So there will be no chance of you hiding your light under the bushel. From the entries received, we will find the top retailer on each of five areas: the North & Scotland, Ireland, The Midlands, South East, South West and Wales. From those, the Retailer of the Year will be selected. Retailers need to contact the BPA for an entry form: the closing date for entry forms to be returned to us is 15th August and there is a dedicated telephone number for enquiries about Retailer of the Year or BPA Retail is 0845 456 9587

You do not have to be a member of BPA Retail to enter. However, this new organisation is now up and running and is offering a great deal for all retailers from the smallest to the largest. And the more retailers that join the more effective the organisation will be. For further information, go online at www.bpa-retail.org or call 0845 456 9587.

This month's issue is concentrating on pushchairs. These have been the mainstay of most retailers. But these days it is getting ever harder to get the right product in the shop. Some brands are very popular - and pricing is very keen. The choice between selling with reduced margin or losing the sale is very difficult. Offering free or reduced price accessories can sometimes make a difference but at the end of the day, it still affects profit. The alternative is to look at other brands, ones that the customer hasn't researched the price at the most discounted website. Appeal to their sense of being different. There's a lot of choice out there and you can start by looking at our review of the market on starting on page 16.

We've also bought you another feature from our secret shopper. This time we've been looking at the sort of information mum is getting when she searches on the internet to buy a mattress. Most readers of Nursery Industry will know that there are a large number of differences between the different sorts of mattresses and that buying the right size is crucial. So did our Secret Shopper find this out? And how did an independent retailer compare? See our feature on page 14.

Finally, Kind und Jugend will soon be with us. This year, it's a four day show, open to visitors form the Thursday. With many flights to Cologne at low prices, it is well worth a visit if only to see the latest trends worldwide. We'll be previewing the show in our next issue. Until then…

Cathy