Despite the downward economic trend, there is one startlingly wonderful piece of news that will please everyone who reads Nursery Industry - the UK birth rate is rocketing! In fact the number of babies born in England and Wales has reached the highest level for more than 16 years on the back of rising immigration.There were 691,013 births in 2007, a three per cent rise over the year before and the highest level since 1991. In recent years over 1.8 million women of child-bearing age have come to live here, and they tend to have large families.

A panel of industry experts including executives at Habitat, Lakeland, John Lewis and Debenhams, as well as independent retailers and journalists, have chosen many eco-friendly products to win Gift of the Year 2008 across 16 key categories.

Enesco, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors giftware in Europe has bought the worldwide assets of Gund, a company known for its high quality plush toys and gifts. Gund will operate as an independent division of Enesco, hence there will be no change to the UK operation. 

One of this year's new benefits of exhibiting at BPA Baby & Child show is proving to be very popular both with exhibitors and journalists alike; the Pre-show Press Day.

Hollywood actress  Halle Berry heaped praise on her new Kuster highchair last week by describing it as ‘amazing'. She said ‘The Kuster highchair is amazing and I love mine.  Highchairs sure have changed since I was a kid. This chair is more like a sleek piece of art that functions at the highest level and it doesn't take up a lot of space in your kitchen like other chairs.'

Nursery distributor Cheeky Rascals, has hit success again, not once but eight times in just three months with many of its newest products from around the world.

Wilkinet's Fair-trade Organic Baby Carrier has been come out on top as Best Baby Carrier by eco-review website SmartPlanet.com

Christmas Gift Fair
8th - 9th November
The Hop Farm, Kentish Oast Village

The Christmas Gift Fair for the public is being held for the seventh year running at The Hop Farm in Paddock Wood on 8th & 9th November and there's still space to exihibit.

Janet Sethi has joined of of the UK's leading nursery industry manufacturer, Britax, as National Account Manager.

John Crane Ltd bid adieu last month to Anthony King. Anthony was instrumental in the company and a loyal partner to John for over 24 years.  The office held a week of celebrations to show thier appreciation of his time working with them. Commenting on his retirement, John Crane summed up everyone's feelings by simply saying,     ‘I could not have wished for a better partner.'

Sally Meredith, who for many years headed up East Coast's PR activities including many of their American toy ranges such as Sassy, has recently put her many year's experience in the nursery industry to wider use and been newly appointed PR and Marketing Consultant for iCandy and Little Shield. She'll be working with both both the consumer and trade press. ‘It‘s an exciting time to be working with these two brands, building their profiles, and launching great new products'.

JCB and Halsall International have agreed a new 3 year deal which not only grants global rights to significant toy categories, it is also marks the ten year anniversary of their successful partnership.

The latest addition to the iCandy range is the 'Apple Special Edition'. Combining stunning looks with the ultimate in function, the new UK designed Apple Special Edition comes as a complete package, including lightweight chrome chassis, reversible seat unit, carrycot, luxury changing bag, all-over raincover, extra large shopping basket, parasol and footmuff, in a choice of two stylish colours, Black Magic or Coco. Tel: 01462 484858 or http://www.icandyuk.com/

Petite Star were so blown away with the response to their best-selling and multi-award winning! Zia stroller, they felt the only way forward was to improve it even more, but how? With a little bit of clever engineering the new Zia4 now takes a lightweight Group 0+ car seat. 

Close Baby Carrier, the product designed and promoted by baby carrying mentor Claire Scott , has just goneon sale in John Lewis.

There is an unspoken rule in Employment Law - ‘When you think you know what's expected of you, the goalposts move.' Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to workplace disputes.

One relatively new and popular element is the Launchpad which has seen phenomenal growth since its launch three years ago, proving 66 per cent larger in 2007 than the previous year - and promising even greater growth for 2008.

You may recall our campaign to change the rate of VAT on car seat bases from 17.5% to 5%. Following the rejection of our appeal to the Policy Unit of Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC), we have been heavily lobbying Westminster since the beginning of 2008.

We have reported on the upcoming REACH regulations in previous issues of Nursery Industry,  and can now report that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have opened a consultation on the first 16 substances that could become the first candidate substances for authorisation. Interested parties now have until 14th August to respond to ECHA with comments on exposures, alternative substances and risks posed by the substances on the list.

We are delighted to announce that at this year's BPA Baby & Child we have retained the services of a one of today's most effective business gurus . A phenomenon, who has delighted audiences throughout Britain and the world, Geoff Burch is an extraordinary speaker, whose unique and refreshing outlook on all manner of business topics has made him the busiest of speakers available.

We can confirm that the British and European Standards BS EN 12221 Changing Units have now been published by BSI.  These standards are now available for purchase from BSI or at a discount through the BPA if you are a member.

Following the tragic death of a child in the USA, the USA ASTM standard was amended to include a requirement for testing and marking of products containing high powered magnets above 50 flux index and based on this information, the European Commission placed a mandate on CEN (the European standards) to amend the EN71 part 1 standard to include magnets. 

Olivia, the daughter of Luisa and David Scacchetti is about to give birth to her first child. The family is thrilled. What greater gift can their be for this couple who have spent over twenty five years building one of the most successful companies in the industry on the joys of becoming a parent? Nursery Industry exclusively interviewed Luisa, the Grandmama-to-be in the weeks before the birth

Is there ever a best time to look at the business from afar and see where you can improve things? Business planning is a crucial task throughout the life cycle of a venture of any size and following the initial business set up stage, many well established companies are inclined to let things run as they are. However, taking time out to review progress is the key to assessing your performance and planning for the future.

Real nappies have shaken off their pins and fold image and now provide an eco chic alternative, encouraging even very light green parents to try them out.  Many arguments against them are now fading away with increased performance, ease of use and desirable designs, adding to the attraction of using them.  For many the decision to use real nappies provides cost savings for the family and the chance to contribute to a greener lifestyle, also the great benefit to local councils by reducing hazardous waste in overflowing landfill sites.

Mother Barbragh Fowler has come up with Babylog,  - a new product currently taking the baby market by storm. The treasured memory chest provides just the right layout for all those ‘small things' mums want to keep  such as first toys, baby teeth, hospital wrist bands, a lock of hair - all those very important little reminders of their baby.

Cuski has just announced its new arrival, Cuskiboo®!Looking remarkably like a maternity nurse herself, she is made entirely from a special bamboo yarn that is organically grown and totally sustainable.

My First Taggies Book 'Jingle Bells' embraces the theme of Jingle Bells  to excite little minds. Each page turned of this velour and cotton cloth book, offers a new tactile experience. Penguin is wearing his ear muffs that are soft and warm to stroke. Polar Bear's white coat is soft and furry, unlike his strippy scarf. And Reindeer is wearing his smart new Christmas blanket of thick, red fabric and embroidered white spots.

Rude and greedy behaviour among adults is contributing to the epidemic of gang and knife crime among children according to Sir Alan Steer, the Government's top behaviour advisor.

The big buy hasn't changed for new parents except that if anything there's simply more choice. Prams are an essential fashion accessory for many parents, so it's vital that manufacturers anticipate the new trends early on.

Don't be caught out as Summer races towards Winter! The stunning Wallaboo range includes some ‘must have' pushchair accessories such as infant and newborn footmuffs, and baby blankets. Made of luxurious microfibre suede and plush shearling it is super soft to the touch, and being machine washable is extremely practical.

Chicco's new top of the range, For Me Stroller, suitable from birth to 3 years of age, has contemporary styling and innovative features meaning it has quickly become a favourite with both consumers and retailers. It features a comfortable seat unit which can be used rear or forward facing and the fact that the whole seat unit turns round very simply, with no need to adjust harness or hood, makes the whole process quick and easy.

From infant to toddler, to the city, the beach and the woods, the Bugaboo Cameleon lets you take the road less travelled. With an adjustable handlebar, adjustable swivel wheel suspension, car seat adaptability, and a reversible and independent carrycot and seat, the Bugaboo Cameleon is the versatile choice. Several colour and fabric options allow you to personalise it to make it yours. All this along with the functionality you'd expect from Bugaboo - the Bugaboo Cameleon is the definition of mobile comfort.

Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Spitfire plane going into service with the RAF and the aviation achievements of Maclaren founder, Owen Maclaren, the new Maclaren Spitfire launches August 2008.

Part of Infantino's Travel Time Baby range, the Stroller Sun Shade offers a compact, quick & easy way to extend a stroller's canopy to provide plenty of extra shade with fabrics that block over 90% of UV rays. Simple elastic Velcro fasteners make it easy to secure onto the frame of most strollers for an extended shade area large enough to keep baby covered but without blocking their view of the world. Although it quickly folds back into its storage bag, the Stroller Sun Shade also folds down with the stroller.

Look no further than Cheeky Rascals for bestselling, high quality pram accessories. From the ingenious BuggyBoard® to the all-season Lodger Bunker, the range of products just gets better and better. 

Changing is almost as big a deal in the world of babies as sleeping and of course, that other vital component, feeding. New parents lives revolve around a combination of the three necessities month in month out, or so it feels. But changing is an interesting area as it nudges into other baby sectors such as travelling, toiletries and of course nursery furniture.

Bambinex award winning washable nappies are the ultimate in comfort and absorbancy, packaged superbly for the retailer, our nappies are a must. Offering great margins and small minimums make this brand a truly favourable one.

The Ju-Ju-Be range of changing bags from JellyBean are cool, stylish and certainly the hottest changing bags currently on the market. They come in varying styles with plenty of loud, funky prints that are both big on style and attitude. 

Nappi Nippas - the fabulous nappy fasteners which make safety pins a thing of the past and brings reusable nappies right into the 21st Century.

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

The new Hoppop® change bag from gro-group® is set to make feeding times easier for parents-who-lunch. 

How would you like your customers to return to your shop every fortnight? Proven products that continually sell and bring your customer back into store regularly giving you the opportunity of other sales.

The number of bouncers, rockers and somewhere to place babies to keep them happy and amused in the home has rocketed in recent years with most big companies supplying at least one product and many cover the full range.

Kids II, Inc. has made a commitment to finding a cure for breast cancer by donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of the Bright Starts® Pretty in Pink^TM Collection to breast cancer research. The collection of baby gear and toys includes the Bright Starts® Pretty in Pink^TM Activity Jumper, a contender for the 2008 Kind + Jugend Innovation Award.

Hero product Tigger Door Bouncer from The First Years is a firm favourite with parents and babies.  Featuring well-loved Winnie the Pooh character, Tigger, this bright, colourful bouncer keeps little ones amused for hours by providing indoor entertainment as well as useful exercise - a great way to keep baby amused without wearing mum out!  Adding to the fun, as baby bounces, Tigger's tail goes up and down while his head makes fun rattle sounds. 

Branching Out^TM no longer needs any introduction. The John Crane Ltd own brand now sits proudly alongside more established collections on the market, and already boasts some great best sellers!

A new top of the range chair suitable from birth. Featuring a soft comfortable seat with insert pillow, in the shape of a fun bear, with squeak and rattle toys combined. The lower pocket of the bear pillow has a soft blanket for extra comfort at naptime. The electronic toy bar has five fun melodies activated by the hanging toys, accompanied by flashing lights, and the dancing bear band. Designed to entertain and develop baby's manual co-ordination skills at the same time.

The DJ Babywalker comes equipped with a fun sounds and lights toy. The electronic activity toy features a light up keyboard that has notes, melodies or animal sounds. It also has manual activities, including a sound effects levers, "music book" with pages that turn, all making amusing sounds and which help the co-ordination and stimulation of baby' senses. The toy can be removed, to reveal a useful play or food tray, then using the straps provided the toy can be fixed to a stroller bumper bar.

Fisher-Price brings entertainment to the home with innovative Baby Gear and nursery items. The best selling, fully co-ordinated Rainforest range provides all the essentials for the nursery. Each piece incorporates the expert features and play experience you would expect from any Fisher-Price product, the range is beautifully themed to be suitable for both boys and girls with bold, inviting packaging providing stand out at retail.