The Industry has quickly got into the swing of things this year, with everybody talking about Harrogate and the return of the UK pavilion in Cologne. Our news pages are packed this month, telling stories of expansion, distribution agreements and brand success in the UK and abroad – a sure sign that economic recovery is now in sight.

BabyDan has appointed Treasure Trove Nursery division as its exclusive distributor partner for Independents and Key Accounts. From this month, Treasure Trove Nursery will handle the sales, trade marketing and distribution of the full BabyDan range, including Home Safety, Nursery Furniture and Bedding across England, Wales and Scotland.

Tommee Tippee has been launched in the United States. The full award-winning Closer to Nature newborn feeding range is available in Babies R Us stores throughout America and in spring in Toys R Us.

Online baby retailer Hello Baby has kicked off 2010 by more than doubling the size of its office, for what promises to be a hectic year.

East London based online baby shop Hello Baby is moving to a new office to cope with growing sales. The new office remains in trendy Brick Lane and is more than twice the size of the previous premises.

An amazing Dad from Birmingham, David Dutton, is getting some well deserved recognition this month, after winning the Cuddledry sponsored Mother & Baby Big Heart Award, for being an ‘Amazing Dad’.

My Buggy Buddy has appointed Hippychick as its exclusive UK distribution partner. The My Buggy Buddy Clip is said to be the best way to attach any bag to pram and buggy handles. It's as easy as 123 - Clip.... Attach... Unclip! An essential piece of kit for when you are out and about AND there is also a lockable version.

John Lewis is to start selling Kiddy car seats from this month at six of its largest retail stores including Oxford Street and Bluewater. The retail giant has decided to put its full support behind the Group 1/2/3 ‘kiddy comfort pro’ design, which has excellent safety features including the kiddy ‘impact shield’ for use up to 18kg.

As Nursery Industry went to press, the 57th annual UK Toy Fair had sold out. 180 toy companies were set to exhibit in the fully booked Grand and West Halls at Olympia from 26-28 January 2010. Visitor registrations for the event were up a massive 35 per cent ahead of this time last year. We bring you all the latest news and views from the Toy Fair in the next issue.

The Tidy Books Bookcase has picked up two Gold Awards at the recently announced Right Start Toy Awards.

The Bookcase won “Gold” in the “Best Investment Buy” category as a product that has great, long term play and usage value, and also “Gold” in the Nursery and Baby Accessories Category.

Trusted children's toy retailer, Early Learning Centre has appointed integrated agency Milton Bayer to create a range of point of sale (POS) material for 2010. Early Learning Centre has 215 stores across the UK and 80 worldwide, selling toys that encourage children from birth to six years to explore, learn and create. Milton Bayer has extensive youth marketing experience, developing both strategic and tactical campaigns for brands such as Disney, Topps and Mookie Toys.

Halilit has appointed Donna Read as its Agent for Scotland. “We have been impressed by Donna’s enthusiasm and professional approach,” said Richard Greaves, Business Development Manager for Halilit. “We are confident that, with the launch of the TAF Nursery Toy range at Toy Fair and Spring Fair, Donna is the right person to be looking after all existing and new Halilit customers.”

Chicco is sponsoring all 25 x 10 minute programmes of ‘The Baby Breakfast Club’ on GMTV. Viewers will have seen minute-long tasters of the series on GMTV during the launch week (11th – 15th January). The entire series is now being shown on GMTV’s digital platform on ITV4 and simulcast on the CITV Channel, Monday-Friday 9.10am-9.20am.

As Nursery Industry went to press, KIDS II had confirmed its appointment of Treasure Trove Nursery as exclusive distributor partner for its specialty toy and nursery range across England, Wales and Scotland. In more good news for the company, it will now handle the sales, trade marketing and distribution of the exciting ‘BRIGHT STARTS’ & ‘BABY EINSTEIN’ brands across teethers, rattles, baby toys and baby gear, such as bouncers and swings.

Lindam, the UK’s number one child safety brand and leading international developer of nursery products, has become part of Munchkin, the Californian based designer and manufacturer of innovative infant and toddler products.

The Bright Consultancy has been appointed by Bandai UK to handle a trade and consumer PR campaign for the company’s extensive portfolio of children’s toy and entertainment brands.

Baby Oliver Withers beat off stiff competition from over 5,000 of the country’s cutest babies to be named as this year’s Face of The Baby Show 2010. Parents across the UK entered their baby for the competition, after attending The Baby Show or visiting the Prima Baby website (www.babyexpert.com).

Baby Brands Direct is delighted to announce its move to a bespoke distribution unit boasting custom racking, state of the art order integrated dispatch systems and most importantly, a 50% increase in stock holding per product line.

The Fropper is a ride-on toy and bouncer in one and comes ready to use straight from the box. Castor wheels to the front make cruising around safe and easy for young racers and the whisper-quiet, non abrasive wheels make it ideal for indoor and outdoor use. Available in red and green or pink and purple, it folds to a fraction of its size and has a handle for carrying around.

Little Green Sheep is proud to present its newest addition to the flock – the Ryeland – the ‘ultimate’ organic cot bed. The official unveiling will be at the baby show this month and promises to be an exciting occasion.

With its patent pending 'pouring duct', the innovative new Pourty potty is designed to be comfortable for toddlers as well as more hygienic to use, as the waste is poured out through the duct, away from where the toddler sits or touches, and doesn't spill or dribble.

Sock Ons are clever garments that are worn over a baby’s socks, literally locking them in place. When a baby tries to pull off their socks, they get caught in the hole around the heel of the Sock Ons keeping them firmly in place. This ensures no more lost socks and no more cold toes.

FunToSee™, UK’s leading manufacturer of decorative sticker products for nurseries, bedrooms, playgroups and crèches, is proud to announce the latest edition to their wall sticker family - The Very Hungry Caterpillar™.

Why do I need a UPF 50+ sun shade for my pushchair?

A simple stroll in the park without any form of sun protection can cause irrevocable long term damage to your child’s skin. A UPF50+ pushchair shade provides valuable extra protection from harmful UV.

OUTLOOK shade-a-babe

The No.1 sun shade in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, the Outlook shade-a-babe offers unbeatable (up to UPF50+), hassle-free protection from damaging UVA and UVB rays.

It also reduces glare, acts as a windshield and keeps irritating insects at bay, whilst giving great visibility and ventilation.

BPA Retail - half price membership offer extended for 3 months only

Times are tough for much of the retail community and whilst we are all looking for ways to cut back spending, it has never been more important to invest in the future. BPA would urge those retailers who are not already members of BPA Retail to consider joining as soon as possible while the half price offer lasts.

Many parents opt to use disposable nappies as a matter of convenience. Baby and Pregnancy explains: “Readily available and maintenance free, disposable nappies offer ease of use. They are especially useful when away from home since they can be thrown in the bin rather than needing to be transported home for laundering.”

The key feature across this popular nappy and accessories range is the use of 100% certified organic cotton terry, as used in the Imse Vimse All-In-One Nappy. Following the explosion in the organic baby food market, organic cotton is predicted to be the next big success story.

The hygienic Korbell Nappy Bin is a fantastic solution to nappy disposal. Easy to use - simply step on the foot pedal, and drop the nappy in – it is the only nappy bin to use a hands-free pedal system. It effectively combats nasty nappy niffs with its double "hermetic" design and interior locking lid, and the pleasantly fragranced refills help mask any lingering smells.

Milton Antibacterial Fabric Solution is clinically proven to kill harmful germs (including bacteria and fungi) which can survive on fabrics even after a 45°C wash cycle, causing bad odours and infections.

The Happy Nappy System from Splash About includes three products that make taking your baby or toddler swimming simple. The stylish Happy Nappy, the only nappy made compulsory in UK baby swim schools, comes in a selection of bright colours and prints, and a range of sizes that fit most newborns to toddlers (XS - XXL). RRP £8.35-£9.35 depending on fabric design.

As the name suggests the Bambinex Easy Comfort All In One nappy is an easy to use one piece nappy system that needs no liners or outer covers and offers supreme comfort and absorbency.

New for Washable Nappy retailers is the Cheeky Monkey washable wipes kit, a joint branded wipes kit from Cheeky Wipes and Monkey Foot Wet Bags.

The clever kit contains everything that cloth nappy users need to make using washable wipes hassle free.

A reliable baby monitor enables parents to go about their daily chores or catch forty winks safe in the knowledge that baby is safely and peacefully asleep.

Broadly speaking, monitors fall into two main categories: analogue and digital. Brought to market in the 1930’s, the traditional analogue monitor has evolved to offer very good quality sound. Today all UK analogue monitors operate within the same allotted frequency band to transmit information from the baby unit to the parent unit.

Respisense™ - the revolutionary ‘use anywhere’; baby breathing effort monitor, sold worldwide including the UK since 2005.

An increasing number of parents are aware of the need to ensure that their baby’s breathing is uninterrupted during sleep. Traditional baby breathing monitors and baby movement monitors are ineffective in most baby sleeping situations outside a cot or baby’s bed.

For ultimate piece of mind for parents, the exciting launch of the NEW VTech Clear View Video Baby Monitor means parents can now watch their little ones sleeping safe and sound from a different room. Following on from the successful launch of the brand new range of VTech Baby Monitors last year, this new video monitor brings an additional dimension to VTech’s already award winning monitor range.

The Angelcare Nappy Disposal System has won the Bronze Award for Best Nursery Product at the Practical Parenting Award, finishing ahead of its main competitor. This great accolade further underlines the fact that parents love this simple but effective nappy disposal system!

Tomy, the leading manufacturer of baby monitors in the UK is delighted to announce the launch of a new range of baby monitors. Tomy’s new monitors are designed to be very stylish, easy to use and help give parents ultimate peace of mind while their baby is sleeping. The unique range is the result of Tomy’s 21-year heritage in marketing award-winning monitors that parents love and trust. Developed by parents to meet parents’ requirements, Tomy has conducted extensive consumer research to create the ultimate range of monitors that offers parents the features and specifications they really want.

Lindam’s Clarity Monitors combine advanced technology with design innovation to bring parents a product which provides total peace of mind.

The award winning Clarity Digital Video Monitor (Gold Practical Parenting 2009) uses the latest digital technology (DECT), producing crystal clear, interference-free sound and vision transmission, allowing parents to see and hear their baby at all times.

The purchase and correct use of a car seat is critical. As a retailer, you have an obligation to ensure that your customers are fully conversant with the law before allowing them to leave with a product from your store. This should include demonstrating how to the fit the seat, before checking that they can repeat the process unaided.

The independent Baby Product Guide (IBPG) are the innovative new organisation in our market place working with brands and their stockists to ensure end customers receive the service and experience they deserve.

The latest child car seat from CONCORD, the CONCORD TRANSFORMER XT for seat group II/III, has been on the market for just one year but has already received several renowned design awards, and has achieved top marks in safety tests.

The Neptune car seat is approved to EC R44/04, for Groups 1/2/3, suitable for children from 9 to 36 kg (from 1 to around 12 years of age). When the seat is used in Group 1 mode (from 9 to 18 kg) the child must be fastened in using the car seat safety harness. The 5-point harness has comfortable shoulder pads and an easy to use one-pull harness adjustment. Using the simple adjuster control, it’s easy to adjust the headrest, the 5-point safety harness or car safety belt at the same time. This ensures correct fitting for the child, travelling safely and comfortably as it grows. The 5-point harness can be removed and replaced by the standard car safety belts for use in Group 2 and 3.

Safety is number one priority when parents purchase car seats. From birth to 12 years or 135cm (UK) and 150cm (ROI), which ever comes first, it is a legal requirement for children to be seated in a car seat or booster. The most important aspect when selecting a car seat is the child’s weight, this is because each car seat is specifically designed to provide maximum safety for a given weight range.

Graco has redesigned its popular Logico S Group 0+ car seat, to create the Logcio S HP, a stylish seat that’s even easier for parents to fit, and consequently even safer. So safe, in fact, that it has been awarded four stars at the latest European consumer testing by independent organisations ADAC and OEAMTC.

For the third consecutive year, the Renolux EST Quick- Confort scoops a coveted Gold award for the Best Car Seat – Group 1,2 & 3 in the Mother and Baby Magazine Awards.

Leading car seat manufacturer Britax is set to drive multiple consumers’ in-store this Spring thanks to its new TV campaign showcasing the King plus car seat.

The first of its kind in the UK, this new advert aims to remind parents about the importance of in-car child safety and fitting the child car seat correctly within the car.

kiddy has personalised its 2010 car seat ranges in the infinity pro (group 1) and comfort pro (group 1, 2, 3) with evocative new names bringing them into line with consumer preference.

The Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix Collection revolutionises how parents travel with children and is the ultimate, no-hassle travel solution and the most advanced safety concept on the market today.

Maxi-Cosi recognises the importance of a car seat base; the FamilyFix Base has been developed so that one single base can fit two consecutive age group car seats in the car.

To help unravel the confusing world of child car seats and make the decision about essential car seat safety easier for existing, new and expectant parents Mamas & Papas offer a comprehensive range of car seats in a variety of styles and colours. All of which have been selected for their uncompromising quality, safety, comfort and ease of use.

 Piccolo Lusso, distributor of the chic 'o' bello changing bag range and a Nursery Industry Sales Training Guide Sponsor, explained:

"A good changing bag will have a significant set of useful accessories and features included that make parents lives easier; ideally it should be structured internally so parents can organise their own belongings as well as baby's, whilst allowing them to be stored separately."

Pasito a Pasito has been making beautiful outdoor and indoor products for the young mother for more than 15 years. 2010 sees the extension of our highly successful range of Eco-leather bags “Alexandra” and the launch of the beautiful “Popeline” Buggy Covers collection.

The bushbaby® pop-up nestegg™ is the perfect solution for families on the move. Great as a sleep or play area and designed for use indoors and out, the nestegg pops up and down in seconds, making it ideal for all trips and holidays. It weighs just 2kg (including mattress) and is small enough to pack in a suitcase.

An uninterrupted night’s sleep is pretty high up on every parents wish list. Hippychick has addressed this and have some great products to ease the pressure of bedtime.

Described by Prima Baby as "the sleeping-on- the-go solution that mums and babies have been waiting for" and awarded Gold for Most Innovative Product by Baby London magazine, excitement surrounds the February launch of SnoozeShade - the innovative new baby sleep aid. SnoozeShade (RRP £19.99), the UK's first blackout blind for prams and pushchairs, helps babies get the sleep they need when out and about.

Following the successful trial of the hit US range Tina Tillia, Conair is pleased to announce full scale distribution of the brand in 2010.

The Tiny Tillia range, designed by Tiffany Lerman - daughter of best selling author Jackie Collins - comprises all-natural bath and body items, as well as the baby changing bags.

Those that have decided to breast feed will need a good supply of breast pads, often before baby even arrives. It may be that mum wants to be able to share the feeds so that she can take a break, or get a full night's sleep herself now again! A breast pump - either manual or electric - will allow her to do this, so you need to stock a range of both.

With a large range of products deigned to minimise some of the problems that arise from feeding, it’s no wonder that Dr Brown’s Natural Flow Feeding System has become widely recognised by parents and health professionals as a very effective way of minimising problems with colic.

Chicco Jazzy the latest addition to the multi-award winning Chicco highchair range. Stylish and modern with all the practicality you’d expect from a Chicco highchair.

Suitable from six months to three years of age, the spacious, well-padded seat has a fixed height, 3-position reclining backrest and a 5-point safety harness. The removable tray has 3-positions.

Created, tested and approved by breastfeeding mums, breastvest is a revolutionary item of breastfeeding underwear designed to be used alongside a well-fitted nursing bra. Held in place by specially-designed straps, breastvest covers the postnatal tummy, offering mums a snug layer of support and modesty whilst feeding their babies.

NEW! from the creators of The Wean Machine is the first fabulous Wean Machine book, ‘What am I Eating?’ with handy recipes and tips for weaning babies, presented as a fun picture book. Getting children involved with different foods using this book will help them learn about fresh food from the start.

Pink an’ Blue produce and distribute unique and innovative baby products that are safe, practical but also desirable to the modern parent who is looking for something a little different.

MAM would like to announce that as a responsible manufacturer of baby accessories they have moved their full range to BPA-free materials.

MAM has been committed to BPA-free bottles since 2004 and after listening to consumers concerns has developed a full range of soothers and teethers in BPA-free material to compliment bottles and feeding accessories.