This past October, we celebrated our 20th year selling the babyTrekker. The business started when I was pregnant with my third baby, and I can still remember talking to a customer on the phone, the night Mari was born. Home business + home birth = not much time off. In 1999,we moved into another building and I breathed a sigh of relief at all the extra space in our house. Now, ten years later, we are making another change.
As of December 1st, we will no longer be selling the babyTrekker in stores. They will be available for purchase only on our website, at www.babytrekker.com. This change was not undertaken without a great deal of thought. The fact is, it's become impossible for us to manufacture in North America using quality materials and paying good wages while offering our stores a wholesale price. And we are committed to manufacturing in Canada.
I will always be grateful to the boutiques that sold our carriers over the years. I encourage everyone who reads this blog to shop in these small, privately owned stores that foster creativity and entrepreneurship. These owners are willing to take chances on new products; something that doesn't usually happen in a chain or a big box store. And once a boutique decides to carry a product, the owner and staff work diligently to educate the consumer about its uses and benefits. There are a lot of wonderful ideas and products available for new parents, simply because privately owned stores gave them a home on their shelves.
If we as consumers don't support small businesses, the only goods available to us will be those designed and sold by large corporations. As the world becomes more and more 'Walmartized' privately owned boutiques across Canada will be closing their doors. Do we value the neighborhood store? Are we interested in supporting the creation of small businesses with great ideas? I think we are. But we have to vote with our feet, and our wallets. Because cheap, imported goods, displayed in row upon identical row, may end up costing us more than we realize.
