Q&A with Children's Market Place Loubilou

First, can you tell us about your private life and family ?

When was Loubilou created?

We named ourselves after the children’s nursery rhyme, “Here we go looby loo”. It’s well known and (like us) it’s fun and lively. We especially loved the rhythm of the words.

The inspiration for Loubilou came after I bought my daughter a t-shirt from one of the big High Street children’s wear retailers and then the very next day, we spotted three other girls at the playground wearing identical shirts. I then realised how big and influential some of these High Street retailers have become over the past decade, and how difficult it is to find original and limited production children’s items to buy online.

For the past 20 years I’ve been a visual designer and brand consultant for a number of world leading advertising, branding and digital agencies. For the past 10 years, I’ve run my own design consultancy in London, working with clients such as Jamie Oliver and string of high-end luxury brands. My business partner, Jordan Hammond, who has been a senior technology consultant building complex online technology solutions. Now that we have our own online business, Loubilou offers a great excuse to get paid for doing something that is cool, and the kids will love us for it.

We are incredibly lucky to already have over 7500 registered users on Loubilou.com. We have a seller community of more than 400 independent brands, from sellers of children’s clothing through nursery furniture through plush toys to keepsakes.

What challenges have you faced since launching the site?

Time and money are our most immediate challenges. We’re self-funding and devoting all of our time to Loubilou. Eventually, when we meet the targets we’ve set for the site (e.g., number of registered sellers, buyers, and items), we will most likely reach out to get investors onboard to help us accelerate the business.

How can other nursery retailers become involved to be listed as a merchant?

Nursery retailers who are interested in being listed as merchants (“sellers”) on Loubilou can simply go to Loubilou.com to sign up. We welcome independent retailers, designers, and other small businesses that sell or produce unique high-quality children’s goods. Setting up a Loubilou store is free, quick, and easy. There’s no contract or lock-in or other sneaky little catches. Our fees are calculated on a “pay-as-you-sell” basis.

Our plans are to continue build and showcase the largest, most delightful and most unique array of children’s goods on the planet. Everything we do inbetween will be to support this vision.