Baby brand steps up with Lloyds deal
● Pharmacy listing is latest deal as Cheeky Chompers targets investment
B a b y c a r e b r a n d C h e e k y C h o m p e r s h a s u n v e i l e d a n a t i o n a l p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h Lloyds Pharmacy as it pushes forward with a crowdfunding campaign to fuel its scale-up strategy.
U n d e r t h e c o n t r a c t w i t h Lloyds, which marks the latest in a string of listings for t h e E d i n b u rg h - b a s e d b u s i - ness, the Cheeky Chompers Essentials Neckerchew will be stocked in 444 Lloyds Pharmacy outlets across the UK.
T h e E s s e n t i a l s p r o d u c t i s a l owe r p r i c e d , l i g h t e r ve r - sion of the brand’s o riginal Neckerchew – an innovation described as the “world’s first” chewable dribble bib with an attached teether.
T h e t i e - u p r e p r e s e n t s t h e first national pharmacy cont r a c t f o r t h e b r a n d , wh i c h c o u n t s J o h n L e w i s , J o J o Mama B ebe and Nordstrom among its customer base and has developed collaborative products with select retailers such as Joules and The White Company.
The news comes as Cheeky Chompers targets a six-figure investment via equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube.
O p e n e d t o t h e p u b l i c l a s t week, the live funding round has already raised more than 50 per cent of its £400,000 target, which will be used to scale t h e b u s i n e s s t h r o u g h n e w product development, direct sales grow th and increased brand awareness in key markets.
Corporate finance boutique Quest Corporate and corpo - r a te a dvi s o r y fi rm Fu l l Cir - cle Par tners are suppor ting Cheeky Chomp ers with the funding round, which is due to close in August.
C h e ek y C h o mp e r s f o u nd - ing director Julie Wilson said: “We’re really pleased to have teamed up with Lloydspharmacy, a trusted brand in the pharmacy market.
“Our new Essentials Neckerchew is a perfect fit to cater for their customer base. Many parents of teething babies will go to their local pharmacy for a solution.
“Initial sell through has been fantastic so we look forward to a great partnership going forward. Our crowdfund is also progressing well in the background with over 50 per cent invested in the first five days – the team and I are excited about the next phase of growth for Cheeky Chompers.”
John Acland, head of retail for Lloyds Pharmacy, added: “We know that parents come into the pharmacy looking for advice and products to help support their children’s teething stage, so we are delighte d t o o f f e r o u r c u s t o m e r s the Cheeky Chompers Neckerchew.”
The Edinburgh brand, which last year won a Queen’s Award for enterprise for international trade, was established by Wilson and Amy Livingstone after they met while on maternity leave with their first children.
It is now sto cked by more than 1,500 retailers in almost 50 countries, with the UK, China and the US representing the company’s largest markets.
In February the firm revealed that it was experiencing rising sales in China via its flagship online store on the Tmall.com platform – the world’s largest e-commerce site – in addition to building a strong presence across other retailers in the region, with upwards of 250 stores stocking its products.
Research by Technavio forecasts that the global market for baby so others and teethers will reach nearly $8 billi on (£6.3bn) by 2020.
“Many parents of teething babies will go to their local pharmacy for a solution. Initial sell through has been fantastic”
JULIE WILSON, FOUNDER