It's raining, you're late for school, and the children's wellies come out of the cupboard for the first time in months. But do they still fit? Why the welly check matters, what to look for in children's wellies and socks, and how retailers can turn a rainy-morning scramble into something better.

A trade show is where you see a brand's heart. At Harrogate International Nursery Fair 2026 three stands stayed with me: Will & Finch, a changing bag designed by a stay-at-home dad; EcoKinly, the Irish reusable nappy brand that asks parents to start with just one; and Newlife, the charity turning brands' dead stock into equipment for disabled children.

Halloween fun doesn't have to cost the planet. Not everything we do is perfect, but a charity shop dress, a borrowed top, reusable spider buns and pumpkin soup are little steps in the right direction, without taking the fun away from the children.

Organic Zoo's Midnight print meets BINIBAMBA's merino sheepskin in a limited edition brand collaboration launched on 1st October. Two British, female founded brands, the same customer, no overlapping categories, and values that genuinely match. Here is why it works, and what to ask before you agree to any collaboration.

The SEFAR directory opens today with over 40 resources: The Nest's curated network of consultants, partner businesses, organisations and charities for maternity, baby and children's product brands. It is not a list you work through alone. We get to know your business first, then make a warm introduction to the right person.

Charlotte Morley's business, once thelittleloop and now Lloop, is worth a proper look from a trade perspective, not just a consumer one. A badge on Kite's product pages already lifts conversion before a customer has bought anything, and the real case for a brand is what happens after: repeat spend, new customers, an excess stock route, and a head start on EPR reporting.

There is a working summit on circularity in London next month, with roundtables on resale, takeback, digital product passports and the economics of it all. Maternity, baby and children's product has every structural advantage the conversation needs. We are in the room. We are just not loud enough in it yet, and that is worth changing.