It seems very strange to be writing this, knowing that by the time you read it, we will have all been to Harrogate and had what we are all hoping will be a very successful show. A trade show is a place for launching new products and if the previews we’ve seen are anything to go by, there will be a lot to consider. We’ll run a full review of Harrogate in our next issue but in the meantime, we’ve done and extra large New Products feature in this issue, together with a look at some of the latest trends in colours and styles for 2007 and 2008.

With only six months to go until BPA Baby & Child, final preparations are being put into place to make this year’s show the most successful to date. There are many advantages to this prestigious showcase which makes it the must attend event of the year for nursery buyers. Most importantly, BPA Baby & Child is designed with the UK market in mind, an essential factor when you consider that the European consumer has very different tastes to that of the British public.

The Baby Show, in association with Bounty and sponsored by Volvo, made a triumphant debut at Excel London where it ran from 9 -11 March. Total attendance over the three days was 23,337, exceeding forecasts and making it a very busy and successful Show for the 165 exhibitors involved.

KBL Healthcare Acquisition Corp. II, has announced in New York that its stockholders have approved the acquisition of Summer Infant, Inc and its subsidiaries which include Summer Infant Europe Ltd, at its special meeting of stockholders held on March 6th.

gro-group® has announced that it is now the exclusive distributor of the gr8x® range of changing bags and accessories in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Available in four different styles and a mix of contemporary colours, the innovative gr8x® range combines quality, practicality and style with a unisex design that is suitable for mums and dads on the move.

BEABA 121 Voie Romaine, BP 80 107 Groissiat, 01116 Oyonnax Cedex, France

Tel: 00 33 474 12 09 10
www.beaba.com

BPA

Fax: 0845 456 9573
Email: info@b-p-a.org

Chief Executive: Peter White

Pampers® and UNICEF are delighted to announce that, thanks to the support of parents across the UK and Ireland, over 7.4 million of the most vulnerable mothers and babies around the world will be protected against tetanus – over 1 million more than the initial target.

If you blinked you would have missed the Swimlite® Aqua Mum® on Dragons Den, but according to Sandra Johnston- Murphy, CEO of SJM Baby Products Ltd, what you did see was not a true representation of the 2 and a half hours spent with the Dragons. "It was an amazing experience. I was given a great deal of invaluable information and came away totally inspired.

Rainbow Designs has appointed a new Sales Manager as part of its drive to move in a new and exciting direction. The appointment of Marc Wheeldon comes hot on the heels of the company’s re-branding last year, which saw a contemporary new identity and several fresh faces at the company behind classics such as Paddington Bear, Miffy and the Beatrix Potter characters.

Having traded as a franchise operation for the last 14 years, owner Helen Hickman has decided to "go it alone" and Bump Start got off to a flying start on Saturday 17th February. The baby shop at Whaddon, Milton Keynes had a relaunch party day with lots of special offers and events including experts from Britax doing car seat checks.

This year Bambino Mio are celebrating their 10th birthday. The company initially started in 1997 and has continuously grown as more and more parents have realised the many benefits of reusable nappies.

Retailers keen to have a reading corner within their stores so as to keep kids occupied whilst their parents shop are now being offered a range of ‘ready made’ bundles, comprising Tidy Books bookcase with a varying selection of broad age range books at really competitive prices.

Graco has relocated its commercial operation to join its distribution colleagues at Fradley Park, West Midlands. This is as a result of the successful launch of Graco Independent Direct and the company’s first Customer Roadshows.

The team at Perfectly Happy People were jolted into action when pregnant Jordan visited their stand at the recent Baby Show to buy a Widgey nursing pillow for her forthcoming baby.

Since 1993, the Department of Health has co-ordinated an annual campaign, National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, aiming to highlight that breastfeeding is good for the health of mother and baby.

Britax is delighted to announce the appointment of Joanne Murray as Senior National Accounts Manager, working with Helen Ramdhian to strengthen the level of support provided to all Britax national account customers. Joanne joins from the Dorel Group, where she has worked as National Account Manager for the past four and a half years. Prior to this she was Sales Manager with Swarovski.

Summer Infant is pleased to announce that Emma Reeves has joined its growing sales support team. Emma joins from Mothercare where she spent the last four years gaining invaluable experience of the baby and toddler market. At Summer Infant Emma will focus on the specialist stores, her appointment demonstrating the company’s firm commitment to supporting the independent trade.

February 2007 saw the planning approval for a new 14,500 sq ft development for Two Left Feet which will comprise 2,500 sq ft of offices and 12,000 sq ft of specialised warehousing. This will mean that Two Left Feet will be running an impressive 50,000 sq ft operation.

Imagine for a moment you are in front of a crowd of 300 people. Many of them are pregnant; some already have babies and toddlers. There are a few new Dads in there too. All of them are your potential customers. As your audience settles down you hold a megaphone to your mouth and shout…

The Bambino Mio Cravings Café will feature at The Baby Show until 2008. Award winning cotton nappy company Bambino Mio has signed a deal with Clarion Events to maintain their sponsorship at ExCeL, Birmingham and Earls Court until the end of 2008. Show Director of The Baby Shows, Nicole Boakes says "Whether you're pregnant or not, the Cravings Cafe provides an excellent facility for our visitors and we're delighted that Bambino Mio will continue their sponsorship of the Cravings Cafe until the end of 2008."

Modern Baby, voted 'best ethical cloth nappy' by The Guardian newspaper and Ethiscore.org, has attracted significant investment from a private financier.

Q - When and where were you born?

A - Indiana, but I lived most of my life in California, so I consider myself more of a Californian than anything.

Q - Education?

A - I have a BS Degree in Business Administration from Purdue University.

With most of the mainstream parenting titles carrying tried and tested features regularly on anything from feeding bottles to travel systems manufacturers and distributors amazingly sometimes have to think twice about getting involved for fear of the damage that a poor review could do. On the other hand, it is always tempting to get involved with the lure of the coveted ‘Editors Choice’ or ‘Best Buy’ award that can be used to help promote and sell the product in the future.

Disaster! A product has a serious error and in order to protect the most valuable commodity you have – your customers – you need to issue an urgent product recall. Doing this honestly and promptly serves two purposes. Firstly it protects your consumers from any potential harm, and secondly it improves your reputation for honesty.

A CLIMATE FOR CHANGE

It seems that just about every news item at the moment is about Global Warming and Climate Change. We have Al Gore’s travelling global warming show and his film "The Inconvenient Truth", we have Gordon for the Reds and David for the Blues competing for the right to be the party most in support of the Green way forward and of course at the end of last year we had the Stern Report.

Once we only needed to give a cursory glance at what was happening on the cat walks. Prams and pushchairs were nearly always navy, perhaps an occasional brown or deep burgundy red would appear, before going back to good old navy. Now nursery is a fashion industry like so many others and we ignore fashion and its influence at our peril.

Hippychick’s collection of stylish, comfortable and fun leather and suede Shoo Shoos for babies and toddlers is available in a wide selection of new designs and colours for Spring/Summer 2007.

Prince Lionheart’s bébéPOD PLUS is catching the interest of consumers with its bright colours, multi-function versatility, and value for money. The pommel attachment allows baby to sit upright in a safe and comfortable seat (from the time baby is able to support his/her head), allowing baby to take in the surroundings from an upright position.

More exciting toys have been added to The First Years Nature Sensations nursery equipment category for 2007 bringing the world of nature into the nursery. Each new toy encourages baby to achieve fundamental milestones by using the sensations of nature – sights, sounds and touch – to learn and play.

Proving that the best can get better, and in line with Lascal’s policy of continuous development, rolling changes on the BuggyBoard 3G have led to the evolution of the BuggyBoard® Maxi.

Following the success of their sleigh cot bed, Boori launched the new King Parrot 3 in 1 Sleigh at the fair. The new sleigh is priced for consumers who love the Boori sleigh but feel it is outside their budget. As with all Boori products the new sleigh is made from top grade, solid plantation timber from sustainable resources.

CUSKI KIDS have launched their new and innovative children’s pillow. This specially developed Cuski Kids Orthopaedic Pillow is the FIRST to address the important issues of children’s back and sleep development in their early years, helping to prevent future back problems.

The Swiss Strolli Rider has just added the sought after FQ Top Gear Award to its coveted Mother & Baby Award. The product offers parents with more than one child an easy way to transport the older child. Connected simply to the side of most prams and buggies, the Strolli Rider allows parents to push the pram in a normal and comfortable position, walking alongside the older child without stooping or risk of tripping.

Launched in 1996, Cheeky Rascals has grown to become one of the most dynamic, successful and inspirational nursery products suppliers in the country, selling some of the fastest moving lines into over 600 maternity and nursery chains and outlets.

Suitable from birth to 3 years of age, the CT0.1 stroller comes with matching fleece foot muff and changing bag. The foot muff can be zipped apart to make a leg cover for the summer. The lightweight aluminium chassis is compact and freestanding when closed.

The iCandy Cherry has followed closely in the footsteps of the innovative iCandy Apple by turning consumers’ heads and creating massive demand for what is a truly functional travel system.

New consumer advertising features the iCandy Cherry in a collection of stylish shots promising to continue to create interest and sales, as well as offering sales support for the growing list of authorised iCandy stockists.

Appealing to the luxury end of the wheeled goods market, Bebecar continue to create innovative prams and pushchairs that combine all the features parents are looking for: the latest looks, with the ultimate in safety and comfort for babies and toddlers. All the Bebecar prams and pushchairs are travel system compatible, have the option of a carry-cot, and come with a lie-flat reversible seat unit, so that the baby can face the parent in those vital early months when face to face contact is crucial.

The stylish designed Firstwheels City Elite and City Twin have many easy user friendly features. The seat unit has 3 positions which can be adapted to be forward or rearward facing, both models accommodate a carrycot.

Our City Series swivel-wheel strollers have quickly become the envy of the stroller industry. It’s the only stroller on the market that utilises our patented one-step lift & fold technology, making the City Series the only stroller you’ll ever need. Sleek alloy wheels with true 12 inch rubber tires allow the stroller to go places most other strollers only dream of going.

A Mountain Buggy® can go just about anywhere. They are true all-terrain buggies working just as well tackling tough urban streets as well as they do on beaches or rugged country terrain. Parents can walk, run or jog with a Mountain Buggy® and continue to live the life they love.

Every family is different so Mountain Buggy® has three models to meet different needs and lifestyles. Our range can accommodate one, two, or three children from newborn up to the age of four or five years old with ease.

Without doubt pushchair purchases are a considered decision for parents and at the same time they are looking to buy those ‘little extras’ to help personalise their purchase. Sunshine Kids have a range of best selling pushchair accessories that will enhance ‘add-on’ sales and increase profitability.

Now coming with an eyecatching counter display case (perfect for maximising those impulse purchases!), the newly re-branded, re-packaged BuggyWeightsTM are proving a huge hit.

A classic from developmental nursery toy experts Tiny Love, the Take Along Arch is a flexible fun-filled activity arch, which attaches to most pushchairs. The arch can be angled so that the three activity toys hanging from it are always at the best height for the baby, and extra loops are provided so that other favourite toys can be attached.

OUTLOOK® has kick-started 2007 with a fabulous new make-over for its sensational, best-selling shade-a-babeTM. As well as a stunning new range of coloured sun visors to complement this season’s most exciting pushchair fabrics, there’s a handy new central panel that unzips for quick and easy access to the child.

Babies have always needed nappies – or something approximating to a nappy. In ancient times they used leaves or animal skins – in fact, the use of nappies is one thing that distinguishes humans from other animals! Swaddling bands were strips of linen or wool that were tightly wrapped around baby.

Kushies nappies, 'voted best reusable nappy' by Mother & Baby magazine have a complete range of washable nappies and accessories. The summer 2007 fabrics for our swim nappy are bright and exciting and the orders are flying out the door.

Tots Bots have revolutionised the washable nappy market with their two-piece shaped nappy system. Their ease of use and exceptional performance has resulted in the company achieving 100% sales growth per annum over the last six years. Their nappies are available in white, natural and an eye catching rainbow of colours. They come packed as sets of 15 in reusable cotton drawstring bags; day packs of 5 or individually, to suit your requirements.

5% of all babies in the UK now wear Bambino Mio cotton nappies, making Bambino Mio the market leader. Their design makes the nappies and associated products stylish, comfortable and convenient. Products in the Bambino Mio range include nappies, nappy covers, washing powder, sanitiser, liners, training pants and swim nappies.

Summer is coming, and OiOi® is celebrating with their fabulous new collection of irresistible baby changing bags. Cool, contemporary and cutting edge, OiOi bags keep pace with the latest catwalk trends so, this season, prepare to be tempted by the clean lines of the nautical stripe, the exuberance of flower power and the funkiness of the abstract!

Clearly herbal Wipes are clearly better for business! In less than a year our natural wipes, which are not only kind to baby but also the environment, are being sold in 600 independent pharmacies and independent nursery stores across the country. Our record sales are now about to be matched by intensive public relations, Advertising and marketing campaigns in the consumer media and a presence at every baby show.

New to the Mother-ease range is the Bamboo One Size nappy. A comfortable, silky soft nappy made from the finest Bamboo which is antibacterial and more absorbent than cotton. Other products in the Mother-ease range include; One Size, One Size Dry, One Size Organic, Sandy’s, Sandy’s Organic, Multifit, All In One and Bedwetters. Only top quality materials are used so the nappies easily withstand daily wear and tear and really do last for years.

The range of Skip-Hop changing bags from Bibs and Stuff not only offer practical features (including special clips to attach them neatly to the buggy) but they are also available in a large range of super stylish designs! You would never guess they were designed specifically to carry nappies!

Modern Baby has launched a 100% organic reusable terry towelling nappy that is both kind to baby’s skin and the environment. Made from 100% unbleached cotton, this baby-soft shaped nappy is easy to use, quick to dry and allows baby’s skin to breathe naturally which is essential for healthy skin.

Bathtime is the best part of the day for many mums with dads often taking their share. But what are they buying?

Sassy has the answer when it comes to keeping bathtime clean and tidy with the Toy Tub Bag, a funky fish shaped wall hanging that will keep even the most chaotic of tots organised.

Summer Infant continues to expand its innovative bath collection. The new Summer Infant Turtle Bath Temperature Tester is a super cute and convenient accessory for parents to test their child’s bath water.

With digital reading and colour coding parents know immediately if the water is too cold or too hot. It floats, doubling up as a bath toy for added bath time enjoyment. The SSP is £9.99.