For first-time retailer Samantha Ciappara, operations director of Active Baby co., becoming an Australian stockist of the Owlet Smart Sock and Monitor Duo range was a clever business move.
Just over 12 months ago, Ciappara and her then fiancé, now husband, came across a product line within the baby industry which got them thinking about what their local area needed, understanding the local demographics, and building a business around this product.
The couple now oversee a baby retail business that has a focus on smart, functional, and technical products, with two retail stores located at Narellan Town Centre and Macarthur Square in Sydney’s south-west, plus an online ecommerce website.
“Our product mix is based on understanding our customers’ needs – so we do ongoing active listening,” Ciappara said.
“Being smart about having the right mix of products was essential to our early success. Our customers told us what they wanted, many knew exactly the brands to trust and aspire to have, and we also asked new mums and mums-to-be in store what they were wanting and needing.”
Ciappara invested time and effort into understanding trends, trusted brands and the products that would complement the select range of core big ticket items.
“We strive to offer the best of baby brands and products in our stores, and when we opened our first store, we knew we wanted to add Owlet to our product range. We love being able to offer our clients brands we love and trust,” she said.
“Not only were our customers asking for Owlet by name, but we were keen to add it to our retail offering as it made good business sense – it is a smart wearable designed for families – the sock is fitted to the baby’s foot and monitors what matters.”
The Owlet Smart Sock tracks a baby’s heart rate and oxygen while they sleep and sends notifications if readings fall outside the pre-set zones. In addition to the Sock, Owlet offers a 1080p HD-video monitor, the Owlet Cam, which is also available at Active Baby Co. Like the Sock, it links to an app to view live audio and HD video streams on their smartphone.
“Bundling up products has been great for us, and while the Owlet Cam can be purchased separately and used with or without the Smart Sock; purchasing the Duo offers great savings to our young families,” Ciappara said.
“We can effectively demonstrate how the product works, which is key to helping customers relate to the products we sell. It is easy to show how the tracking and notification functions work with the Owlet Smart Sock, and how this can be combined with the video streaming available with the Cam.
“I’m excited that Active Baby Co will be stocking some of the new range of sock colours and designs – including Wild Child – a leopard print – and Forever Rainbow, a multi-coloured pastel rainbow sock, as soon as they become available in Australia.”