Opening doors through Harrods

Once other UK stores learnt of the Harrods’ deal,  orders quickly followed,  and Cariboo founder Carol McGeady also expects it to drive sales in the Middle East.

"If you’ve passed Harrods’ strict test to get in, you have to be good, it’s a stamp of approval."

Cariboo – formerly Preston International - has come a long way since McGeady started out more than 20 years ago in a tin shed in North Canterbury.

The company is a finalist in the Canterbury export awards in July (results July 8). Last year it was the supreme winner in the Champion Canterbury awards, and was also named best small to medium global operator.

McGeady employs 14 staff and sources products from 70 mostly South Island suppliers.

A couple of years ago she was aiming for a turnover of $10 million by 2011. These days she is wary of talking specific figures and will only say turnover is almost doubling annually.

Much of the hard graft occurs in a modest factory on the family’s Rangiora  lifestyle block. The new Cariboo Fern organic cotton and merino baby clothing range launched at a prestigious "invitation only” clothing show in London in June was made in the former garage-turned-sewing-room.

However there is nothing homespun about the company’s approach to business.

Cariboo began exporting in 2002, and until now the US has been its largest market with celebrity Mums like Tori Spelling and Jennifer Garner buying Cariboo gear for their infants.

McGeady sells up to 5000 bassinettes a year in the US , and if sufficient capital can be raised, she is keen to introduce a more mass market product a couple of steps down in price. 

"A Cariboo cot sells for US$1599 where as the value line will be US$1199. It puts us into another segment of the market.”

The company also exports to Australia, and other promising markets include Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and India.

But McGeady is confident the UK and its £3.3 billion nursery sector will eventually account for 85% of company turn over.

Cariboo has employed a UK manager and set up a warehousing facility that will serve as a platform for sales in European countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

Two sales staff (one of them McGeady’s daughter Amanda) do the rounds of British baby stores in an ancient second hand car packed with samples.

"Agents over there don’t generally carry product, so the fact that they arrive loaded up with half a dozen different models, blankets, and bedding is quite intriguing for customers.”

"In the US we have a distributor so there’s not a lot we can do to increase that market, whereas in the UK we have total control and we can drive it the way we want to.”