It's been a busy few weeks here in the Nursery Industry office with a number of manufacturers and distributors calling to talk about the latest must-haves for readers. In four product features, we bring you Safety in the Home, Branded and Licensed Goods, Furniture and Pushchairs & Accessories.

Registrations for the UK's premier nursery trade event - BPA Baby & Child - is now live on the website at www.babyandchildfair.co.uk. The show, which has exhibitors from all sectors of the nursery industry, is to take place at London's Excel Centre on the 11th, 12th and 13th October and provides a wealth of new business opportunities, valuable networking channels and professional industry related business forums.

Frugi's recent Sample Sale raised over £2000 as parents flocked to gain organic and ethical clothing bargains.  All proceeds will ensure schooling for Navbharat Orphanage children who otherwise live in desperate slum conditions in Mumbai, India.  Frugi is now able to provide sponsorship for thirteen children of all ages, to a life changing education.

Graco is pleased to announce that its Logico S HP car seat has recently received an outstanding product review from independent industry organisation, The Consumers Association of Ireland (CAI).

HABA has won a Gold Award in the Good Toy Awards construction category for its new Coloured Building Blocks Maxi.

The latest car seat from CONCORD - the TRANSFORMER - has been voted the best child seat in Group 2/3 with a sit and recline inclination and the only one in the Eurotest group II/III that can be adjusted in the shoulder area according to size.

The Aquasolari bed pad has just been awarded a Clever Idea Award by TIPS who carry out independent market research into carefully sourced products within the parenting sector.  

Skibz, makers of the funky bandana dribble bib, recently announced the recruitment of a new agent for Scotland. Joseline Leishman brings a huge amount of enthusiasm to the Skibz team and will be using her skills and vast experience to market the super absorbent and high quality range of dribble bibs to the Scottish baby industry.

More than a third of parents underestimate the age or height at which a child can travel without a child car seat, said Which? in a recent report.

The organization for the 2010 Harrogate Nursery Fair is well under way and the demand for space is as high as ever. In just eight weeks selling just over 100 companies have booked their space for the 2010 exhibition.

Best for Baby Ltd has been appointed distributor and retailer for The Woombie in the UK and Ireland, originally designed by Karen Barski Momprenuer and owner of KB designs LLC in the USA.

John Crane is now the distributor for Tidy Books in the UK education market, focussing its attention on the Tidy Books ‘award winning' bookcase.

Last month saw over 2000 Cubs and Beavers set up camp at Overstone Park in Northampton for the weekend, as part of the annual national Giant Sleep Over.

BRIO AB has appointed Treasure Trove Holdings as its exclusive distributor partner for BRIO Nursery. From July 1st Treasure Trove Nursery Division will handle the sales, marketing and distribution of BRIO Nursery in the UK & Ireland.

UK Sales Director Daniel Kobryner and kiddy (UK) PR Emma Peters enjoyed a wonderful birthday celebration last month at kiddy's very special 30 year anniversary in Hof, Germany, the company's home town. Distributors, agents and employees from all over the world attended a special day of presentations and discussions followed by a Bavarian evening in traditional dress.

Darius Januskevicius, who runs the evening shift at Dorel's Thetford distribution centre, has been announced as ‘Warehouse Person of the Year'.

As heat wave conditions have been confirmed across parts of the UK, the Met Office has warned the country to keep cool and look out for others, especially babies and young children.

Nice Bear, Naughty Bear is a new card game which aims to teach manners in a fun way to children as young as possible and complements the new initiative to teach health, happiness and self-improvement in Primary schools.  Each pack contains a suite of Good Bears and Bad Bears and includes a couple of jokers. Delightfully illustrated, every card carries a catchy rhyme which children will quickly learn by heart. 

On 1st July 2009, 2012 became the exclusive distributor of the Rock Star Baby Feeding range.  This fabulous range of baby accessories has been designed by Tico Torres from the band Bon Jovi, a much respected musician and artist in painting & sculpture.

Fabric flavours have come a long way since they launched in 2006. The exclusive limited edition retro t-shirts are available in selected boutiques across the UK plus Selfridges in London, Birmingham and Manchester. Some key pieces from the new collection are the range of retro t-shirts with textured embroidery.

The first phase of the BPA Concept & Innovation Awards 2009 is over and once again we have been amazed as to the quality and quantity of entrants.

NI: Who needs PR?

A: In a word, everyone! You don't have to have all-singing, all-dancing, expensive PR campaigns. What's important is ensuring your brand is out there, is being talked about, and is as well thought of as you think it should be. It is the easiest way to boost your profile, create a buzz and attract new customers.

1. How long have you been established?

I have been running the nursery side of the business for three years.

In what is reported to be the worst recession since the 1930's there have been some shock exits on the high street this year - for Woolworths it was the final nail in the coffin and caused gasps of disbelief in households up and down the country. With banks refusing to lend and consumers swamped by debt, retail has faced some of its toughest times since records began.

Every parent is concerned about safety in the home and it is vital that you respond to this anxiety with good advice and helpful products. The NHS reports that a large number of children between 0-5 years old are injured every year, some seriously, in accidents in the home. It reveals the kitchen and stairs to be where the majority of serious accidents happen, with a total of 43,000 occurring in the kitchen, and 58,000 on the stairs.

Winner of Mother & Baby's Best Design Award, and Practical Parenting's Best Buy Award, the KiddyGuard^TM really is a stairgate like no other. Highly innovative, it works on the same principle as a roller blind, simply "disappearing" when not in use, so there's no hazardous horizontal bar to trip over and no unsightly, swinging gate to bang against.

The latest nursery bath time essential has arrived! Digi-Duck is both a bath time toy and thermometer rolled into one.

The home is where safety begins, and there can be many hidden hazards in almost every room! From steep stairs to hot ovens, and from dangling cords to plug sockets, enquiring minds and adventurous fingers can meet danger.

The fantastic Dream Tubes from Dusky Moon is an ingenious take on a decades old safety product.  It is the ultimate solution to overcome the issue of young children falling out of single beds.  A revolutionary, high quality and easy to use bed guard that provides a safe and secure night's sleep for a child moving from a cot into a single bed.

It is impossible to predict when and where an emergency situation will arise and for that reason it is important that access to the right information is available quickly. INDICARE^TM is intended to provide an always accessible Emergency First Aid Guide. It comes in the form of a small (5x5cm), water and scratch resistant concertina booklet, with two magnetic tabs allowing it to be opened quickly and closed securely.

Winner of the Dutch ‘Fire & Safety Innovation Award 2007' and the 2008 BPA BACRA Safety Product Award the Chick-A-Dee Smoke Detector sits perfectly in a nursery, enhancing the décor with this designer safety item.

Designed by the UK's number one brand in safety [source NPD Retail Tracking service - 2008 & Q1 2009 in £], numi is Lindam's new and beautifully designed safety gate. Sleek, elegant and safe, numi is different to any other safety gate on the market today. It has fine design, advanced technology and unparalleled safety features. numi is essential for every stylish house that's home to an young child whose starting to become mobile and independent! 

We probably all had a favourite cartoon character as a child and envied those lucky enough to have rooms filled with the toys, clothes, curtains and duvet sets to match. Little did we know what a hugely lucrative market it was, until of course, we grew up and became part of it ourselves.

Hauck Fun For Kids have the perfect summer accessory.  The Disney Baby 3D Parasol.

These vibrant, fun loving parasols will bring a smile to any child.  They are a universal fit so will fit any buggy or stroller, giving shade and protection from all the elements.

Golden Bear are delighted to introduce their brand new In the Night Garden Nursery range for 2009. Based on the popular animated pre-school BBC series, the range will target children from 6 months to 18 months, focusing on entertaining and developing babies' basic skills.

Pre-school children and toddlers will delight in the new licensed creative play ranges from flair making this the collection for Nursery retailers to stock with the confidence of many Christmas sales.

Baby Brands Direct has just added new licensed products to its expanding range of baby and nursery goods available to buy wholesale on line.

Decking out the nursery in preparation for baby's imminent arrival is an exciting time, with customers keen to create the perfect sanctuary for safe and peaceful sleep. From cots to changing tables, rocking chairs to wardrobes, nursery furniture is at the heart of all other purchases and should therefore form the core of your range.

Fairytale Furniture is delighted that our idea of furniture which offers hours of imaginative play as well as having a free story book to further fire the child's imagination is catching the attention of the buying public.

A cot mattress is an important part of any furniture sale. Leading cot mattress specialists Kit for Kids has launched the roll of an in-store Point of Sale unit with audio and video, the perfect addition to every high quality furniture display area. This unit has been designed to maximise sales of a non display item and utilise otherwise dead floor space.

Europe Baby® is a new company created to sell high quality nursery room settings at competitive prices. It is a member of the Dutch group of companies from the Babypark stable and is associated to Kidsmill Baby Nursery B.V.

Choosing a pushchair and all the right accessories can be something of a logistical nightmare. Like many new parents, I started off with a pram totally unsuited to my lifestyle; I was a non driver and hopping on and off trains and buses was difficult at the best of times, especially when there were steps involved. Six months later, I traded it in for a lightweight, collapsible pushchair and it was amazing how much easier my life became! I simply wasn't prepared for any of the obstacles using the wrong type of pushchair would present - it was only through experiencing them first hand that I replaced it with something more suitable.

For parents of young children who are heading for the sun, this year's essential piece of holiday kit has to be the OUTLOOK® shade-a-babe^TM. Available in a stunning range of coloured sun visors to complement this season's most exciting pushchair fabrics, the latest model also features a handy central panel that unzips for quick and easy access to the child.

British design company Micralite is dedicated to innovation, style and function and  its Fastfold and Toro strollers are compact and lightweight ergonomic solutions to the challenges of life - and travel - with babies.

There's now no need for parents to buy a lightweight buggy once their baby has outgrown the carrycot or pram; because they will already have one!

The Taga is both a pushchair and a family carrier bike which offers a unique proposition to modern parents, namely, being able to travel freely, whilst spending valuable time with your child.  

The VIGOUR pushchair allows parents to effortlessly lift out the detachable infant carrier and safely place it into the car thanks to the innovative Click ‘n' Go system. This model is compatible with the all Britax infant carriers, including the lay-flat BABY SAFE Sleeper. Once your baby is in the car the pushchair is easily folded away with a quick-release folding action and collapses into a flat, compact package.

Designed to provide a cooler, comfier stroller experience, Tippitoes has introduced the new Air-Flow Cool Mats, available now for immediate delivery.

The Momoo is a stylish and sporty three-in-one travel system.  It is perfect for trips around town, but also ideal for more adventurous and rougher terrain. 

Petite Star's latest stroller has just scooped the coveted Best Buy award in Mother & Baby's recent test of travel systems when it was described as:

"A versatile, nippy travel system that allows newborns to lie flat in pram mode.  Lots of features are included - all for a great price. Also available as a three-wheeler."

The brand new Oyster from BabyStyle features stunning space age design and is great when it comes to choosing the ideal pushchair for baby and is now available from stock.  Suitable from birth the Oyster offers everything needed in a cost effective, feature packed product.

Mums can confidently breast feed their babies in public, safe in the knowledge that their modesty is protected, thanks to the innovative new Janet Theodore Breast Feeding Pouch.

This season its all gone a bit WILD at Cuddledry - with giraffes stampeding into the range!  A fun new version of the award-winning original apron towel for babies - current holder of the ‘Must-Have' Nursery Product of the Year from the BPA - is available in gorgeous giraffe print.  And joining it at the waterhole is the new ‘Cuddlesafari' for toddlers, the latest design in Cuddledry's bestselling collection.

The brand behind the iconic Trunki luggage celebrated three years of success earlier this year. Experts at designing innovative gear for families on the go, Magmatic seal their success on the nursery scene with a host of new products and inventions hitting the high street this year.