JoJo Maman Bébé
JoJo Maman Bébé is a UK-based multi-channel maternity wear and baby clothing retailer, founded in 1993, with 70 stores in the UK.
History
Following a serious car accident, Laura Tenison spent several weeks in hospital where she became acquainted with a young mother hospitalised at the same time. The mother of two expressed frustration at the lack of assortment in children’s clothes available via mail order and thus the idea for the Company was conceived.[1] JoJo Maman Bébé was launched in 1993 as a mail order catalogue specialising in maternity wear and children’s clothes.[2] As founder and managing director, Tenison was awarded an MBE for services to business in 2004.
The initial JoJo Maman Bébé product range was heavily inspired by traditional French nautical clothing, a theme that would become a key part of the Company’s brand image. The Breton theme has recurred in baby wear and children's fashion collections throughout the seasons. The maternity range was designed to be fashionable yet wearable, deviating from the norm of baggy tent dresses and dungarees centric maternity wear market of the time.
Today
Today JoJo Maman Bébé has its headquarters in Newport, Wales and a Buying, Design and Marketing office based in Battersea, London. It has 60 stores nationally and employing about 400 people in the UK and 2000 indirectly around the world.[3] The company is a multi-channel retailer with products available online, in stores and via a mail order catalogue. JoJo Maman Bébé offers products that include fashionable maternity wear, a Breton inspired children's collection and original nursery products, gifts and toys, designed for pregnancy through to pre-school.
Awards
JoJo Maman Bébé has won numerous awards over the years including the following in the last couple of years:
- Winner, Leading Wales Awards, Best Company Award 2010
- Winner, Prima Baby Reader Awards, Best Children’s Wear Website 2010
- Winner, Prima Baby Reader Awards, Best Maternity Lingerie 2010
- Winner, Drapers Children’s Wear Retailer of the Year 2009
- Winner, Prima Baby Fashion Awards, Best Catalogue/Mail-order Service 2008
- Member of Courvoisier Future 500 of Fashion & Retail 2007
- Winner, Pregnancy & Birth Best for Underwear Bloom Award 2007
- Winner, Prima Baby Pregnancy Reader Awards Best Buy, Mail Order 2007
- Winner, Fast Growth Business Awards, Retail/Leisure Female Entrepreneur 2007
- Winner, Fast Growth Business Awards, Retail Business of the Year 2007
- Winner, Practical Parenting Baby & Toddler Fashion Award 2007
- Winner, Practical Parenting Maternity Fashion Award 2007
- Nominated a Superbrand in 2005
Charity Work
JoJo Maman Bébé supports the Nema Foundation, an independent charity operating in Northern Mozambique to help relieve child poverty and protect the environment. Nema works in 16 communities with a combined population of 24,000.
References
- ↑ Jane Elliott (2003-05-10). "Health | Inspired by a cancer patient". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
- ↑ "Laura Tenison, JoJo Maman Bébé". smarta.com. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ↑ King, Mark (9 March 2012). "Store Wars: Mothercare and JoJo Maman Bébé". Guardian. Retrieved 2012-09-19.