28 Dec 2018 What a year…..
2018 What an amazing year ……
This time last year I was putting the finishing touches to the Bababou website, after our first successful photo shoot in Breac House, in Donegal, along with the glorious Mill Lane Studios family, Marie from Moss Marketing, and Paul from Landscape Photography.
I was full of excitement, and to be honest fear. Will the Hugg Bedside Crib be liked, will I get customers, will it be accepted? I know this was a huge overreaction but when you have been creating a product for two years, and you are about to launch it, trust me, the mind does go into overdrive. Pardon the stereotypical pun…. but the Hugg Cosleeper Crib, Ireland’s first organic bedside crib was my baby.
I had nothing to fear……
I did set far reaching goals and I’m proud to say I, with the amazing guidance and work from Marie at Moss Marketing, did reach all of them in the first six months of trading. I wanted to appear in Milk Magazine, Vogue UK, Image Interiors, receive International Awards, and more importantly sell Internationally.
I dreamed of receiving enquiries from a number of small boutique retailers (I won’t mention them individually) in Ireland, and I’m pleased to say, I did. In addition to retail enquiries from as far as Italy, Belgium, Sweden, France, Norway, Lebanon, UK, Australia, and lastly the USA. It always shocked me even in this global trading age, how my small brand was being discovered and adored Internationally. We have worked with amazing customers in Ireland, the UK, the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. With International shipping launched later in 2018 at https://huggorganic.com
External validation for a start-up is important when you Launch, and the Awards I received this year totally surprised and delighted. In 2018 I’m proud to say that the Hugg was awarded:
- Platinum for the Best Cot/Crib in the Junior Designs Awards, London.
- JADA Award for the Top 20 Kids product, London.
- Home Product of the Year by Image Interiors (Dublin), 2018
- Best in Show at Dot to Dot, London
- Shortlisted for Best Cosleeper Crib, Made for Mum Awards (winners to be announced in 2019).
I am delighted to say that the interest outweighed our supply, and that is my priority for the end of 2018, and will continue into 2019. We are planning to remove the pre-order button in the first quarter of 2019 as we have currently invested in a large batch of stock, we are developing new products which is really exciting, these will be launched at my next Trade Fair, The Baby Show, in the Excel, London, March 1st to the 3rd, 2019. And we wish to work with all the wonderful retailers who are interested in stocking the Award Winning, Organic and Sustainable, Hugg Bedside Crib in 2019, we just want to make sure we are ready to do so, so that a strong and successful relationship can be developed.
Whilst I have learnt a tremendous amount in my first year of trading, which has tested me emotionally and physically beyond any thing I expected. I have so much to be Thankful for, I am pursuing my dream, and I am forever Thankful for all your support in 2018, my first year.
Happy New Year Everyone! Wishing you all a very Healthy and Happy 2019! And may all your wishes come through in 2019.
xx Lucia