In an Australian first, Monarch Store is releasing its licensed Paddington for Baby collection into the market.
The range includes some of its best-selling products such as Ultimate Nappies, Classic Nappies, Pods, Wipe-Clean Mats, Mini Wet Bags, Regular Wet Bags and both Long and Short Bootysuits.
For founder Eunica Shaw, collaborating with Paddington has been a dream come true.
“We at Monarch Store (and myself in particular) are huge fans of Paddington and we could not be more excited to see a beautiful and timeless print feature on our products,” she enthuses.
A couple of years back, Monarch Store had a sister company that was well-known in the market for prints that featured character-inspired fan art, which peaked the interest of the team behind the beloved bear character.
“As we grew in popularity, we were fortunate to have the representatives of Paddington reach out to us to ask if we would be interested in licensing the Paddington official artwork that we could then develop into our own unique print, and we immediately jumped at the opportunity.”
Since the new range hit the market, Monarch Store has gained more than 100 new customers.
“The response to our Paddington for Baby x Monarch Store collection so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Honestly, we are just pinching ourselves every day. Stepping into the realm of licensing was a big risk and we are so thankful that people are loving it as much as we do.
“We have already sold out of several items including our Travel Pods, The Mini Wet Bag and multiple sizes in our Bootysuits with all other Paddington items flowing out of our warehouse at a steady pace,” she says.
Monarch Store is committed to sustainability and has revolutionised modern cloth nappies and eco-friendly reusable accessories, whilst also specialising in the softest bamboo double-zip onesies in Australia, the Bootysuit.
Disposable nappies are made from plastics and oils, and take more than 500 years to break down. Monarch seeks to make a difference by encouraging parents to shift from disposable nappies to cloth nappies and help reduce landfill.
“Monarch came about through my desire to create a self-sustaining avenue for real change,” Shaw says.
“It has been really satisfying to see a large segment of parents, who, like us, are big fans of these characters. It has also given us an opportunity to leverage interest in Paddington into the first step in the world of reusables, particularly for those parents who otherwise would not have considered such things as reusable nappies, wet bags or change mats.
“Our existing customers have also enjoyed being able to combine their pursuit of an eco-friendly lifestyle with their love of Paddington Bear in products (such as wet bags) that will last them long after their children have grown out of nappies.
“We are hoping to extend this collection by potentially adding a second Paddington for Baby x Monarch Store print in the near future also,” she adds.
Over the next six months, Monarch Store will be releasing three additional licensed collections including Sesame Street (launching next week), Peter Rabbit and Peanuts later this year.
“We are always working on new prints and licenses with a goal of offering the most extensive licensed portfolio in the Australian cloth nappy industry that will encourage more Australian families to consider different reusable alternatives in their daily lives.
“We are beyond thankful to our licensors and more importantly, our customers for allowing us and joining with us on this journey.”
