Showing posts with label Cologne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cologne. Show all posts

Tuesday, 21 September 2010

Silver Cross stand at Cologne Nursery Fair

I couldn't get into the Silver Cross booth, but did manage to grab a sneak view of some things that might interest people, but it really didn't grab my attention as it was all just a refresh and not using any original ideas.

They're doing the mixed colour chassis on 3D so part black part silver, like M&P do. The fabrics are all looking like plain colour block options, the more classic look of Pistachio has gone. There is a plum and purple model, a black with white or silver highlight piping. A light blue model, a charcoal with lime green bits, grey and orange too.



Dazzle is still there I'm afraid, and it looks like they've just refreshed and simplified the fabrics, so that the metal work isn't as hidden as before. A pale blue, a black a red and pink, then a purple.

On Surf they've updated the fabrics slightly, they seem to have added a printed hood lining and co-ordinate, its very much how M&P do the Sola and Luna. There is also a woven/printed fabric too, cream with a leaf design in it and a baby pink hood lining, this looks nice, but its nothing new really.



Then the Pop is still there in different guises as before, so a Sport the same as it is now but in different colours, and the Vogue looks the same as before. But it was really hard to see those.

There is a renamed Pop, well it looks like it started as a Pop chassis, it looks to me as if its replacing Fizz as I can't see Fizz. The new product is called Zest, fabrics are prints, very in your face, looks as cheap and nasty as something you'd see on Jive from Mothercare or a Cosatto product, really not my cup of tea to be frank.

And that was about it, as the only thing that was really new was the Nursery Furniture that looked just like every other cot wardrobe to me.

Cologne Show 2010

Well I tried to post while at the Cologne fair on the weekend but couldn't really find the time to do it or a good enough connection I'm afraid. Overall though the show was not full of the newness we've seen in previous years.

All the newness we'd seen before the show online, things such as the Bugaboo Donkey, and the Maxi Cosi Elea.

But anyway, I'll do my best over the coming days to try and put up the things that I did see and grab a photo of for the blog.

Thursday, 1 October 2009

Silver Cross Surf


Out in Germany Silver Cross finally showed their new Surf to the trade.

Although previewed the year before in a closed room, but held off from launch due to it not being travel system compatible, they have finally said that its going to be on sale.

Details are sketchy at the moment, but as far as we can see from the samples on the right of the image its very similar to the new Graco Symbio or the Recarro model that has been on sale for a number of years.

So what is different? What is unique?

Nothing that we can see, it seems another step in the direction of 'we are Silver Cross' and the hope that the brand and advertising will sell the product just as with the Halo.

When will they learn that people want innovation, not just design and attention to detail? Where are the products that are unique like the Sleepover?

And if rumours are true that the product will retail at around £600 for the pushchair, then what does it offer that the Symbio doesn't other than a brand thats a little bit older?

Thursday, 10 September 2009

Trade shows around the corner

Vegas in the US, and Kind und Junger in Cologne Germany.

This means we'll see plenty of new products from those companies that have continued to invest in product development over the last tough year, and we'll also see who has been making cut backs and struggling in the current economic climate.

Its certainly going to be an interesting time to watch for products.

Will companies continue to drive innovation, lead the market with product that will make a difference to parents lives? Or are they going to be trying to aim to please the pocket of parents?

My view is that those that drive innovation are the ones that are going to be here in the future, not those that survive only trying to please the pocket.

Fighting to be the cheapest is never going to make a company profitable, its never going to bring in money to invest in new product and innovations. Its a bit like just treading water rather than swimming.