CHEEKY Chompers, the Scottish baby-care products company which pioneered the chewable dribble bib, is aiming to raise £400,000 to drive further expansion.
It plans to use the proceeds of the crowdfunding drive, on Crowdcube, to scale up the business through new product development, direct-sales growth and increasing brand awareness in key markets. Founders Julie Wilson and Amy Livingstone met when they were both on maternity leave with their first children.
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They launched Cheeky Chompers in 2013 with the Neckerchew, described as “the world’s first chewable dribble bib with attached teether”. The entrepreneurs have since expanded their product range, with offerings now also including teething toys and blankets with hidden sensory tags. Cheeky Chompers noted the overall global market for baby soothers and teethers was forecast to be nearly $8 billion in 2020. The company’s products are now sold in 49 countries, with the US, the People’s Republic of China and the UK among its major markets. Other sizeable markets for Cheeky Chompers include Taiwan.
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Exports now account for about 65% of the company’s sales, with Cheeky Chompers having 31 distributors globally.
Cheeky Chompers’ products are sold in retail chains including John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe, Tesco, Boots and Nordstrom. The company has developed collaborative products with retailers including Joules and The White Company.
Ms Livingstone said: “We have exciting new products in progress to expand our product range. This will feed our strong distribution channels. In addition, we will significantly drive digital growth and create even closer connections with our individual customers in order to grow the higher-margin, direct-to-consumer channel.”
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Ms Wilson said: “Innovation remains at our core, delivered with intuition, quality and style. We have a strong base from which to scale the business with an extensive international...network.”
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