!i Se&09 )*14-15/!012082&46-132!e7s29e:a94<=d 21@08@2009 14/30 )a:e 15
NiEducation
sensitive skin products.
Peter Tindall has observed these changes in the market closely: “Mums have
a natural instinct to do their best by baby and this means they spend plenty of
time researching what is available. So many nursery products over the past few
decades have been driven by price and convenience. Providing products at low
prices as quickly as possible, has resulted in swathes of plastic and synthetic
toys, furniture, prams, bedding and not least mattresses. Mum’s nowadays
have better resources to research through the Internet and discover the
shortfalls of many of these synthetic alternatives. Mums also tend to be a little
older now and as a result are often more discerning about the products they
buy. There is a general increase in the awareness of ‘green’ issues and this
combination is helping to drive more new parents to green alternatives. There
is a sense of satisfaction achieved by giving your baby a green and healthy
environment while ensuring you are protecting the environment around you
for the future.”
What about the future of the organic market, will it continue to grow? Toby
Massey of Becothings certainly thinks so: “The boom in green baby products
stems from a growing demand for eco alternatives. Environmentally friendly
and organic products are now seen as the healthier and safer option as parents
try to avoid chemicals and additives. Fuelled by scare stories, such as the
Chinese baby milk crisis, parents no longer have the same trust in big brands.
Parents are looking for wide sources of information and consequently, turning
to tools like the Internet. The spread of discussion forums and blogs have
become the life support of parents looking for information on the best
product. Here at Becothings we constantly receive enquiries and questions
from parents all over the world. We’ve had people from as far away as Brazil
asking questions and leaving feedback.”
Peter Tindall of Naturalmat agrees: “While organic food has recently taken a
battering in the British Press, the demand for organic baby products continue
to boom and the market is growing daily. The constant development of new
organic products only fuels this awareness and demand. The future for green
organic and eco products in the nursery market is here to stay and has a long
way to grow yet.”
It is vital that you have a full understanding of how a
product promoted as natural, organic or environmentally
friendly is produced
Over at Becothings, Toby believes that the future of eco friendly products lay
in more cost competitive products: “Unfortunately the green trend has all too
often been accompanied by a tradition of charging the consumer a premium.
For years now manufacturers have seen eco products as an opportunity to
charge an extra 30%. This perception has led to fears that in today’s recession
green products might start to fail. Our experience at Becothings could not be
any more different. By challenging convention, we have worked hard to price
our products competitively. Our BecoPotty for example, retails at £7.99 and is
therefore far cheaper than other similar products on the market. By being so
competitive, the consumer has a simple choice – they can either have an
environmentally friendly potty or the old plastic style potty, and without the
cost difference the decision appears too easy. In the past 6 months the potty
has seen huge success. With sales up each month, we are now preparing to
launch a further two new colours as well as two new product lines.”
The difficulty for the consumer is that there is so much conflicting
information nowadays, with some sources suggesting that products marketed
as ‘natural’ may not be chemical free after all. When selecting products for
retail it is vital that you have a full understanding of how a product promoted
as natural, organic or environmentally friendly is produced, so that customers
opting to ‘go green’ can do so with confidence.
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62