The South African owner and founder of the Kids Emporium franchise stores in South Africa, Lauren de Swardt, opened her first flagship store at the tender age of 22. Kids Emporium has since entrenched itself in the marketplace there: its brand strength stretches to the whole Kids Emporium shopping experience, introducing a cohesive world of expert parenting knowledge aimed at educating new parents, backed by good old-fashioned service. De Swardt has, over the past 13 years, developed the brand with 26 stores now operative throughout South Africa.
De Swardt said: “We want our brand to be accessible in the United Kingdom, offering the market affordable, innovative South African product lines, previously unavailable to locals. Seventy percent of the goods in store will be manufactured in South Africa, with the intellectual property based in South Africa and the business operative in the United Kingdom.”
Franchise applicants are carefully selected - the challenge with the Kids Emporium brand is to translate passionate service levels into interest. The company ethos is to equip pregnant customers with accurate knowledge, and De Swardt insists on personal customer attention because she believes her demographic, pregnant women, is one of the most challenging.
Guildford store franchisee and mother of two Storm Copestake was chosen to run the master franchise. Owner of the Ruby Rabbit baby-centric clothing range in the UK, Copestake has years of industry experience and is expertly poised to run the UK store.
Product offerings will include exclusive ranges of children’s toys, gifts, furniture, décor, children’s wear and maternity essentials with a difference. Some of the top local South African brands include baby bath apron and snuggle blanket range, Lily and Jack, Thandana luggage, sublime kids clothing brand, Sticky Fudge and many more. The look of the international store will have clean lines, in muted tones with the same style and sophistication found in the South African franchises.
De Swardt said that goods will be shipped across to the UK. “It makes financial sense to do this. We are bringing a global brand to the UK that is renowned for good service from a nation of hard-working people and we’re proud to offer high-end products that are value for money. It’s a massive milestone, the United Kingdom was chosen as a first stake, and we see the opportunity for a store that offers something completely different.”
