Sarah Dayus, brand manager, Great Gizmos whether she feels that there is a trend forming with consumers turning more to traditional wooden toys? “Yes wooden toys are still very popular for us. We have launched our own branded range of wooden toys this year and we have found the toys with learning elements to be the most successful, for example the Teach The Time Clock and Game.”

Colin agrees and commented: “Wooden toys are always popular with parents and grandparents.

This area of the market has great choice for both retailer and consumer.

Wooden toys always attract customers into the store.”

Sarah feels that there are huge benefits for nursery retailers to stock infant and preschool toys. “The category is definitely growing so benefits would include more sales! Consumers buying for this age range would most likely buy more toys in the future too.

“We have seen a shift away from traditional toys to electronic toys/tablets and back to traditional toys again which is fab! We hope consumers notice the importance of learning and playing from such a young age and the benefits it has towards developing new skills.”

Picture courtesy of Hallilit

Colin Pattison, Du cklings Toys

easier drive

focus PRE-SCHOOL TOYS

toy s y r o s n e s c i Fanta st

Sassy Blocks with a Difference!

Hardenberg & Co

ast East Co ay hello s ed by East Coast Nurseryage, y r e s r u N Say Hello” range was devsoelryo.pWith her input at everbyenstefits

ies the The “

by Sen to give bab Day of Ba ed in n L ig r es D d h y it w pertl inkle as been ex hts that tw the range h y. urs, and lig lo la p co ry st a te so tr la n on imu of se e the high-c rage focusing and st Features lik courage cou en en s l il er w h et c, h musi rics and te b fa ls and soft d el re in time wit b tu les, jingly ion. Tex k is v in g cr in e p il o h devel ing, w and mouth 0 parents exploration . over 25,00 lm y ca b r o ed in child d te ci en music ex and expert es are att ss re a u cl g fi ry ed so st with the Baby Sen y is a tru consumers nts, Dr Da es re id a n her v p ro r p o t F emen ed, based o annually. d her involv been carefully design n a t, en m p develo nge has that the ra reassurance rch. sea extensive re 408802 k 2 o.u Tel: 0169 st-coast.c rsery@ea .co.uk ry e rs u Email: nu tn .eastcoas Web: www

lio ol toys across their portfolio of o f t r o p b r e p u S range of pre-scho g of fer a fantastic d Hama Beads. tiDKL Marketin ucational, an d games in beau rope, Miniland Ed Eu h tc ra Sc . of classic toys an ds e ng bran g ra tin ul ci tif ex au d with an of fer a be Scratch Europe high quality bran g. Miniland is a in age. ag ol ck ho pa sc d epr ne fully desig r children of fo d ne range sig de th lly ecia brand and eir range of toys sp ber 1 selling bead m nu s. e rd th e wa ar on s ars Hama Bead hands aged 3 ye e great for little marketing camle fi ro -p gh hi of Maxi beads ar ith w es d ng ra r ei th l planograms, an DKL suppor t al ppor t, dedicated su re to -s in e ud cl paigns which in tivity. media and PR ac extensive social 780 Tel: 01604 678 o.uk Email: dkl@dkl.c k o.u l.c dk w. ww b: We

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A good toy won’t presen t answers but pose challen ges to solve. They should be attr active, colourful and hol d valuable purpose in everything the y do.

The Sassy Silly Sensory Blocks Collection helps chi ldren learn to stack blocks with minimal frustration. They can easily learn to stack, build and tear down their block towers using the innovative Sas sy Stay Trays.

These Stay Trays allow litt le ones to feel the satisfa ction of building a tower, wheth er it is straight or wobbly, because the blocks will stay put in the trays until they are rea dy to be knocked down!

The bright colours, patter ns, textures and adorable characters will stimulate your baby’s imagination and tactile development.

Building and block toys will always play an integr al part to help baby achieve dev elopmental milestones wit hin their first year. Beautifully des igned, the Sassy Sensory Blocks develop baby’s senses, thi nking skills, logic and also their motor skills.

Tel: 01785 503 305 Email: info@hardenb ergco.co.uk Web: www.Hardenberg co.co.uk

New additions from Great Gizmos Great Gizmos have expanded their pre-school offering with new additions to the popular Meadow Kids and Kid O ranges that encourage social skills, gross and fine motor skills, creativity and more whilst having lots of fun!

New this year to Meadow Kids are the ‘My First Words’ flash cards that help children to learn a selection of simple first words across various topics.

The ‘Write on, Wipe off ’ books come in two titles – Alphabet and Colours and Numbers and Shapes. The Early Learning Box Set has four titles - Learning Numbers, Learning the Alphabet, Learning Colours and Learning Opposites.

From Kid O, to keep children entertained in the bath there is the Pour and Spin Submarine.

The Mix and Match Animals allow kids to mix and match their favourite zoo animals in brightly coloured pieces. Sort and snap the pieces together to produce fun combinations!

The Sort and Shape House is a play home with a reflective mirrored front door that is also a shape and colour sorter for young minds. Kids can match the forms to assemble windows, doors and a chimney.

Tel: 01293 652458 Web: www.greatgizmos.co.uk

Bright and Brilliant BoiKido!

For bright, vib

rant and highly education al pre-school toys look no further than BoiKi do. The traditional woode n toy range cannot be matched on quality, style and dur ability.

Focusing on three key are as of development, the ran ge promotes musical, constru ction and number learni ng at the same time as providing hou rs of fun. The award win ning Push and Play Rabbit Wa gon also aids motor develo pment, encouraging those oh so important first steps. Wi th RRP’s starting from just £4.99 the range covers all buys, from pocket money to birthday present.

Web: www.hippychick .com/b

oikido

EXCITING KITS FOR YOUNG MINDS! www.ggtrade.co.uk 01293 543221 nursery today

77

focus SKIP HOP

p o H d n a Skip y a w e h t l al Skip Hop is a global lifestyle brand devoted to designing innovative products for parents, babies and kids, with a core philosophy that begins and ends with ‘Must-Haves Made Better’.

S

kip Hop, a New York City-based company w was founded in 2 2003 by Ellen and M Michael Diamant w who recognised the need for a better ch changing bag that didn’t compromise o on either function or style and th therefore created Skip Hop’s topse selling and signature product - the D Duo Changing Bag - which drove onth the-go function with patented stroller clips.

Skip Hop was born. c These days, Skip Hop is one of the best-selling and most globally recognised lifestyle brands for rec parents, babies and kids. The pa are co om company creates beautifully designed, thoughtful products de esig essentials that are designed for esse e superior style and function—in supe order orde to support the modern fam family’s lifestyle.

The new UK office, headed up by Jon Tilley, is the first direct subsidiary office for Skip dir Ho outside the US. “There Hop is a tremendous appetite for th Skip Hop brand in the the U and the time was right to go direct UK w brand. The UK retailers have responded with p positively to our new office. We will be investing in a wide assortment of products covering all our key categories and will be working on a high impact marketing plan with both our PR agency and trade customers.” The UK office will initially be based in Bedfordshire, with the plan to open a dedicated showroom in early 2017.

Skip Hop has a wide assortment of awardwinning

products ranging from playtime toys, on-the-go accessories, bath time, mealtime, playtime, changing bags and nursery to toddler (ZOO) that feature distinct design elements keeping both parents and their homes looking stylish, while ensuring kids will love them too.

For more information on the complete Skip Hop range of ‘must haves’ contact the UK office on the below.

Tel: 01582 434250 Web: www.skiphop.com Email: ukoffice@skiphop.com 78

nursery today

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

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

If you want to reach 4402* total average net circulation, then call Christine Contreras on 01442 289930 or email christine@lemapublishing.co.uk *. Circulation figure relates to period from 1st July 2014 to 30th June 2015

The ONLY audited Nursery B2B magazine.

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

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

retail TECHNOLOGY

‘Sales First’ approach for eCommerce For a strong website never lose sight of those important calls to action and sales functionality f you’re the sort of web designer who stays awake at night worrying about pantones and pixel placements then you’re probably not going to be liking today’s rant. In fact, you’re probably going to be rather cross with me so be forewarned.

The World Wide Web has expanded exponentially from its first baby steps in 1989 to the interactive online World we know today. Online commerce itself has actually been going on longer, but there weren’t actually any web browsers available to access the content hosted online, with transactions being peer to peer in the early days.

Real eCommerce websites as we would recognise today, accessible by a web browser have only been online since the mid to late eighties, with technology accelerating on a seemingly daily basis ever since.

So much for the history lesson.

Why do you need to know this?

Because it seems when it comes to the design of eCommerce websites, a lot of businesses focus too much on branding elements and not enough on calls to action and sales functionality.

I’m holding my hands up here, because even I have been guilty of focussing on getting pixel perfect designs and forgetting what an eCommerce site is actually for… selling things!

Early eCommerce transactions were done via command line peer to peer networks, no visual browsers were involved. This means transactions were totally focussed on the trade of goods or services for money, with no distractions. Nowadays we have lots

I

David Fairhurst Head of Creative Online Marketing - Intelligent Retail

of imagery to draw the eye, videos, interactive chat panels and social media functionality in our eCommerce websites. Whilst this is all good stuff, it can be a bit of an assault on the senses if done in the wrong way and detracts from the purpose of an eCommerce website.

Now I’m not saying that we should all go back to command line, browserless communications and bin all the cool imagery and fun stuff we have crammed into websites in 2016, but we all need to take a step back and focus on what eCommerce sites actually should be.

The reason we go through all the effort of setting up an eCommerce

o The reason we egffort through all thuep an of setting ebsite eCommerce wgs. An is to sell thin site is eCommerce and a tool, pure simple website is to sell things. An eCommerce site is a tool, pure and simple.

We really need to treat it as such and ditch anything which detracts from that purpose!

Anatomy of an eCommerce Website

David Fairhurst Head of Creative Online Marketing Intelligent Retail www.intelligentretail.co.uk David has been involved with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and web development since 1999 and has spoken at many different retail and SEO conferences including Spring Fair and SES London

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An eCommerce website design has two different parts. One is the framework or functional aspect of the website, the other is the visual design.

The two have to work together so that design elements don’t swamp functionality and lead a user away from the purpose of the website, which is to get to products quickly and

hopefully add those products to the basket in order to complete a sale. eCommerce framework design is a black art, requiring a lot of psychological understanding of how people think, thousands of hours of user testing and a good dose of common sense, whereas ereas visual design has traditionally ally been focussed around making the website appealing for website users (some would say website owners, but that’s another story!).

As far as website design for eCommerce sites is concerned, we need to get completely away from the notion that it’s all about the ‘pretty pictures’ and branding, re-focussing on what’s important; providing a clear route to product pages, the basket and adding calls to action in all the right places to clinch a sale whenever possible. Visual design needs to help guide users towards functionality, not distract away from that functionality.

Calls to Action and ‘Leading the Donkey’ When designing an eCommerce website, make sure that calls to action are clear, in the right areas of the screen and are structured in a way which promotes a positive action from the website user.

Navigation elements such as buttons should use consistent sizes and colours to lead the user to product pages, through to the basket page and to the checkout.

Conversion rates improve dramatically when an eCommerce website is easy to navigate and basket abandonments are lower when all the required sales supporting information is present.

Remember that getting a user to an eCommerce website is in effect just

like leading a donkey with a carrot.

The donkey expects to be fed and your users expect to find the products they are looking for. Provide poorly designed product pages and little information and you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a sale, these pages are after all doing the selling for you in the absence of a real sales person!

Time spent designing an eCom-

merce website should be prioritised around selling areas of the website, with layout and functionality of the product pages and basket being key.

Spend more time making it easier for people to shop and less time worrying about colour pantones and flashy image effects and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll soon be selling more! nursery today

81

feature CBME

u o y e m o lc e w to s it a w E M CB Top-notch brands and suppliers from Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, and more he 16th Shanghai International Children Baby Maternity Industry Expo (CBME China 2016) will welcome local and international suppliers to showcase their latest products on July 20-22, 2016 at the new venue -- National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in Hongqiao, Shang- hai.

China’s baby products cts thy industry forecasts a healthy growth with the government’s adaptation of second child policy sincee the start of 2016.

Coupled with the year off the monkey, Chinese parents are gearing up to try for a second child. China’s demographers expect there will be peak in the country’s birth rate this year.

The demand for reputable utable international brands in China continuous to grow as Chinese consumers have higher purchasing power and having easier access to the products.

More and more international brands want to take their share of this market.

T

Association, the CBME China will feature pavilions from Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States,Singapore, and more.

The country and regional pavilions will feature new brands covering baby care maternity and baby care products, baby carriages, food and healthcare products, toys, clothing p clothing, accessories, and educational products. Participatin Participating brands include: Ameda, Babienc Babience, Babynow, Babybol, Better Bump, BBV, Blackmores, Boboli, Blue Celery, Carlin, Cheng Cheng,Desigual, C H HAENIM, Health More, Ita Italtrike, Ibaby, Jack N’Jill, Koo Koodi, Lansinoh, Losan, Lucky Baby Baby, Marc & Molly’s, Merebe, Moose Baby, Okiedog, Prince Moos Lionh Lionheart, Rayqueen, Putti Atti, Purflo, Splash About, Sonatural, Sassi B Baby, Smitten Baby, Sophie la Girafe, More By Babyauto, Mayoral, Tuc, Wemademe, Zappy And ,Tuc Tu More.

“More and more international and regional brands are using CBME China as the gateway to China’s baby products market. This year, we see the debut of the France pavilion and the Taiwan Toy Pavilion at CBME China. International pavilions has seen a 20% increase in brands and around 18% increase in exhibition space,” says Athena Gong, General Manager (CBME). “CBME China not only help more international brands enter China, but it also is the one-stop sourcing event for buyers from all over the world. We also expect the Russian consulate general and other overseas industry associations will visit the fair to discuss future cooperation.”

To help international brands ease their entry to the China, CBME China 2016 will hold an “Unlock the Doors to China” seminar on July 19 (Tuesday).

The seminar aims to provide, help brands understand the China market, the Chinese consumers

I nt e r n a t i on a l Pavil i on at C B M E C h in a 2 Exp an d s 0 16 by 20%

The Debut of More International Brands at CBME China 2016

This year, in cooperation with ABC Kids Expo, ASEPRI (Spanish Baby Products Association), Austrade, The Baby Product Association (UK), BeFe (Korea), Business France, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, IE Singapore, Singapore Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, Taiwan Toy & Children’s Article Manufacturers

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buying habits and give them an overview of China’s baby products market. Followed by a panel discussion featuring three key buyers and distributors in China. They will share how they choose brands, the challenges in the market and their suggested cooperation model with brands.

CBME China 2016 will also host business matching sessions to connect international and regional brands with China buyers, retailers and distributors.

Bridging the Gap between Brands and Retailers/ Distributors Globally

CBME China is the one-stop solu tion for brands and buyers/distributors in the baby products industry to network and extend their business connections, not just in China but globally as well.

Focusing on “Bringing in the Inte rnational Business; Exporting and Showcasi ng China Products”, CBME aims to help boos t the whole baby products industry. The fair not only helps bring in international and regio nal brands into China, but it helps China brands enter the global baby products market as well.

Spain’s ASEPRI CEO LORES SEG URA said, “CBME China is one of the mos t important baby products fair in the world. It help s brands develop the Asian market. In 2015, over 300 buyers visited our booth to learn more about Spanish brands. “ CBME China is a perfect business platform for children, baby and maternit y product buyers, retailers, manufacturers, distributo rs and suppliers to meet and do business in one venue.

Visitor registration is now open to all trade buyers.

To register visit: www.cbmexpo.com /en/ register

SpaceCot

SpaceCot is the brand new trave l cot launching in China from the UK. Developed by an Oxford Univ ersity graduate and aeronautical ‘rocket science’ engineer, SpaceCot has been commended by and featured in the likes of Vogu e, Baby London, Mother & Baby UK, and the BBC. SpaceCot offers parents more free dom because it can open and close in three seconds, weighs just 6kgs, comes with a comfortable hypoallergeni c mattress that can be adjusted to two levels and is mac hine washable and ecofriendly.

What’s more SpaceCot fits neat ly into a stylish protector bags with a strap making it easy to carry.

Email: contact@oxfordspacestruc utres.com Web: www.spacecot.com

ax thermometer is non-contact, silent anded the6-rin-1M Bro ection oj Pr . It can be us the whole family other Max

The Br ects suitable for contact as it proj ing it perfect and rst sight without fi easy to use, mak at re tu ra eir pe th m to er on child’s te m the ther momet to measure your te rature reading fro taking an accura pe m es te ak m ed at so in al n um tio nc the ill fu n e tio th ec re ply ensu uminated proj ing’ system. Sim e forehead. The ill ique built in ‘aim un ly centered in th its ct re th di wi , e, ce pl reading surfa reading sim ost ed m e sir th de e ve gi th to to on ed ting e is achiev projection is poin the right distanc n also be is will guarantee Th n ther mometer ca le. tio ec ad oj cr r Pr te -1 ou in 6e ture, Th ra g. pe in liable read in (body) tem accuracy and re room, food or sk d, st nine ui la e liq th r, s te re wa bath function also sto y or em used to measure m y nd 1-80 C. The ha measuring from . gs in previous read 8266 Tel: 01280 87 hermax.com Web: www.brot

We Made Me

CBME, Shanghai has bec ome an important part of We Made Me’s strategic planning for the business and will pla y a vital role in their development s for 2016/17. “This yea r is especially significant as it signals pha se two in We Made Me Ltd ’s evolution into new catego ries away from babywear ing and will provide a platfor m to sho wcase a number of new products to key influencers across the Pacific Rim. Last year we made some fantastic contacts and created a number of glo bal opportunities for the bra nd and we hope this yea r is even more successful for the busine ss,” stated Founder, Danie l Lucas.

Web: www.wemademe .com

nursery today

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Important functions such as the height-adjustable and softly padded handle offer both comfort and flexibility to parents. Thanks to the adjustable backrest which has several inclined positions as well as the adjustable foot rest, children sit or lie snugly in the pushchair and enjoy everything there is to discover on their outing. The B-READY easily folds with both seats in the forward-facing position and takes up little space.

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6in1 o-1 meter rMam e h T x 6-in The Brother Projection ther mometer is non-contact, silent and easy to use, making it perfect and It suitable for the whole family. r you sure can be used to mea t child’s temperature at first sigh s ject pro it as tact con out with the illuminated temperature reading from the ther mometer onto their forehead. The n illuminated projection functio te ura acc an ng also makes taki reading simple, with its unique built in ‘aiming’ system.

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nursery today

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ide crib is thri hind the mul ti award winni lled to unveil product. Intr three gorgeo ng SnüzPod oducing Putty us ne w colours for , B lu exclusive shad sh and Sherbe its flagship es, just in tim t, a de lightfully styl e for Summer SnüzPod feat is h co llection of ! ures a secure to easily com zip-down, br fort and feed eathable mes thei h wall that al zipped back lows parents up allowing pa r baby during the night, w hich can be si rents to sleep lift off bassin mply safely next to et forms a M their baby. T oses basket, w for daytime na he innovative hich can be us ps. When little ed around th one is ready, rocking crib e home, idea to help with SnüzPod can l th become a stan e tr an sition into th Commenting dalone ei r on nu th rs e er exciting laun y.

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nursery today

85

BPA notice board You might be entitled to government tax incentives

Robert Anslow M anaging Director

Members head he ina C to nin of A group

Baby Products Association members will be heading to China in July to exhibit probably most at one of the world’s largest and nghai. The show Sha lucrative trade shows – CBME re than 85,000 mo and ors ibit attracts over 2,250 exh is the third time that trade buyers each year and this ilion at the show. the BPA has hosted a UK Pav the BPA’s delegation, es anis Simon Anslow, who org participating in the ies pan com the explains: “All of rs have had amazing UK Pavilion in the last few yea interest in their ted experiences with unpreceden cy now relaxed in poli d chil one products. With the an products, and China the demand for Europe been greater and we er British in particular, has nev g event.” din stan out are expecting another year are: Bitzbags this g atin ticip par ies Compan dren; Koo-di chil for – play to pack away solution lobaby – Me ; ents par y – clever products for bus k Monster Mil s; bag g ngin cha ish practical and styl m pra – dy Bud – baby milk timer; My Buggy s; tion solu p slee able accessory; Purlflo –breath Tum cot; el trav able fort com and Spacecots – light de Ma We and ; ries Tum – children’s dining accesso gs. slin and Me – award-winning carriers at the new CMBE Shanghai takes place Centre in tion ven Con and ion ibit National Exh 6.

201 July Shanghai from 20th to 22nd

T

he majority of companies in the nursery sector could be entitled to more than £40,000 towards Research & Development. Find out more at the Baby Products Association’s AGM on Wednesday 29th June 2016 at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London.

Many companies in the nursery sector invest heavily in research and development. However, a signifi signi cant number of these are unaware that they can claim back a large percentage of these costs through a government tax incentive called Research & Development Tax Credits.

Rese Companies can claim back costs incurred C through developing new, or appreciably thro improving existing products, processes, systems impr and materials in the form of tax credits or a cash sum. The amount of tax relief available depends on the amount spent by the business dep and the profitability of that business when the work wor took place.

Bob Boardman of RD Tax Solutions is attending the Baby Products Association’s atte AGM AG and will be explaining how companies in the nursery sector can benefit from this scheme. sch Andy Crane, managing director of BabyStyle, has already reaped the benefits of Ba the Research & Development Tax Credit scheme, and encourages other BPA members sch to apply too: “We had heard about this scheme in the past, but because we were not sc actually developing new products, but were ac simply tweaking and improving designs, sim thought that we were not eligible,” he says, th “However, attending a talk by a local group “ of o accountants, we discovered that this was not n the case.

“As the research and development we have been carrying out is exclusively for our h own brand, we are able to claim back costs o incurred on design, tooling and even flights i to China. In our first year, we were able to claim £157,000 and this was paid within weeks of our

claim. We are now on a five year exemption scheme which means that we can claim back all future R&D costs incurred.”

Andy will also be attending the BPA’s AGM and will be happy to share his experiences with BPA members over light refreshments after the event.

For more information about the BPA’s AGM, visit the website at www.thebpa.eu and for catering purposes, if you would like to attend please RSVP to julie@b-p-a.org no later than Wednesday 22nd June 2016.

Last chance to participate in UK Pavilions internationally The BPA’s UK Pavilion at Kind und Jugend in Germany is almost fully booked with just a few spaces remaining, and the one at ABC Kids Expo in the USA has recently opened for booking. With potentially a small number of grants of £1,500 and £2,000 respectively available towards exhibiting, new companies who have not participated in these shows before are encouraged to sign up for what could really kick-start their export potential and give their business a boost for 2016.

Adrian Sneyd, UK Pavilion organiser for the BPA, explains: “Both of these trade events tap into very different international markets.

Exhibitors at Kind und Jugend face buyers from around Europe and as far as Asia, while ABC Kids attracts buyers from North America and Canada, and, importantly, South America, which is another very fast growing and emerging market.”

The Baby Products Association makes participating at these shows easy and rewarding as the team hand-holds companies throughout the entire exhibiting process. Adrian continues: “Once booked, we help with everything.

Companies will deal directly with us and not the international show organiser, which eliminates language and cultural barriers. We can advise on shipping, we are there for set up and the full duration of the show to help with any problems that might arise.”

For more information about joining the BPA’s UK Pavilions visit the website at www.thebpa.eu or contact Adrian: adrian@nurseryfair.com

www.thebpa.eu 86

nursery today

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