Our story about breaking in and getting support locally

Tuesday 16 August, 2011 at 11:54 pm / 0 comment

Our story about breaking in and getting support locally

I want to live in an interesting city, I want to live in a vibrant city, I want to live in a prosperous city, and I think local business plays a critical role in that. So I'm doing what I can do to help support that, and I get all kinds of benefits from it. - Jessie Raddie, Blue Pear & Original Fare group et al.

It was in 2008 when Kathleen and I actively connected with local retailers to notify them of our newly launched product, Bibagogo. Both of us, being born and breed Edmontonian, just assumed that this award-winning, couture designed, and uniquely original specialty product would be supported by our city. ”Never assume!”

For the last decade, Edmonton have been highlighted a city with a strong sense of supporting local independent businesses with an active community who collaborates together to promote eachother, support local businesses and active co-market with eachother. Thanks to Jessie Radies, founder and motivator for the Original Fare, which lead to Keep Edmonton Original, and now know as Live Local – Shop Local, Eat Local, Dine Local, Work Local, Fly Local, Edmonton does actively tries to ‘strengthen our local economy and creates more vibrant communities’.

Unfortunately, our first years of launching showed otherwise with the local Baby/Juvenile Retailers. I must admit, after the years of very competitive, highly intense sales experience in pharmaceutical and medical sales, I preferred calling on the toughest of tough surgeons in the medical field. I kept reminding myself, this is not a tough sale! We provided all the features and all the benefits, cost scenarios of 4 cheap bibs that fall apart and get smelly per year vs one Bibagogo that will last 3 years + with continue wash and wear. Ironically at this time, I had a baby and was pregnant with another on the way, and I was a customer to some of these local retailers! So why the hesitation. Didn’t they hear the community collaborative stir that Original Fare and Keep Edmonton Original started!

But we must shout outloud about one particular retailer who automatically carried our product without question back in early 2008. She recognized the quality and value, saw the unique design, and appreciated the fact that we were designed and made locally. That was Jolene Ali, owner of Sweet Mama Spa. She still carries our line.

Through the last four years, Sweet Mama Spa and Bibagogo has grown. Sweet Mama Spa now has two locations and just launched an amazing line of products called ‘100 Mile Baby‘. Jolene told me that her wish was to connect local artists with consumers in the Edmonton community. All the products labelled with 100 Mile baby tags are locally handmade products for mom and baby. We urge you to stop in and see the amazing locally made and owned products that Sweet Mama Spa carries under their 100 Mile Baby line. There is everything from cart covers, baby booties & shoes, hair clips, belly casts, soothers, blankets and so much more! Truly an initiative that supports local Edmonton entrepreneurs, economy and communities! Bravo Sweet Mama Spa for being such a team player. Your support from day 1 is truly appreciated by us!

Happily to say, Bibagogo has grown and you will see it within the Edmonton retail marketplace!

To date, 2 brick and mortar baby/mommy-focused stores carry our locally designed and made Bibagogo – Bosom Babies, a great ‘everything for baby and mom’ store on Stony Plain Road and, as mentioned, Sweet Mama Spa. A locally owned online store owned by an Edmonton mom entrepeneur, Nicola Doherty, called Sprogs.ca carries our line. Take a look at this great feature that West Edmonton Local wrote: Business spotlight on Sprogs .ca

Earlier this year we were so proud to announce that, My Filosophy, a well-known Women & Men fashion store will carry the Bibagogo line in both store locations as well as through their shop online system. Tannis Davidson, is truly an entrepreneur that ‘thinks out of the box’ and saw the potential of our product as one of her featured gift lines. As we all know, it’s the aunts and uncles, the grandmothers, and the girlfriends that buy that unique baby gift that often moms just don’t buy themselves (until they have one, then they want more!). It is great to put a couture-designed baby/toddler product amongst the wonderful lines of women and men couture fashion that MyFilosophy carries. MyFilosophy has a reputation for being a proud supporter of Canadian made and designed products. Kathleen and I feel that our relationship with MyFilosophy is a cooperative triad of Edmontonʼs talents in design, manufacturing and retail. Attached is press release announcement: bibagogo_press_release_05-2011

Recently Headcase Hats, a Hat Store for dress and casual hats for men and women, has been carrying the Bibagogo line. This hat/bib combo marketing adventure was intended to help support a new Edmonton non-profit association called PPDA, Postpartum Depression Awareness. We will continue this venture for the meantime with a portion of sales to go to PPDA.

People always ask Kathleen and I, “what about that store…?” “Does ____ store carry your Bibagogo?”. So this post is to give some background to our journey of how we got ‘out there’ locally and recognize the amazing businesses that we do work with. We are truly honoured to collaborate with these exceptional businesses in sales efforts so we mutually support eachother’s business and create a vibrant local economy here in our hometown. You will find us proudly at the Southwest Edmonton Farmer’s Market next Wednesday, showcasing Edmonton’s Bibagogo and proudly marketing all our Edmonton Based Retailers. At the present time, we are looking for reputable sales and distribution agencies including experienced sales representatives in the juvenile and gift/travel marketplace. Slowly but surely we will grow so we can launch more locally designed and made fashionable and practical products.

Kathleen and I like to repeat a quote spoken by Jessie Radies. As you read this, know that we are clapping in agreement!