Here at Nutmeg, we are very grateful that beautiful stores and shops love our stickers as much as we do, and are delighted when they ask us to become a stockist!
Continuing our feature of our lovely designers and stockists, today's 'In The Spotlight' is the wonderful 'Lobella Loves', where you can 'unlock a treasure trove of spellbinding treats for your favourite little people; a wonderland of uniquely enchanting toys, décor, clothing and gifts for babies and toddlers'. Not only does the shop contain a truly beautiful selection of products, Jo's passion and giving nature really shines through from her charity donations and careful consideration of new mums and mums to be.
On that lovely note: it’s over to Jo to tell us about her fabulous shop and ethos behind it:
Please could you tell us a little bit about Lobella Loves, where you are based and how you started?
When setting up Lobella Loves, I wanted to create a space online that took the stress out of finding beautiful things. There are so many fantastic independent retailers and entrepreneurs creating gorgeous clothes, accessories and toys, but I realized (after many sleep deprived nights desperately trying to re-locate items I’d seen on Instagram), that there was nowhere bringing all these wonderful stockists together. That’s when I had the idea to create my own online marketplace especially for mums, babies and little ones.
Anyone will tell you that mums are seriously time-poor, so by bringing together the incredible businesses I’d been hearting on social media, I could not only help mums save time with their shopping, but I realized I also had a chance to help mums on a more fundamental level by donating to PND charity, Cocoon Family Support. I was also excited to help support fellow businesswomen and motherhood inspired startups, and so Lobella Loves was born.
How would you describe the ethos of Lobella Loves?
At Lobella Loves we don’t believe in the mundane or ordinary and neither should our customers. After all childhood is over in a blink of an eye and so we believe children deserve the extraordinary, no matter how pint-sized they may be. They deserve style, beauty and a more than just a little sprinkle of magic!
Also, “It’s cool to be kind” has become a bit of a business mantra for us at LLHQ. In particular, our charity element is incredibly important to the company, as a sufferer of postnatal depression myself. Giving back, helping to fight the stigma and helping other mums has become part of the DNA of our company. Money from every single sale goes to charities helping to support mothers with perinatal mental health illnesses.
Do you specialise in a particular type or style of product?
We work with a lot of very talented small business owners to offer a one-stop shop for unique and inspiring gifts for babies, children and mums. From clothing to décor to jewellery to lifestyle accessories, there’s an ever-increasing range of hand picked treasures to discover. I wanted to make it easier for people to find original things to inspire the children in their lives.
What's your favourite part of running a small business?
By far the best thing about running my own business is the fact I have the control of the brand direction, business plan and all the key decisions that need to be made. I also love the flexibility that running my own business brings with it. It means I can move my working day around commitments like childcare or medical appointments or family commitments. I love the sense of control that I have over my career satisfaction too, but that’s not to say it’s a bed of roses!
Being responsible for the success of Lobella Loves brings a lot of pressure with it, which, I guess is one of the hardest parts of the entrepreneurial life.
What is your favourite product in stock at the moment?
That’s very hard to say, as the marketplace is chock full of thousands of wonderful products. Of course I have a soft spot for our selection of wall art, I’ve had my eye on the Flamingo family for a while!
Also, as a sleep-deprived parent, you’ll never find me more than a few feet away from the sleep-inducing Spacemask – one of our most popular products.
If you could have one item on your shelves, what would it be?
There are so many wonderful products I'd love to make part of team Lobella Loves, I've got my eyes set on international sights as I love all the Scandi brands. For example, I adore the European wooden toy brands such as Kids Concept, gorgeous retro balance bikes from Banwood and the magical prints from Mrs Mighetto.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram: instagram.com/lobellaloves
Twitter: twitter.com/lobellaloves
Facebook: facebook.com/lobellaloves
Pinterest: pinterest.com/lobellaloves
Website: lobellaloves.com
Thanks to Jo - you can see all of her Nutmeg picks right here