Following the fantastic announcement of Silver Cross as top nursery brand in the annual UK Superbrands awards, The Sunday Telegraph ran a Superbrands suplement featuring all that is good in British trade, industry and manufacture.

The suplement extensively featured Silver Cross as a a talisman of UK industry, forging into global markets and leading the world in the field of nursery design. Top business writer Kevin Coyd wrote:

“A UK heritage can be an advantage in more niche markets, as shown by pram manufacturer Silver Cross - a brand that has seen remarkable growth in overseas markets and a leap of 126 places in the Superbrands top 500, from 227 to 101. It’s British pedigree could scarcely be more impressive. Silver Cross is the world’s oldest nursery brand and it’s prams have been relied upon by the Royal Family for more than a century. More recently, celebrity owners have ensured that the company’s products have become a fixture in glossy magazines.”

Kevin went on to quote Silver Cross chairman, Alan Halsall, who stated; “Internationally, brands with our sort of heritage produce a warm feeling among consumers. We’ve developed over a long period of time, and people have a high regard for British workmanship.”

The expansion of the Silver Cross brand into international markets was the subject of a nice story in The Sunday Times at the weekend. The piece, featured in the business section of the perennial broadsheet favourite, focused on the burgeoning relationship with Chinese distribution partner Goodbaby.

Along with pictures from the recent Balmoral Pram photo shoot in London, business commentator Matthew Goodman wrote about the new Silver Cross presence in China through Goodbaby’s Beijing store and how it is hoped that the country will become a key market for Silver Cross in the future.

The seventeenth of July saw the proud launch of the Silver Cross brand in China. The Shanghai Nursery Fair is China’s (and one of the world’s) largest events of it’s kind, attracting a wide spectrum of high profile buyers from across China. Silver Cross has teamed up with one of the most prestigious nursery and children’s product distributors: Goodbaby Group. Goodbaby have a range of Chinese nursery stores and currently hold exclusive distribution rights for the Nike Kids and Miniman Fashion ranges for China.

The event was a huge success, with the world’s oldest nursery brand attracting a new and excited Chinese audience. With China fast becoming one of the world’s superpowers, the blossoming middle classes are keen to embrace the cream of western quality and design. Mr Shen - International Brand Manager of Goodbaby commented; “We have had a wonderful reaction to Silver Cross products at the show and we’re confident that the brand will have a bright future in China.”

.
Silver Cross has climbed an impressive 126 places to position number 101 on the prestigious Superbrands list ahead of such well known names as Pepsi, Orange and Walkers. Still the UK’s favorite nursery equipment brand, Silver Cross was the second highest Baby Brand after Pampers.

The Superbrand list is created through a robust and entirely independent selection process which seeks the opinions of experts and thousands of individuals administered by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA) on behalf of the Superbrands organisation. Which is why we are so proud of the result!

 

The Silver Cross Dazzle stroller has once again set tongues wagging as the chic British design has scooped another award, this time winning the prestigious ‘Mom’s Best Award’ in the USA.

The Mom’s Best Network, who’s mission is “to be the BEST resource site in providing reviews and information specifically regarding products and services, as well as retailers that carry these products/services” awarded Dazzle their seal of approval after putting the stroller through the toughest test of all; being used by mothers and their babies. The testers were delighted with the stylish stroller, particularly the light weight and eyecatching fabrics. Here’s what moms had to say:

“The Dazzle is easy to fold and the recline is great for newborns through toddlers.”
“It’s so lightweight and such a pretty colour.”
“It’s very lightweight, easy to maneuver and the colours are great.”
“I really liked this product - nothing about it needs improving.”

 

On June 10th, Silver Cross and a gaggle of technical staff went on the road , all in the cause of fashion as we descended on one of the quieter corners of Islington for a photo shoot starring the classic Balmoral Pram.

Top fashion model Jen Dawson was on hand to provide the glamour, while London-based photographer Jonny Storey took the snaps. The shoot took place in a number of locations and included a host of great still images, along with some dynamic video. The results will be arriving on international Silver Cross sites in the next two months, so watch this space…

Following on from the successful showcases in Hong Kong, Silver Cross Asia is further developing it’s in store experience with a brand new display in the high-profile Forum Shopping Mall in Singapore.

The showcase, which sits in the main entrance lobby of the enormous mall, features standing space for Silver Cross strollers and a multimedia screen playing Silver Cross videos throughout the day. The stand will be initially used to promote the stylish Dazzle Stroller (pictured above), with plans to use it for the launch of POP & Fizz in July/August time.

 

For most parents, making sure that their new baby is kept safe usually means a shopping trip to get hold of all the latest, safety-conscious prams, highchairs and car seats, but for parents in Northern Spain, keeping baby safe means something completely different!

In a bizarre festival known as El Salto del Colacho (Spanish for ‘the jump of the devil’), babies born in the previous twelve months are dressed in their Sunday best and laid on mattresses in the streets of Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos. Then men dressed as devils, carrying whips and truncheons, jump over babies by the dozen. This outlandish practice is said to protect the babies from evil spirits and illness. The festival, which originated in 1621, occurs every year on the Sunday following Corpus Christi, a Roman Catholic holiday observed across Spain.

The pictures above show the aerobatic devils in flight over unsuspecting tots. ‘El Colacho’ is pictured below in full diabolical regalia.

Mother & Baby have been conducting the latest lightweight pushchair like-for-like test in a bid to find out which strollers are best of breed.

The test was conducted by three mums and featured 6 different pushchairs from various manufacturers. The testers were considering criteria such as weight, practicality, style/looks and overall value. The Silver Cross POP pushchair proved to be the cream of the crop; recieving a four star rating and the coveted ‘best value’ award. Here’s what the M&B testers had to say about POP:

Gemma: “Getting my daughter in and out was a doddle. It’s also just the right height whether you’re tall or small.”
Charlotte: “Smooth to push, sturdy and the basket is a good size. Good reclining positions and it’s easy to change the seating position with a child in place, too”
Stacey: “Lovely to push and a smooth ride. The harness is easy to adjust, the raincover fixes on easily and it’s easy to recline the seat.”

In summary, Mother & Baby said: “Good value and good quality, our testers loved it!”