The 59th Toy Fair finished on a high last night after a buzzing three days at Olympia in west London. More than 200 toy companies – large and small – exhibited at the fair launching thousands of new toys for 2012. John Barnes was on hand to relaunch Subbuteo for Paul Lamond, Lorraine Kelly helped promote Raa Raa the Lion toys for Tomy and Steve Backshall shone the spotlight on Character’s new Deadly 60 range. However, it was perhaps the influx of cutting edge app toys that stole the show – and a number of headlines.

Nuna, the stylish and elite baby gear line that sold out within a week of being delivered to John Lewis looks set to be a major trend-setter this year. At its exclusive launch in the luxurious environs of Hotel Sofitel in London earlier today, celebrities and press were impressed by the apparent simplicity of the range, cleverly designed to lighten the load for new parents.

Kiddicare.com, acquired by Morrisons in 2011, has today agreed to take over the leases of 10 former Best Buy stores from Carphone Warehouse.

LeapPad Explorer (Leapfrog Toys), Hasbro and The Entertainer triumphed at the annual Toy Industry Awards winning Toy of the Year, Supplier of the Year and Toy Retailer of the Year, respectively.

Technology toys were applauded at Toy Fair this morning, with a brand new App category being added to the Best New Toy Awards for 2012. The three winners of the very first Best New App Toys were AppGear from Character Options, Vivid’s Moshi App Monster and first time exhibitor Zeon’s Tardis Smart Safe.

This October there is only one place you need to be, The Baby Show for Trade at London Olympia. Now a week earlier, the show will run from the 7-9th and it is the perfect place to preview your new collections to the countries leading buyers. Don’t miss out, book your stand now. 

Great Gizmos is to extend its already extensive portfolio as the new UK distributor of the luxury plush and accessory brand, NICI.

New York based Skip Hop, designers of unique and innovative parenting products, was thrilled to be chosen recently by BBC World News to appear in a report about the improving state of the American jobs market.

Kiddicare.com is delighted to announce the appointment of Alison Lancaster as Marketing and Merchandising Director for Online and Non-food, reporting into Scott Weavers-Wright. Alison will also head up the marketing strategy to launch the new Morrisons website, anticipated early in the New Year.

10,000 – that’s Skibz bibs lucky number as it reaches the magic milestone for online orders as demand increases for the UK’s number one bandana baby bib.

Dragons’ Den winner Solvej Biddle, CEO of Content&Calm the quintessential travel brand, has unveiled her new TrayKit Traveller Collection at leading motorway service area operator, Roadchef.

Smart-Trike is delighted, and really rather proud, to announce Stevanne Auerbach, also known as Dr Toy, has honoured the world leading brand with a Dr Toy’s Best Pick Award and claimed that a Smart-Trike will help develop confidence – Fact!

The promenade! The latest fantastic innovation from phil&teds was introduced by national sales manager Chris Armstrong and the Out’n’About team to the UK Market on 23rd November.

This Christmas, The Gro Company has promised to match up to £22,000 in donations made to FSID, helping fund ground-breaking cot death research in conjunction with Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) has announced the finalists for the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards 2011. The shortlist is:

More great news from Skibz – its dribble bibs have landed a gold medal at this year’s 7th International Exhibition Mir Detstva in Moscow – Russia’s equivalent of Kind und Jugend.

Recent news reports highlight the sales of potentially dangerous ‘bling’ baby soothers and other baby products such as feeding bottles and the Baby Products Association (BPA) warns parents not to put their children at risk by purchasing such items, which are often sold on websites, independent shops and market stalls.

The Big Give launched this week, presenting FSID with a fantastic fundraising opportunity. All donations made to FSID online at www.thebiggive.org.uk throughout this week will be doubled.

Bibetta has won the GOLD award for ‘Best Feeding Product Under £10’ category at the 2011 Practical Parenting magazine awards. Bibetta’s amazing neoprene bibs were voted best for performance, quality and value by parents and brings the bib’s total awards up to five!

The Sunshine Kids Monterey2 expandable booster seat has just been awarded another coveted Mother & Baby Magazine to bring the total to 3 prestigious Gold Awards in the past 12 months – Mother & Baby Magazine Gold for Group 2-3 Car seat in 2010, Mother & Baby Magazine Gold for Group 1-2-3 Car Seat in 2011 and Practical Parenting & Pregnancy Gold for Group 2-3 Seat in 2011, adding to the stream of awards received since its launch.

TOMY is the number one toy company in Japan and by 2015 its aim is to be the largest toy company worldwide following the acquisition of RC2 earlier this year. This goal is totally achievable with the company’s core growth strategy in place to transform itself into a global giant by maximising its ability to deploy its global development capacity and capitalise on overall efficiencies.

The European Nursery Products Confederation (ENPC), founded in June this year, has appointed a secretariat and is now fully up and running with new offices in Brussels.

Organic childrenswear brand Frugi joins fund raising forces with Little Steps, a new kind of charity shop from Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). Families are being asked to bring along their outgrown toys, clothes and equipment to the specially organised collection point at Frugi’s HQ Sample Sale event in Helston on Friday 9th December between 10am and 12 noon.

Baby Brands Direct stocks an extensive range of car safety products and accessories. Recently added to their portfolio of products is a comprehensive range of car safety accessories from leading brand Lindam.

John Crane Ltd has announced six new appointments.

Best for Baby Ltd is pleased to announce two great additions to its distribution portfolio, Baby Aspen and Angel Dear.

There were smiles all round this week in the breastvest camp as they announced that, thanks to the company’s fantastic sales during October, they have been able to make a significant contribution to Breast Cancer Care, a charity close to the entire team’s heart.

Babies who already enjoy the comfort and warmth of sleeping in a gorgeous PurFlo SleepSac at night, can have the same super snugly experience when out and about on their travels, thanks to the latest new Travel SleepSac from PurFlo.

Munchkin, the international infant and toddler brand, is delighted to confirm they have won another two industry awards this year. The Grippy Dots and Soft Tip Spoons both picked up top prize in the Mother & Baby Awards. Often referred to as the Oscars of the baby world, these awards recognise product and price excellence.

Britax picked up three gongs, including two gold awards at the Oscars of the nursery industry, the 2011 Mother& Baby awards, judged by over 600 mums.

Thousands of pounds worth of toys will be donated to Barnardo’s when volunteers take part in a trolley dash at the 2012 Toy Fair.

Totseat, the award-winning chair harness, was delighted to be included in the Which? Toddler Travel Essential Guide for Christmas.

Weybury Hildreth Ltd are pleased to announce that Fiona Woodhead, its current Design and Development Manager, has been appointed Global Product Marketing Manager.

Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce they are now exclusively stocking the safety brand Lindam. A spokesperson for the company said ‘we were extremely keen to expand our range of nursery products to include a wider range of safety lines, so we were especially pleased to bring back to the independent market brand leader Lindam.’

Compass Diversified Holdings (CODI), an owner of leading middle market businesses, has announced that its subsidiary, The ERGObaby Carrier, has acquired Orbit Baby.

Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce they are now exclusively stocking the award winning brand Munchkin. For more than 20 years, Munchkin has worked to transform mundane products into clever solutions for many parenting problems. Their comprehensive range of keenly priced baby products includes hygiene products, bath safety equipment, feeding essentials and food preparation equipment, baby feeding cleaning products, bath toys and teethers. Whether you choose from a bath ducky that warns if the bath water is too hot or one of the new cups that click to lock you won’t be disappointed with this colourful collection from Munchkin. With a Gold award recently won at the 2011 Mother & Baby Awards for their soft tip infant spoons, Munchkin is a brand not to be missed!

MAM UK Ltd were delighted to win 3 Awards at the prestigious Mother and Baby Awards held at the Hilton Hotel Park Lane.

OXO Tot has gained one its most prestigious accolades to date winning a Gold Award at the 2011 Mother & Baby Awards on Thursday 17 November at the Hilton, Park Lane.

Child carrier and travel accessory expert LittleLife enjoyed double success at the prestigious Mother and Baby Awards held in London last week. A tribute to the quality and practicality of its products, LittleLife received not one but two awards. Winning a ‘Best Safety Product’ Silver Rosette for its ever-popular, cute and practical Animal Toddler Daysacks; LittleLife was also delighted to be awarded the coveted Gold Rosette in the ‘Best Child Carrier’ category for its All Terrain child carrier.

The Gro Company, maker of the Grobag, is thrilled to announce that their Grobag, the original Baby Sleep Bag has won the coveted Gold award for Best Nursery Product at this year’s Mother & Baby Awards.

Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce they are now exclusively stocking the safety brand Lindam. A spokesperson for the company said ‘we were extremely keen to expand our range of nursery products to include a wider range of safety lines, so we were especially pleased to bring back to the independent market brand leader Lindam.’

Best Baby Carrier / Sling or  Back Carrier

With only a few months until Harrogate Nursery Fair, a notable date for your diary – and one of the highlights of the show – is no doubt the Party Night and Awards which takes place at the Majestic Hotel on Sunday 25th March and this year attendees are in for a real treat with a great new line up of entertainment.

Kate Silverton steps out with her newborn baby daughter Clemency in a Jané Trider Pushchair complete with the Jané Matrix lie-flat car seat.

Tickets for the Toy Industry Awards 2011 are selling fast with the event on target for another sell out. 375 toy executives are expected to fill the room and many manufacturers and retailers have already booked their tickets.

With the launch of the new Uki’s World iPhone App and UK PR campaign the colourful CBeebies animated character has become the focus of a new online partnership with Netmums.

Following Brother Max’s recent award success, winning a Gold Practical Parenting & Pregnancy Award for it’s digital thermometer, it can now add yet another accolade to its impressive tally after this week scooping a Gold Prima Baby & Pregnancy Reader Award 2011 for their entire feeding range.

We may be in the worst recorded recession of all time, but with the global population having just topped seven billion, there is one market that definitely isn’t short of customers. The nursery industry appears to be thriving in the face of an economic crisis, seeing consumer spending increase by a third between 2005 and 2010, to a staggering £753 million.

Launched in 2010 The Baby Show for Trade returned this October, building on the huge success and response from the first show the exhibition grew in size by 30%, showcasing an additional 50 of the most sought after brands and niche suppliers.

Having already scooped two Which? Awards for best breastpump, the Mumsnet Medela is thrilled to announce its success in the recent consumer awards co-ordinated by leading parenting publication, Practical Parenting. The producer of the world’s most technologically advanced breastpumps and first choice for health professionals globally certainly lived up to this reputation scooping three top prizes.

Baby Brands Direct has always led the way with the use of technology to bring a quick and easy to use wholesale service to the independent nursery market and is proud to announce they are once again the first to embrace new technology.

Kiddicare.com Chief Executive, Scott Weavers-Wright, has acquired sixth position in this year’s Retail Week roll-call of the 50 most powerful people in online retail, one place higher than last year.

Green People are delighted to announce that Organic Babies' NEW Baby Oil has proved a massive hit in this year's TIPS Awards. Not only was this Certified Organic & Fairtrade product awarded 'Best Organic' in the Baby Oil category but it also took home the much coveted 'Editor's Choice' Award too.

Organic baby bedtime specialists The Little Green Sheep are delighted to announce the appointment of Eleanor Hayden, who joins the business as an apprentice. After completing her A -level studies, Eleanor was keen to join a young and exciting company where she could develop a wider business knowledge.

The restructuring of Harrogate Nursery Fair for 2012 has proved incredibly popular with companies in the nursery trade sector with the organiser reporting an almost sold out show next year.

FunToSee, a leading designer and manufacturer of high quality room stickers for decorating children’s rooms, is pleased to announce that Siobhan Dyer has joined the company.

On-line nursery wholesaler Baby Brands Direct is always looking to add new and exciting brands and products to allow independent retailer’s access to the widest range of products available. They are therefore delighted to announce they have added exclusively the ‘Having a Ball’ collection from popular brand Bright Starts and the Oball range of baby activity toys.

Baby Brands Direct was delighted to attend the Baby Show for Trade 2011 and according to a representative from the team were especially delighted to meet so many existing customers who came to see the many exclusive brands displayed by the on-line wholesaler.

Launched in 2010, ‘Rattles to Riches’ is already a favourite feature at the Baby Show for Trade. This year’s event once again drew the crowds to watch as, on each of the three days of the show, entrepreneurs with an idea for the Next Big Thing in nursery products pitched to a panel of the UK’s top nursery trade buyers.

The Baby Products Association (BPA) has announced that the 2012 Baby and Nursery Trade Awards (BANTAs), which take place at Harrogate Nursery Fair from 25th to 27th March 2012, are now open for entry.

Medela, the world’s leading provider of breastpumps and breastfeeding accessories, is delighted to announce that the company is celebrating its 50th birthday this month! An outstanding achievement especially when considering the enviable reputation, worldwide recognition and countless awards the brand has picked up along the way!

On-line nursery wholesaler Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce they have just signed up leading baby monitor brand Motorola to their brand portfolio.

BabyBjörn is pleased to announce its new partnership with antenatal specialists, DaddyNatal.

The Gro Company, makers of Grobag, mums favourite baby sleep bag are delighted to announce that they have won Gold and Silver at the Practical Parenting & Pregnancy Awards 2011/2012.

Maclaren the premium parenting brand and renowned inventor of the baby buggy are pleased to announce some new additions to their UK team. As part of some exciting changes at the company, Maclaren would like to welcome Louise Ratley who joins as Sales Operations Manager and Suzanne Bruce in the position of Sales Operations Executive.

The suspense was over for five budding baby product entrepreneurs on Monday as the Baby Products Association (BPA) announced the winners of its 2011 Concept and Innovation Awards at the Baby Show for Trade at London Olympia.

Solvej Biddle has been awarded Women Business Owner of 2011 in the National Network of Aspiring Women Awards, at the inspiring, glitzy event attended by 250 guests at Villa Park Birmingham last Friday.

Hippychick are ecstatic to announce that their fabulous products have won two Golds in the Right Start awards, and were twice Overall Category Winners!

On-line nursery wholesaler Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce they will be attending The Baby Show for Trade exhibition at Olympia this month.

Cheeky Rascals takes pride in sourcing innovative products from around the world, so they are delighted to once again have this excellence recognised in the 2011 Practical Parenting and Pregnancy Awards.

Little Tikes is celebrating after scooping several awards in the third annual ToyTalk Awards and also this year’s Practical Parenting and Pregnancy Awards!

Parents looking for great new products for travelling with little ones will love the super snugly PurFlo Travel SleepSac which has just been shortlisted in the 2011 Mother & Baby Awards in the Best Travel Sleep Product category.

Bibs and Stuff is celebrating after all five products it entered into this year’s Practical Parenting Awards won either Gold or Silver! The company’s tally is an impressive four Silver Awards plus a Gold for the multi-award winning 2-in-1 Potette Plus.

By Carla, a fresh new pre-natal and nursery brand with an exciting and contemporary style has just won the Practical Parenting & Pregnancy Gold Award – with Bumppies a beautifully designed cot bar bumper. The eye-catching black and white designs are perfect for stimulating and encouraging baby’s development.

BabyBjörn has distinguished itself in this year’s Practical Parenting and Loved by Parents Awards, with their stylish and practical products winning an impressive six awards in total.

Last week was a week like no other for Gander Kids as the company collected the equivalent of an award a day! The UK-based toy and play furniture importer and distributor scooped two Practical Pre-School Awards, a Practical Parenting Magazine Award, Best Start Up at Mumpreneur UK and was listed in the O2 SMARTA100 business awards.

The multi-award winning Brother Max One-Touch 3-in-1 Digital Thermometer adds another impressive award to its tally scooping a Gold Practical Parenting & Pregnancy 2011/2012 award. The UK’s number two selling digital thermometer beat off fierce competition in the Baby & Toddler Health category, with entrants spanning medical devices to medicines.

Graco wins a GOLD Practical Parenting Award for their Grow-with-Me Group 1-2-3 Car Seat. The Graco Nautilus, a seat that removes the stress for parents by adapting and growing alongside their whole family has been recognised for its practicality and popularity by winning a GOLD AWARD at the prestigious Practical Parenting Awards 2011.

Hauck Group once again were delighted to receive the highest accolade at the recent Practical Pre-School awards scooping the Gold for the New Duett double buggy, Silver for the I’coo Pluto 11 and Silver for the New arrival Sit’n Relax in the Practical Pre-School Awards 2011 – Childcare Category.

The coveted Practical Pre-School Gold award went to B Kids Bebee & Friends Play with me Pals in the Toys and Games 0-3 years category. This item was a huge success with the Practical Pre-School testers. They found the younger children loved this toy straight away and the older children enjoyed helping the younger ones explore all the loveable aspects and play value. The Play with me Pals is so easily transported and can be used in the car, attached to the pushchair delivering entertainment at home and on the move. Safe, loveable and interactive. As one tester stated: “A very good quality product that I would definitely recommend.”

Being a full time mum whilst running your own business is no mean feat, yet Emily Goodall from BundleBean Ltd has done it so well that her success has been recognised at the 2011 Mumpreneur Conference and Awards sponsored by Yell and DHL Express.

Renowned for its beautiful, top quality toys, HABA’s innovative approach to play has been recognised across Europe having recently won several prestigious awards including the Kind und Jugend 2011 Innovation Award - World of Baby Toys for its new Big Optics Workshop.

It's been an amazing award winning week for Halilit and Taf Toys, with a Gold Award in the Practical Parenting Awards for the versatile Taf Toys Developmental Walker, Gold in the Practical Pre-School Awards for the new Taf Toys Stacker Truck, and the Halilit Conga Band winning not only Gold but also 'Overall Winner' in the Music and Multi Media category at the Practical Pre-School Awards. Silver Awards were won by the Taf Toys Developmental Walker, Brik-a-Blok construction toy and Edushape Sensory Balls.

Britax have appointed Jeff Ward into a new role as European Commercial Director to oversee the sales, marketing and customer service functions across the region. He will be based at the European headquarters of Britax, located in Ulm, Germany.

Kind + Jugend 2011 in Cologne, which ended on Sunday, 18th September, set new records in terms of figures for exhibitors and visitors. For the first time, more than 21,000 trade visitors from 106 countries took advantage of this international business platform in Cologne to gain a comprehensive overview of the trends and new products from the global children's outfitting sector. The number of exhibiting companies was also higher than ever before: a total of 940 suppliers from 41 countries presented their product ranges (2010: 815 from 40 countries). "Thanks to growth of more than 15 percent, we've been able to write a new chapter in the success story of the world's largest trade fair for children's outfitting," said Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH, in his assessment of the fair. "A total of 72 per cent of the visitors came from abroad, and the corresponding figure for exhibitors was 80 per cent. These are not figures you see every day in the trade fair business. They impressively demonstrate the global leadership of Kind + Jugend," added Markus Oster, Vice President at Koelnmesse GmbH.

Whether for avoiding hazards, offering educational value or serving practical needs: To mark the start of the world's largest trade fair for children's outfitting, the sector’s best new products were presented with the Kind + Jugend Innovation Award 2011. A jury of representatives from the trade, the German technical inspectorate TÜV and the media carefully reviewed the new products and selected the winners in a total of eight categories.

Tidy Books, the award winning UK children’s bookcase and storage company, will be exhibiting for the first time at Kind und Jugend this year, showing the Bunk Bed Buddy, a bedside shelf designed especially for bunk beds, as part of its innovative range of children’s storage range. At the show, there will be the chance for a lucky visitor to the Tidy Books stand to win a limited edition of this stylish shelf.

With 19 weeks still to go until Toy Fair 2012, just one stand remains unsold and organiser the British Toy & Hobby Association expects the 59^th annual event to sell out in record time.

188 exhibitors have been confirmed for Toy Fair, which takes place from 24-26 January 2012 in the Grand and West Halls of Olympia in London. 35 of these are first time exhibitors, 14 are returning with larger stands and three are making the move from the Greenhouse to the main floor.

New exhibitors include the likes of 50 Fifty Gifts, Battlefront Miniatures, Eleventyone, Fulanitos UK, Indigo Jamm, Melrose Kids, Posh Paws and The Wandering Monkey Company.

OXO Tot is set to hit the big screen this month when it makes a special appearance in the latest American blockbuster “I Don’t Know How She Does It’, featuring Sarah Jessica Parker.

Tippitoes’ hugely successful Boys Toilet Trainer, a revolutionary aid designed to help with toilet training is now launching in Boots.

Hauck Group has been committed to looking after the well-being of entire generations of babies since 1921. Caring and supporting parents as they go about their daily lives with a diverse and broad range meeting all the demands of parents in today's busy world.

It’s exciting times at Hamster Buggy Bags as they prepare to launch their newest designs at Kind & Jugend, the world’s leading international nursery trade show in Cologne this month.

At this year's Kind + Jugend we Content & Calm will be introducing its exciting new TrayKit Traveller range, with co-ordinating fabrics to mix and match with TrayKit. TrayKit Traveller comes complete with a travel journal, matching pencils, a stamp and stickers, a fold out map, a diary section and much more to keep mini travellers entertained. The matching passport covers and luggage tags are both fun and practical.

Close, the company best known for producing well-considered baby goods, is launching a new range of wonderfully made products at Kind + Jugend.

This year at Kind + Jugend, Orbit Baby, makers of the 360°rotating pushchair for infants–to-toddlers, will be debuting 9 new colors for the Orbit Baby G2 pushchair.

This year’s Kind & Jugend Trade Show, Cologne 15th – 18th September 2011, will see Graco showcasing a range of innovative new products for their 2012 Collection. There are 8 new car seat and stroller product launches making this the most exciting Graco stand in recent history.

Sleepytot will be exhibiting the multi-award winning Sleepytot Baby Comforter at Kind und Jugend in Cologne between the 15th and 18th September.

The countdown is running: Kind + Jugend, the leading global trade fair for the baby and toddler outfitting industry, will open its doors on 15th September. On about 100,000 sqm of exhibition area, some 900 exhibitors from around 42 countries will present international products, trends and innovations.

The Exhibition will be open Tuesday 24^th January to Thursday 26^th January at London's Olympia.
The Toy Fair is the largest dedicated toy trade event in the UK, devoted to the toy, game and hobby business and is the most important exhibition date for the UK toy industry. After a successful return to Olympia in 2010, 2012’s exhibition will once again be using the Grand Hall Gallery to accommodate the ever growing list of exhibitors.

The Baby Show For Trade is looking forward to welcoming an audience of over 2,100 baby and nursery industry professionals, setting the industry's newest trade event on the road to achieving its goal of becoming the ultimate annual destination for baby and nursery trade buyers in the UK and beyond.

The Gro Company - the UK’s leading baby sleep brand - has launched two new twin packs to its multi-award winning Grobag Baby Sleep Bag range. Available exclusively to independent nursery retailers, the two new twin packs are designed to meet consumer’s need to make their lives as easy as possible, whilst also providing excellent value. They also provide an excellent commercial opportunity for the retailer.

Five budding inventors have been chosen by a panel of nursery industry expert ‘dragons’ as finalists in the Baby Products Association’s (BPA) Concept and Innovation Awards.

Rainbow Designs has appointed a new National Account Manager for the north of the UK. The leading licensed character manufacturer has brought Joanne Airey on board to assist Zara Grindrod, Director of Sales, in this sector which has recently seen significant expansion.

The Hauck Apollo 11 is certainly making an impact with star studded appearances on BBC1 Eastenders, this unique All in One set has now scooped the Bizziebaby Gold Award. An award voted for by Parents.

After 10 years of successfully building Splash About from an idea to keep children warm in water, through the early years of Robin cutting, Desri sewing and  then the whole family packing the products watching Disney films, to playing a major role in the development of the baby swimming movement and raising awareness of the need for sun protection, Desri and Robin Goodwin have sold part of Splash About to bring in investors with skills and experience beyond theirs to help take the company to the next level and beyond.

John Crane Ltd was one of the 50 most talked about brands on social media sites in the UK according to Tots 100 (a parental blogger forum and resource). Due to a highly successful High Tea Shape Matching campaign with retailer Dillons ToyBox, plus the launch of a photography competition in partnership with Bonusprint and retailer When I Was a Kid the mummy and daddy bloggers went wild this month for John Crane toys.

The award winning company, Frugi, has been supporting grass-roots charity, Pesticide Action Network UK, over the past few years through its 1% for the Planet Membership. PAN UK have been using Frugi’s donations of over £8 500 to support cotton farmers in Benin, West Africa, helping them reduce dependence on pesticides by using sustainable alternatives to chemical pest control.

Perfectly Happy People are delighted to have held their first PHP Family Day, bringing together all their entrepreneurs for a day of knowledge, laughter and learning.

The washable nappy and baby goods brand "Lollipop" is now under new ownership. Lollipop Baby Products is a new company, trading since May this year and are thrilled to have joined up every aspect of the supply chain of their products, from fabric manufacture through to end retail.

Hundreds of products were entered into each category and thousands of people cast their votes for their favorites. Social media sites were buzzing with excitement yesterday as the awards were announced throughout the day.

SnoozeShade Original from Really Simple Ideas has been named winner of the Sleeping category in the inaugural Tots to Travel Just Go! Awards. The awards are the first in the UK to focus exclusively on family friendly travel products that make it easier for parents to travel with young children.

Kiddicare.com, the UK’s largest online nursery retailer, is delighted to announce the appointment of Simon Harrow to Chief Operating Officer. The new role is designed to help the business deliver its objectives following the takeover by Morrisions in February this year.

Cartamundi, the leading playing card maker has teamed up with Morrisons and The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland to create a sparkling summer sales promotion in the UK. Developed by leading sales promotion agency, Billington Cartmell, the “Disney Magical Moments” promotion has been designed exclusively for Morrisons and leverages classic Disney characters to continue celebrating Disneyland Paris’s Magical Moments Festival.

Months ahead of Christmas, some of the hottest toys for kids have already been decided by a group of leading mum’s bloggers, as part of a Mum’s Choice list of top toys.

Over 200 national journalists gathered at the only toy specific press event of the year, Christmas in July, to get a first glance of what’s going to be hot this Christmas.

Luke Burns, commercial director of Britax, was appointed as chairman of the Baby Products Association (BPA) at its Annual General Meeting in June, replacing Andrew Ratcliffe of Dorel who previously held the position.

Robert Anslow, managing director of the BPA, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Luke on board and believe that he will make a valuable contribution bringing fresh ideas to the table to develop the Association onwards and upwards in the coming years.

Phillip Schofield and Jenni Falconer had fun guessing the correct use of the Lil Rinser when it appeared recently on ITV1’s ‘This Morning’ daytime show.

Magmatic design and distribute award winning children's travel products under our Trunki brand. We’re a market leading company, selling internationally to over 62 countries and to major UK retailers and independents in the nursery, toy and luggage markets. We're growing fast, have a range of new brands and products to launch and are looking for someone to join our UK sales team.

Harrogate Nursery Fair has launched an eye-catching new website where both exhibitor and visitors can easily access news and information about the UK’s favourite nursery trade show.

On-line wholesaler Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce they have just signed an exclusive agreement to distribute the Beaba brand of baby products in the UK. This collection of truly practical, multifunctional, compact and stylish accessories has been inspired by mums and designed to make life just that little bit easier. This beautiful and popular brand includes a wide range of baby feeding essentials including bottles, teats, soothers, highchairs, booster seats, food preparation equipment and accessories, hygiene and bath time goods, change bags and safety equipment, rockers and also a range of sunglasses!

Lord Sugar’s search for a new business partner went international last week as both teams headed to France to test their sales skills in a foreign market. Team Venture were the ones who got their hands on the ingenious BoostApak from Trunki - a backpack-come-car booster seat – as their product to represent the best of British design.

ITV1’s flagship breakfast show, Daybreak, visited Britax Headquarters in Andover last week to film a live crash simulation for the programme.

A new innovation from Smart-Trike sees an exciting world first…a tricycle that is stroller certified and available from six months. The unique Recliner Stroller 4 in 1 is the only trike to have passed the strictest bumping and shock absorption tests, supports from six months and cleverly transforms as the child grows. It offers parents 4 stages to support so that baby can learn to enjoy the great outdoors, ready to adapt as the baby grows to excitable toddler and wants to wheel around!

Young British baby products brand Brother Max welcomes two new faces to its sales team. Lisa Davies-Lindholm replaces Nigel Moore as Head of UK Sales and Anthony Evans joins as Key Account Manager.

Four Britax products have been awarded Best Buy status in the latest Test Lab on car seats by independent consumer group Which?. The Britax BABY-SAFE Plus SHR II both with and without base, the Britax KIDFIX SICT and the Britax KID plus SICT were all rated highly in the group test, published in the June edition of Which? magazine. The Which? tests go above and beyond the legal standard of testing required for car seats in the UK, using the same vigorous crash forces that are used in the Euro NCAP tests. The tests check the performance of car seats in frontal and side impact crashes as well as looking at overall crash safety, and car seats are also rated on how easy they are to fit in the car, what measures are in place to avoid incorrect use, and how comfortable they are for the child.

Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce that breastvest has appointed them as their exclusive wholesale distributor for their innovative breastfeeding product. breastvest is a revolutionary item of breastfeeding underwear which was created, designed, tested and approved by breastfeeding mums.

Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce that they are now stocking the beautiful hand crafted wooden nursery range of furniture from Guidecraft.

Bristol based design company Magmatic (the brains behind the global Trunki brand) won the coveted Outstanding Contribution to Innovation Award at the South West Media and Innovation awards.

Bushbaby award winning baby carriers, clothing and accessories are now available direct to the nursery industry from Bushbaby. Tony Beck, will be joining them as an agent covering the Midlands, Northern England and Scotland.

Thousands of unused pushchairs are lurking in the nation’s homes and garages but parents still have their favourites and seem reluctant to dispose of them, a survey has found.

Last year’s Baby Show for Trade made it possible for fifteen entrepreneurs to present their products to some of the nursery industry’s top trade buyers. In an exciting event that was talked about for months afterwards, dreams came true: introductions were made, business was done and three of the competition entrants won a free stand at this year’s event.

Which?, the UK's leading independent consumer organisation, has awarded Chicco with its prestigious 'Best Buy' award. The acclaimed symbol was presented to the Chicco KeyFit car seat, which received an outstanding test score and it recognises that the product performed to an exceptionally high standard.

Thursday 9 June sees two of the nursery industry's finest newcomers up against each other in a bid to be crowned the winner of the England final of The Pitch 2011 - Britain's biggest annual small business competition.

Argos and Lindam are proud to be supporting Child Safety Week 2011.

Artsana UK is delighted to welcome Mitch Levene as the new MD of Chicco, replacing David Welsh.

Hauck Fun for Kids Ltd are delighted to announce the appointment of Miles Johnson to their Management Team.

The UK Pavilion at Kind + Jugend , Europe’s largest nursery trade show which takes place in September, is almost sold out and the Baby Products Association (BPA) advises anyone still hoping to participate to get in touch as soon as possible.

Thea Partridge and Ursula Morgan from the MAM Team are running the BUPA London 10k on May 30th to raise money for FSID.

It's well documented that Victoria Beckham is going all out on the 'pink'  for her baby girl, due in a few months' time. At her baby shower, the world saw just how 'pink' she'd gone with family and friends sending an array of pink gifts. Among the gifts Dorel was thrilled to see one friend had chosen to give Victoria a Quinny Buzz, in Pink and a pink Hoppop bath.

Well-established in the UK as one of the must have baby products, the Cuddledry baby apron towel is now making its mark internationally, this month winning its first ever award in South Africa.  The award for the Most Green Product was presented at the Baba Indaba Baby expo in Soweto, one of South Africa's largest and best known baby exhibitions.

Il Tutto, creator of gorgeous practical changing bags for style savvy mums are delighted to announce that their iconic Nico bag has made it to the final short-list of the Junior Design Awards 2011.

The Baby Products Association (BPA) is delighted to announce that its request for additional grants from the Tradeshow Access Programme Support Scheme for Overseas Exhibitions (TAP) has been granted, allowing a further five members to receive support to exhibit at Kind und Jugend this year.

All conditions of the Kiddicare.com sale to Morrisons have been met, before the March 23^rd deadline, and the sale has been fully completed.

Solvej Biddle has reached the finals for the High Growth Award in the Business Mum Awards 2010.

Harrogate Nursery Fair, in March this year, was reported a huge success for almost every exhibitor attending and those hoping to re-book their stand position for 2012 are advised to get in touch as soon as possible before space goes out on general release.

Young British baby products brand Brother Max has decided to move their PR in house, terminating their agency relationship and bringing in Kim Swead, former divisional director at The Red Consultancy.

An air of celebration resounded through the halls of Harrogate Nursery Fair yesterday as the winners of the Baby and Nursery Trade Awards (BANTAs) were announced during a prestigious ceremony at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate on Sunday evening.

With over 7 months to go, The Baby Show For Trade has expanded to meet demand for space. A new section has been added following strong bookings to date from 90 companies taking over 65% of the new enlarged plan.

The Wean Machine is now available direct from the manufacturer Jackson Beazeley Limited. This exciting change has been driven by both consumers and retailers.

This spring Joolz introduces three innovative accessories: the XL Shopping bag, the UV Sun hood and the Baby Bodyguard.

OXO Tot’s design-led collection of baby equipment has been a resounding success at the Junior Design Awards 2011, receiving the Best Feeding Product award for its training plate and a Highly Commended award for its fork & spoon set.

Buggypod io is a clip-on side car for the pushchair that can also be converted into an independent stroller.

Funds advised by Magenta Partners (Magenta), an investor in high growth businesses, have invested in JoJo Maman Bébé, the specialist multi-channel baby, nursery and maternity retailer for a minority stake in the business. 

Clarion Events, organisers of the newly launched Baby Show for Trade at London Olympia (10-12 October 2010), are delighted to announce key media partnerships to support the event.

This new role will be a key point of contact for all of Dorel’s customers based in the region. “My key objectives in this role are to build strong relationships with accounts and continue to grow the Dorel brands within the south west region. I hope to achieve this through offering support and training and always being at the other end of a phone or email for customers,” she says.

KeerKinder, the well-established Carnforth based BabyDan distributor, has had a very busy start to 2011 and the fruits of their labours was plain for all to see when they exhibited for the 1st time at Harrogate 2011. Prominently located in Hall M, Stand M13, a full assortment of BabyDan’s market-leading Home Safety range was on show to admire and test. The Hands-Free Auto-Close Safety Gate is said to be a global 1st, opening and closing while hands are kept completely free for more important things......like holding the baby.

David Welsh, The UK Managing Director of Chicco, has elected to move on after 20 years at the company.

Bounty, the UK’s favourite baby club, has today announced that it will launch a new baby product guide for pregnant women.

Jackson Reece based in Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland has won a Gold accolade, awarded by the UK’s leading parenting magazine Mother & Baby.  Their Kinder by Nature soothing herbal wipes were voted 2009/10 Best Baby Wipe at a recent awards ceremony held at the Park Lane Hilton, London. Readers of the publication reported that they ‘loved the texture, scent and quality of these environmentally friendly wipes and felt they were excellent value for money.’ 

This acquisition unifies Medela, a leading brand for breastfeeding solutions, with Bravado, an innovating leader in the nursing apparel category. Terms of the deal are not disclosed.

Magmatic’s design team travelled to London last week to see BoostApak win one of the most prestigious design awards going. BoostApak was Commended in the Consumer Product Design category at the Design Week Awards. Winners of the award were the iPad and Dell’s latest offering, the ingenious Adamo XPS, so coming second doesn’t feel quite so bad!

Somerset based Sunproof Limited, established distributors of baby and childrens’ accessories, sun protection products and footwear, have been appointed as distributors for the Rukka branded range of rainwear for children for the UK market.

Petite Star has appointed Steve Whitcombe as sales agent for the South of England and Midlands. Steve has an impressive pedigree in nursery industry sales over the last 18 years, representing some great brands including Maws, Jackel International, Petite Star, East Coast Nursery and Baby Elegance.