This week we’re celebrating Australia’s multibrand cloth nappy retail businesses. We’ll introduce you to some business owners passionate about reusable nappies, sharing their wide knowledge and experience. A multibrand retailer is a great place to start if you’re new to cloth nappies, as they have a wide experience of different brands and knowledge across all areas and can help narrow down the options to suit your family.
Hi, I’m Siti from Fluff Bums and Mums.
The world of cloth nappies, and sustainability has always intrigued me. Having used cloth nappies as a child myself, I was adamant that I was going to use cloth on my kids – and there was no going back from it! It didn’t have the safety pins or the big terry cloth anymore, but it had the same sense of familiarity. I mean, I can’t recall having a nappy put on me but I still have pictures of me rocking that white terry.
Starting Fluff Bums and Mums in Toowoomba where we are based, was something special. The elephant in the room, is that I am Asian and there are not a lot of us here let alone having a business in retail. Being different is a challenge and also my strength. I get to talk to people easier most times, and it opens up a slightly different market. Being a “non local” helped me to connect with the locals beyond nappies most times as we chat about everything under the sun.
The online market is of course a completely different story. You can buy products without any connection whatsoever. However, with the increasing value of social media, that’s certainly not the case anymore. I’ll be the first to admit that my social media game is sometimes a hit and miss, and I am nowhere near consistent or creative as others in my field, but I do try to be out there as much as I can.
So, when COVID took a toll on local markets and an opportunity came up to have all the pretties in a store front I could not say no! It would have been bonkers to not do it. In hindsight maybe I should have thought about it more but honestly when do you even get an opportunity to have a beautiful space and fill (part of it) with nappies?
I absolutely love that COVID forced me to more forward with my long-term plan. I don’t love COVID for not letting me travel though. I love that the nappies can start a conversation for customers on the fence. They can see the nappies, fiddle with them, compare different brands and of course come back for some advice if they need it. Fit checks have never been easier, consults and workshops are a breeze- all thanks to the store front! Having it at the heart of the city CBD makes it much more accessible too, so whenever you are in Toowoomba next, don’t forget to visit Lilly & Wattle Co. – you’ll find us in there
